The next morning, Emmi held Cuppy and nervously paced in front of the double doors that led to her mother's bedroom. Inside, Ariana was writing a song for the play as she talked to someone in French on the phone. She peeked through the door and stared at her mother. She was in bed with her long hair pulled into a messy bun and make up less, having just woken up.
"Just do it sweet pea." Joan said into her ear, while Zac and Frankie and Zac stood beside her, urged her with a little pat on her rear which made Emmi enter.
Ariana looked up and smiled at her daughter, patting the empty spot beside her on the bed as she hung up the phone. "I have to finish this song and fax it to the composer, then how about you and I go out to lunch and spend the rest of the day getting lost in Bergdorfs?" She asked her daughter as she put an arm around her and kissed her cheek.
"I can't... I'm sorry... I have to go out of town today." Emmi said looking down.
"You have to go out of town today?" Ariana decided to humor her daughter, "And where, may I ask, are you going?" she asked.
Instead of answering, Emmi buried herself underneath the white satin sheets of her mother's bed.
"Avia." Ariana said with a laugh trying to tickle her into coming out, "Avia!"
"That's why I have to go! I have to go see Avia." Emmi said underneath the covers. Frankie and Zac peeked into the room at the sound of her voice - she wasn't exactly all too quiet when she said it - even though it cost them both a slap on their arms by their mother.
"I see and where might Avia be?" Ariana asked still thinking it was a joke.
"In Melbourne with her father, Jai Brooks." Emmi answered, using her Australian accent and this piece of news definitely shocked Ariana.
Her jaw dropped and she looked at her mother and brothers who could only nod in reply. Ariana's eyes filled with tears and she looked back down at the lump in her covers.
"You're not Avia?" Ariana asked in a whisper, pulling on the sheets while Emmi looked at her fearfully with her big brown eyes holding her Cuppy close to her.
"That would be correct." Emmi mumbled, her eyes wide in worry even though her mothers lips were going up with a smile.
"You're Emmi?" Ariana whispered as a tear slowly slid down her cheeks, smiling softly.
"I am." Emmi sighed, sitting up.
Ariana put a hand on her mouth as tears fell from her eyes as she looked at the daughter she hasn't seen in over ten years.
"Avia and I met at camp and we decided to switch places." Emmi whispered softly, looking at her mother. "I'm sorry, but I'd never seen you and I'd dreamt of meeting you my whole life and Avia felt the exact same way about Dad, so we just sorta switched lives. I hope you're not mad because I love you so much and I just hope one day you can love me as me and not as Avia." She explained as her mother looked at her blankly.
"Oh, honey, I've loved you your whole life." Ariana cried as she pulled her daughter into her arms. The two looked up to see a bawling Frankie being comforted by Joan who closed the door to give them some more privacy as Zac just shook his head.
"I've never so happy in my entire life!" they heard him bawl and Ariana turned to her daughter.
"Why didn't you tell me it was you all along?" she asked.
"I was scared." Emmi confessed wiping away the rest of her tears, "So I guess you have to switch us back now, huh?"
"Legally, you belong to your father and Avia belongs to me." Ariana answered with a sigh, thinking about her ex all over again. She would never admit it, but she missed him.
"'His' and 'Hers', kids. No offense, Mom, but this arrangement really sucks." Emmi sniffled, leaning back into her mother.
"I agree, it totally sucks." Ariana said softly, stroking her daughters curls. "I don't want to lose you now that we've been together."
"Well, then I guess we'll just have to fly to Melbourne, see Avia and Dad and work this whole thing out." Emmi said matter-of-faculty, peering up at her mother.
"I guess we will." Ariana agreed smiling at her, "Not to worry, I'll take care of everything." She promised, hugging her daughter tightly.
JxA
Ariana was just going around her walk in closet getting random clothes and throwing them in a heap on her bed as Frankie watched her from her bed and Zac from her little corner nook.
