The Dance

Trouble in Paradise

The next week, Randee and Bob, their two sons and Emma's daughters flew over from Atlanta. Rather than send the private plane over, Prince had first class seats reserved for them all. This was old hat for Mya and Marti after their trip to Europe, but Randee and Bob's family had only flown coach before the wedding, and still couldn't believe the difference. When Kirk arrived at the house with them all, it was their turn for their mouths to hang open in amazement.

Randee gave Emma a huge hug, and said, 'Look at this house! Are you kidding me? This place is remarkable!'

'I know,' said Emma, breaking away from hugging the rest of Randee's family. 'This was all Prince's plan and a surprise for me, so we could begin making some family memories in addition to a honeymoon. I'm definitely not used to this lifestyle yet. Prince assures me I'll get used to it.'

With eight bedrooms, there was room for everyone, even Kirk. Emma started to feel bad for Kirk, not being on the trip with a special someone. When she asked Prince about it, Prince said, 'Kirk is working right now. When we get back, he'll get time off to go where he wants to, with whoever he wants to, on my dime. Don't worry, I take good care of Kirk, because he takes very good care of me, and now, us.' His response made Emma feel better.

On studio days, Emma went with Prince and Kirk. When it stretched into the wee hours of the morning, Emma sacked out on the couch in the studio while the music surrounded her. They got back to the house about 6 am, and slept until noon. Emma had prepared her family for the fact that Prince, and now she, kept very different hours than most of the world. This was fine with the youngsters, but took a little getting used to for Randee and Bob.

'You mean we need to stay quiet until noon every day?' Bob inquired.

'No, Prince and I will close the glass wall to the lanai, so we won't hear you downstairs. Feel free to enjoy the house, just don't expect to see us before noon.

'Prince has had insomnia most of his life, he says. I'm guessing, but I'd bet it has a lot to do with living in other people's houses and being constantly teased for his size and living situations. You may not know that he was basically abandoned by both of his parents by the time he was 12, and had a stepfather he didnt get along with in the mix as well. The woman who finally took him in made a huge difference in his life, and she did coordinate with his mom and dad, but constantly being an outsider had to have made a big difference to him growing up. You know how self-conscious teens are anyway. I think music became his way to work through his emotions and eventually, his truest friend.'

'Dang,' replied Bob. 'He has every right to be a disaster of a human being instead of a quirky, successful musician and a pretty great guy.'

'Exactly,' said Emma. 'Knowing what he had to overcome just to get the attention of people who could help get his career started continues to amaze me. God definitely had a plan for his life, and Prince knew what it was almost from the beginning. Anyway, as a result, working until late in the night became a habit. The combination of that and having to burn off the energy of a concert is what started the aftershows that can last until 5 or 6 am. So for his lifestyle, it makes sense to keep those hours. And, since he's the person I love to spend time with, it's becoming my schedule as well. I'm usually done by 2 or 3 am, but I need more sleep than he does anyway.'

Randee and Bob, their sons and the girls had no trouble entertaining themselves. The 'young folks' spent most of their time outside, either at the pool or at the beach. Mya and Marti's olive complexions tanned quickly, which surprised Prince at first, having witnessed how easily Emma could get a sunburn. One afternoon he walked over to Marti, who was catching some rays, to see if she had any answers.