Having A Place

Karen

Emma's talent show is tomorrow. Her and Jimi have been practicing the song she wrote a lot. I've talked a songwriter that we are friends with and they want to write with Emma. I haven't told her yet because we want her to focus on one thing at a time and I think this would just put more pressure on her.

Jimi has actually come around to Josh. It only took him like two months, but I think he actually likes him now. I knew he would eventually because he is a good kid and there is no reason not to like him. He's been coming around a lot and Elijah absolutely loves him. He always gets excited when Josh comes over.

Emma has been seeing Sara, but I don't think it is as often as Sara would like, but we're busy. Emma has probably seen her only like four times total all summer and only once by herself without me around, but I don't think Emma minds. She likes being out on the road. She has been learning about all the sound and light equipment and has been helping our sound guy during the shows and he has been letting her do some of the stuff. He usually lets her help out the most during sound check.

It is Friday night just before dinner. Emma and Jimi are down stairs going through her song and making sure it is exactly how she wants it and Elijah is helping me make dinner in the kitchen. He was standing on a stool next to the stove adding the ingredients to the pan of vegetables. We were making chicken with roasted potatoes and sautéed vegetables.

I pulled the chicken and potatoes out of the oven and set it on the counter when they were done. Then I turned the stove off and moved the vegetables off the burner.

"E, do you want to help me set the table?" I asked.

"Sure" he said and climbed off his stool and followed me. I grabbed the plates and handed him the silverware. We walked over to the table and I set the plates and knives down at each spot except at Elijah's spot and Elijah did the same with the forks. Then I got out the glasses and set them on the table. Elijah helped me set the rest of the things out.

"Can you do one more thing for me E?" I asked.

"What?" he asked.

"Can you go downstairs and get Daddy and Emma?" I asked.

"Uh huh" he said and nodded. He opened the door to the basement and yelled.

"Daddy Emma! Dinners done!" He yelled and I just laughed.

"E, you could have went down there" I said.

"This was easier" he said and shrugged his shoulders. Then we heard footsteps coming up the stairs and Emma and Jimi walked through the doorway.

"Let's eat" I said and we all sat down at the table and ate dinner.

"So is your song all good to go for tomorrow?" I asked.

"I think so, I just want to run through it a couple of times yet" she said.

"Em, we've been at it all day. I think we should take a break and let it be for tonight and we can go through it tomorrow one more time before we go" Jimi said.

"But I want to go through it some more tonight" she whined.

"Em, its fine. You are going to do fine and I will be up there with you the whole time" Jimi said.

"This is my first time performing my own song in front of people that aren't my family" she said.

"And you're going to be fine. You have so much passion written in this song and you show it every time you sing it" Jimi said.

"You're going to do amazing sweetie" I added and she gave us a half a smile.

"Fine, we won't do the song anymore tonight" she said and gave in.