by JA Low
“You look so beautiful sitting there.” Oscar bends down and kisses me on the forehead as he walks past me into the house. His words wash over me, extinguishing my anxiety. I finish my coffee and walk back inside, placing my cup in the sink.
“You look happy.” I catch Oscar humming away as he cleans the eggs, placing them into the cartons.
“That’s because I am. This makes me happy. Who knew?” Oscar smiles at me.
“Washing eggs?” I chuckle. He rolls his eyes at me.
“This. Collecting the eggs each morning. Picking fresh fruit and vegetables from the garden. I don’t even have to go to the store to get anything, it’s all here.” His eyes light up with wonderment.
“I can’t believe you got Lockie to start eating his vegetables.” Oscar gives me a proud shrug.
“Can we do this when we get home?” he asks. I tilt my head in confusion at him.
“What?”
“All this. The chickens, the gardens, the animals.” When we first arrived Oscar hated the chickens, they are so loud and wake him up every morning.
“You want to be a farmer?”
Oscar grins. “I guess, maybe a little. I like having all this fresh produce at our door.”
“We live in LA. Not sure there are any farms there.”
“People live on acreage in Malibu or we can go further north to Ojai.”
“You don’t want to live in LA anymore? What about work?” I watch as he continues to scrub the muck of the eggs.
“Evan and Sienna are spending more and more time in Byron Bay, Evan loves the lifestyle and he’s thinking of opening up Dirty Texas Records in Sydney.” I knew they were thinking about it, Sienna did mention that she was looking into a boutique space in Byron. “Axel and Olivia spend half the year in London anyway, but I think Axel has really embraced the whole Lord of the manor thing. They are spending more and more time there, especially with the London office taking off.”
“But Christian and Finn are still in LA,” I mention.
“Yeah, but Finn and Issy love their place in Hawaii and Christian and Ness commute up to Big Bear a lot of the time too.”
“So, you don’t want to live in LA anymore?” This concerns me. Isn’t that the reason we are moving back there? All our family and friends are there.
“Hey.” Oscar notices the worry on my face. “Why are you frowning?” He looks at me with concern.
“Well, isn’t that why we are moving, because everyone is there? If they aren’t going to be, then why are we moving?” This makes him stop and think.
“Babe.” He pulls me into his arms. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I was just thinking out loud. Dirty Texas Records is still so busy; there are so many things we all want to do with it. I think over the years, as the kids get older, then maybe our group might start to disperse more and more around the world, but at this very moment, everyone will still be together.”
“Okay.” Oscar kisses my forehead as he turns back to his eggs.
“I’ve been thinking we should upgrade the house. I’ve found some great properties.” Wow, who knew collecting eggs would have Oscar contemplating the future so much. “I think we need more room.”
“You want to move?” My voice rises.
“Mom and Dad have been staying with Issy and Finn in the guest house, helping out with Easton, but he will be one in a couple of months. I was thinking they could have our old place and we can have something that is a little bit bigger to accommodate everyone. Especially something with more bathrooms. Who knew girls would fight so much over them?” This makes me smile.
“You’re serious?” He nods as he continues to wash the eggs. “And you want to upgrade to a farm?”
“No. I think the farm should be our holiday place, you know, somewhere we go to escape the city. Like Finn and Isla’s beach house down in Malibu.”
“So you want to buy two new places?” He shrugs as if buying real estate is no big deal. I guess to him it isn’t.
“I wouldn’t mind a place down there, but in the mountains we could have something with a perfect view of the Pacific Ocean then acres and acres of land that we could cultivate.” You can hear the excitement in his voice. “We can have a pool, tennis court, an ATV track, the girls can even have horses. Lockie could have a little dirt bike and ride around.” He’s really selling this to me. “We can have an orchard, vegetable gardens, maybe some bees.” My eyes widen in surprise; he is actually serious. “Maybe even some sheep so it reminds the kids of home.” He gives me that rock star grin. How the hell did I get so lucky? I wrap my arms around his back as his hands are stuck in the sink and hug him. He stops what he’s doing and turns around in my arms. He wipes his soapy hands on his shorts and cradles my face. “I love you and I want what’s best for this family.” Butterflies flutter in my stomach at the word family. He’s already thinking about these kids as his family. My heart overflows with love for this man. “The kids want a new life, and I think we deserve one too.”
“Okay.” He stares at me in surprise.
“Just like that? No arguing. No pouting. You’re just going to agree with me.”
“Yep.” He doesn’t quite believe me.
“You’re not usually this agreeable, especially this early in the morning.”
“Maybe it’s your impressive selling skills.”
“I am impressive.” He grins.
“That you are.” Standing on my tip toes, I give him a kiss.
“Eww.” Amelia walks into the kitchen busting us. We break apart laughing. “Who knew collecting eggs turned you on?” She rolls her eyes at us both. Oscar and I give each other a knowing look.
