The lights were bright, and the crowd was cheering wildly. Everyone had really come through to make the concert happen. Matthew had set them up with an amazing venue. All of the girls had done their part, and overall, it had become a huge event.
Stevie and Lindsey had their reservations about letting Sophie go to such a big, chaotic event so soon after being released from treatment. She insisted that she would be totally fine, though. Not to mention her sisters promised that they would all watch over her.
All of the sisters had songs prepared, even though they weren't all professional singers. Being the children of two of the most famous musicians in history, they were all pretty much naturally gifted. As some other artists sang their sets, the Buckingham sisters all got ready backstage. Through the commotion that was five grown sisters getting wardrobe, hair, and makeup done in one room, Lily sought out Sophie.
The youngest sister was at her mirror, checking over her makeup. Lily thought it was funny how she always stressed about her appearance, even though she was so stunning. "You look perfect," she said, placing her hands on her shoulders. Sophie smiled at her through the mirror. "So do you. Especially with this one," she said, turning to place a kiss on her belly. "I'm so excited to meet her," she said dreamily, imagining what it would be like for Lily to be a mother. Of course she'd be an amazing one. She'd just always been the sister who watched out for her. She was like a best friend, and now, she was going to be completely responsible for someone else.
"I am, too," Lily said softly.
"She's gonna have a whole lot of people who adore her."
Lily smiled at her sister and messed with her long golden ringlets, brushing them over her shoulders. "You think you and Matthew will be staying with us for a while? At least until she's born?" The tone in her voice reminded Lily of how Sophie would ask to stay up for five minutes longer before bed when she was little. It was a mixture of hopeful, casual, and curious. Classic Sophie. Always mysterious, and a little hard to read. However, Lily knew her sister like the back of her hand. "Yeah, I think so. Well, I think we'll probably have to stay. Mom's already planning a nursery for the house."
They both laughed, knowing all too well how serious Lily was being. "Did anyone ever tell you about the day you were born?" Sophie shook her head. She knew small details, like what hospital she was born in, and the time of day. She knew that her dad and Aunt Lori were in the room when she was born. Other than that, she didn't know much else about that day.
"Well, Bella and Phoenix were jumping off the walls all morning, because they knew that they were finally going to meet their baby sister. I was doing homework in the hospital waiting room, because I had a major test the next day. Sara was on a college visit. But the thing was, us older kids, and everyone else were scared. Really scared."
"Why?"
"Well, Mom and Dad were in their late forties, and they'd been warned about the complications that could occur. When Mom went into labor, it was a month early, and all hell broke loose. I was on the phone with Sara, and the band, telling them what was happening. Nana was completely freaking out that she wouldn't make it on time. Everyone was crying, because they thought we were going to lose you. I even had to fill the paperwork out for Dad, because he couldn't keep it together."
Sophie was in complete shock. She had no idea that the day she was born had been that stressful. "I had no idea," she muttered, trying not to sound too upset by the whole story. "It was definitely a crazy day. You were born healthy, though. But you were so tiny, it scared everyone. But when we were allowed to come in, and the nurse handed you over to Mom...I don't think I've ever felt more love fill an entire room. The way she looked at you, and the way Dad looked at you...it made all of the craziness of the day completely worth it. You were—You are a miracle, Soph. You've been a fighter since the day you were born. Sure, some mistakes were made, but let me tell you, everyone in this room, wishes that they were as strong as you. And everyone here adores you, and that's why this event is even happening."