"I'm sorry I can't handle this." Ariana declared, storming out of her closet with curlers in her hair and staring at her brothers.
"I haven't heard from Jai in like ten years and now I'm flying halfway around the world just to meet him again!" She cried, swinging around a blouse that was in her hand. "I'm not ready for this! I mean if he didn't drive me nuts then I'd still be married to him. That's why we had this arrangement - so we wouldn't have to see each other again!" Ariana delivered her monologue like a true Drama Queen as her brothers watched her drone on and on and on, looking bored with all of it.
"If it would help you dearest sister, Zac and I could accompany you," Frankie offered, trying to make this easier for her. Ariana squealed and hugged them tightly.
"That would be much appreciated!" she squealed before walking to her vanity to pack her make up, unaware that her daughter was standing hidden behind the double doors listening in and trying not to laugh at the situation.
"Look at me you guys! I'm a total mess! Wait, tell me - do I look old?" She blurted, looking into the mirror and checking for wrinkles before frowning and looking at the boys. "Wait, why am I so worried about that? Jai could be balding and fat - yes, that could work..." Ariana mumbled to herself, pulling the curlers out of her hair.
"Actually, from what Emmi tells me he's still a hunk." Frankie said and Ariana smiled thinking of Jai's...abs.
"And never remarried." Zac added, "Just like you."
"By choice, you guys! I've had my fair share of men, just so you know! Nathan even tried courting me just before we left for New York and mind you he wouldn't stop..." Emmi entered the room.
"That was like seven years ago." Frankie muttered which made Zac laugh when he came beside him and give him a high five.
"Whatever," his sister said with an eye roll, "So Jai's still a hunk eh? Mind you he had this grin that made me weak at the knees..." she recalled dreamily while her brothers pulled a face.
"Mom, I'm totally ready." Emmi announced, making her presence known with a grin that matched her fathers.
"Oh yeah, me too...almost." Ariana replied with a smile.
"Mom your suitcase is like, totally empty." Emmi noted as she stood by Frankie.
"Oh right, sorry." Ariana said distractedly, "Did you speak with your father?"
Emmi and Frankie shared a look before she answered, "Uh, yeah, I just hung up with him, actually. He said he's really anxious to see you."
"He did? Anxious-nervous, like he's dreading it or anxious-excited like he's looking forward to it?"
"Anxious-excited, definitely." Emmi said and Frankie raised an eyebrow knowing she was lying, "He said he'll meet us tomorrow at noon at the Stafford Hotel in Sydney."
Ariana laughed uneasily when she heard that.
"That's so...soon. Uhm, why don't you go down and grab our tickets from your Grandmother, ok?" she said and Emmi nodded.
She was about to exit when Frankie whispered in her ear, "Liar, liar, pants on fire."
Emmi whirled around and glared at him, playfully, bringing her finger to her to her lips. "Shh!" She hissed then swiped her hand against her neck silently saying, 'I'll kill you if you say anything.' Frankie immediately shut up when he heard Ariana call on him.
"You know, Ari." Frankie said as he stepped into his sister's closet, "If I was going to face Jai Brooks again, and I had your legs, I'd go all out. I'd wear this," he came out with an Alexander McQueen satin one-shoulder dress and a four-inch heeled Oscar de la Renta two-tone strappy pumps, "You'd kill it."
Ariana smiled and started putting her clothes in the suitcase while Zac just stared at Frankie in distraught.
A while later the Grandes were all set and Ariana kissed Joan goodbye. Emmi rushed up to her grandmother and gave her a kiss.
"Bye Nonna!" she said.
"Bye Em." Joan said with a smile.
"So you won't forget to come over for Thanksgiving right?" she asked.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" Joan replied.
"Bye..." she whispered and rushed to the car.
"Oh and say hello to your father for me!" her grandmother called out.
"I will..." Emmi said and climbed in.
Joan gave her a thumbs-up which she replied with crossed fingers and crossed arms. The driver shut the door and they were off...
JxA