“Hey, Mia,” Oscar calls out, returning back to his egg cleaning duties. She busies herself in the kitchen getting breakfast but she’s listening. “I was thinking of maybe purchasing a farm when we got back to the states,” he tells her cautiously. She freezes; he has her attention now.
“Would we not be living in LA?”
“We would but it would be a second house.” Her eyes widen.
“Are you that rich?” Oscar chuckles.
“I’ve done okay for myself.” Amelia’s eyes narrow.
“Are there farms in LA?” Oscar looks over at me.
“Yes. Out in Malibu.”
“Isn’t that the beach?”
“In the hills they have land, or we can look further north.”
“Why?” It is such a typical teenager response.
“Because I thought that you guys might like a little slice of home over there.” Amelia looks over at me for my reaction.
“Oscar really wants it for himself. He really loves chickens.” I point to him cleaning the eggs, which makes Amelia laugh.
“If it makes you happy, Oscar, then sure.” She fills up her cereal bowl. Oscar looks happy with himself.
“Also…” He starts. “I was thinking of buying a new place in LA. One that would have room for all of us.”
“Umm, hate to break it to you, but your house is already huge,” she tells him sarcastically, pouring milk into her bowl.
“I know, but I kind of wanted a fresh start for all of us. A chance to make it our own.” The sincerity in his voice grabs Amelia’s attention.
“You would do that?”
“Of course. We’re family. You’re moving half way across the world to start all over again, it’s a big deal. If having your own room will help you all settle in better then I’m willing to do it.” Amelia just looks at him, her green eyes a little glassy. Not even a second passes and Amelia is wrapping herself around him.
“Thank you.” She sniffles into his side.
“Hey, baby girl.” He wraps his large arms around her, dripping soapy suds all over the floor. “I’d do anything for you guys,” he tells her. She hugs him tighter, showing him exactly how much his words mean to her. My heart is overflowing with love for this man.
“What’s going on?” Emma and Becca walk into the kitchen and look around at the scene.
“Oscar is buying us a new house,” Amelia tells them.
“Really?” Emma questions. He nods.
“How about tonight after dinner we have a look at some houses and you can tell me what you want.”
“I want a pool,” Becca tells him.
“Done,” Oscar agrees. Emma and Becca’s eyes light up as they start listing off their requirements for a new home. I don’t think he understands what he’s started.
271
Stacey
“What the hell are you two doing here?” I stare at Camryn and Yvette who have turned up on my doorstep unannounced.
“Derrick sent us an SOS. He told us we have a wedding to prepare for in less than a month.” Camryn embraces me, hugging me tightly.
“And a bride needs a dress,” Yvette greets me. I’m genuinely in shock. These two have flown half way across the world to help me. Tears begin to fall.
“Hey, no tears,” Camryn tells me. “We don’t have time for tears. There is so much to do. Derrick told me it’s going to take a lot of work to get all this...” She waves her hands around “…to be ready for a celebrity wedding.”
“I kind of just thought we would tie the knot at a local registry office or something.” Camryn’s eyes almost pop out of her head. She shakes her head furiously.
“Seriously, Stacey?”
I hadn’t thought much about it, but we did send off the paperwork to get our marriage license a while ago, Derrick kind of forced us to do that before he went back home. We had the court case this week in regard to guardianship of the kids. Even though the will states that it is me, the court could decide that I’m not the right person to be raising these kids. It was hard; they were worried about Oscar’s celebrity status and all that brings. Thankfully, we had an amazing family lawyer who was able to spin that around into a positive. The court agreed and when they finally confirmed that I was the kid’s legal guardian, an enormous weight lifted from me. The kids and I slowly started to breathe easy again.
“Never really put much thought into my wedding.” Camryn clutches her chest and looks at me with horror.
“Thank God I am here. Sounds like you need all the help you can get.” Yvette nods in agreement.
“But…I…”
“What the fuck?” Oscar steps out onto the veranda and spots Camryn and Yvette.
“Derrick sent them,” I tell him. His eyes widen, and a smile falls across his face.
“Of course he did,” he laughs.
“Apparently, we’re having a celebrity wedding.” I roll my eyes at him.
“Like fuck we are.” Oscar’s voice rises. “Sorry.” He calms himself.
“Maybe we should sit down and have a chat about what it is you both want? I have Derrick’s ideas but by the sounds of it that doesn’t sound like yours at all.” Camryn nudges us.
“I hate to think what Derrick had planned.”
“You don’t want to know.” Camryn chuckles.
We all settle into the living room, Camryn pulls out her laptop and a couple of wedding magazines and Yvette does the same. She has samples of material and lace for me to look at.
“I have one request though,” I say to the girls. “I want you to use local businesses wherever possible.” Camryn’s eyes widen. “This community has been hit hard with the drought and something like a wedding this size would save a lot of them. So, hairdressers, florists, event hire, cake decorator, local wines, local produce. I want the community to celebrate with us. They have been so great after everything and this would be a nice way to give back and maybe even help show the world the amazing treasures that are here in Mudgee.”
“Okay, we can do that.” This eases my anxiety over the event. Oscar takes a seat beside me and places a reassuring hand on my knee.
“I never planned on getting married.” Oscar looks over at me, giving me a small smile. “Until I met Stace.” The girls gush at his sweet words. “So whatever you want, babe, I’m all in.” He squeezes my knee. “No restriction on budget either.” He looks over at Camryn who nods and tells him what a good man he is.
“I don’t want to waste money on a wedding.” The room becomes quiet. Camryn looks like she might have a heart attack at any moment by my comment. “It’s just going to be us,” I remind them.
“Um…” Camryn shakes her head. “Derrick has discussed this with everyone and they are all tentatively booked in to be here for it.” Oscar and I look at each other surprised.
“Really?” My throat tightens at the thought of everyone wanting to come celebrate with us.
“Yes. No one wants to miss your day. They all want to be here with you both.” Oscar’s hand squeezes my knee tightly, emotion getting to him.
“Okay then.” Camryn smiles at my agreement. “I want it to be a celebration then. In essence, this party will be like our farewell, once the visas and passports come through, we will be moving back to LA.”
“So you want a nontraditional wedding?” Camryn asks.
“Yes. Exactly that. I don’t want anything flashy, honestly a barbecue in the backyard with all our family and friends, I’d be happy with that.”
“How about a sophisticated barbecue?” Camryn suggests. I look over at Oscar who’s smiling. “Yes. Perfect.”
“I think we should get married underneath the weeping willow on the side of the dam, where we scattered the ashes. That way your family can be there with us.” I suck in a breath at Oscars’ comment. There’s that pang of reality that hits me every so often, reminding me of all the things my family is missing out on. “The kids would love it, too,” he adds. I reach out and grab his hand in mine, emotion getting to me.
“We can easily do that,” Camryn tells us, giving me a moment to compose myself. “Maybe later on you could show us around and we can get some ideas.” I nod, trying to get the knot in my throat to untie itself. “This is a fantastic start, guys. We can easily put together an elegant, yet simple country celebration. It will be more about making memories than anything else.” That's exactly it.
Not going to admit it out loud but I might be a little excited.
“And what about the dress?” Yvette asks.
“I’ll stop you there ladies. Babe, I don’t want to hear anything about your dress until I see you walking down the aisle or whatever it is you will be walking down,” Oscar tells me. “So I’ll leave you girls to it. I’ve got some things to do out back anyway.” He stands up and kisses my forehead before running away really quickly.
“He’s a real softy under all that gruff, isn’t he?” Camryn muses.
“He’s a giant teddy bear really.” I smile.
Oscar comes back into the room with his hand over his eyes.
“Is it safe?” We all laugh at him.
“Yes,” we call out.
“Good. Didn’t want to see something I shouldn’t. I’m off to pick up the kids.” He rattles the keys in his hands. We say our goodbyes and he is out the door. Camryn and Yvette stare at me in bewilderment.
“What?” I look between them both.
“Domestication looks good on you both.” Camryn smirks “For a couple who didn’t want the traditional life, you two seem to be coping well with it.”
“This wasn’t in our plans at all, but somehow we are fumbling our way through it all and it just works.”
“The man is doing the school run,” Yvette adds.
“I know.” I smile at them. “He’s talking about buying a farm when he gets home.” Camryn chokes on her tea. “I know. He even spent the other night searching through hundreds of homes with the kids until they found one that suited all their needs and then bought it.” Camryn and Yvette look at me with disbelief. “Just like that. The kids think he is a fucking god now.” This makes us chuckle.
“He sounds like a changed man,” Camryn adds.
“Yeah he has. We both have. But I worry.”
“Worry about what?” Yvette questions.
“I worry that maybe one day he is going to wa
ke up and resent this new life.”
“No way. The way that man looks at you, he’s all in,” Camryn tells me.
“I know. I just…I’m overthinking things. Aren’t I?” They both nod their heads at me.
“I don’t think Oscar would be buying a new house, one that is perfect for the kids, if he wasn’t all in,” Camryn reminds me.
“You’re right. I just need to stop worrying.”
“It’s understandable to worry. I mean, Stacey, your world has been turned upside down and things are all happening really quickly. Of course you will be overthinking everything,” Camryn explains to me. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” She’s right. “And also talk to Oscar. Don’t bottle up your fears, because I know us women like to do that. Don’t be scared to voice any concerns you have to him. He’s a good guy.”
“Thanks guys.” I feel a little lighter.
“Come, show us around. I have so many ideas and I need to see if they will work.” Camryn enthusiastically wiggles in her seat.
