Chapter 12
Kristian
I ’m incredibly relieved to hear that the Godfrey family dinner at Frankie’s went off as scheduled last night, with the guests of honor in attendance and happy to be there together. It might seem odd to be so upset by the thought of trouble between my friend’s parents, but they’re the only parents I’ve ever had, too.
Max Godfrey saved my life after he caught me stealing food from his Compton movie set. Rather than turn me in to the authorities, like most famous people would’ve, he took me into his trailer, got me the first real meal I’d had in weeks and asked me what I planned to do with my life.
From that day forward, he took an interest in a street kid, mentored me and helped me find my way into the business that’s made me wealthy beyond my wildest dreams—and not just financially. I have plenty of that, but more important—to me, anyway—is the family I’ve created for myself, first with Flynn, Hayden, Jasper, Marlowe, Emmett and the entire Quantum Productions team, and now with Aileen, Logan and Maddie, who I adopted shortly after Aileen and I were married, and our soon-to-be five-year-old daughter, Joy, who lives up to her name every day of her life.
She’s the sunshine of all our lives, and as I make her pancakes early this Saturday morning, I don’t even mind that it’s been years since I slept in because I’d rather be with her than be asleep. I’m ridiculously over the moon for her, but then again, everyone is.
“Do I get to wear my new party dress today, Daddy?” Her blonde hair is a mass of tangled curls, and her cheeks are rosy from sleep. In my unbiased opinion, she’s the most beautiful little girl in the entire world.
“Yep. Today’s the day for Grammy Stella and Pappy Max’s big party.”
“Will there be cake?”
“I’m sure there’ll be lots of cake.”
“I love cake.”
“I know you do, pumpkin.” I serve her pancakes just the way she likes them, with melted butter, syrup and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. Girlfriend likes her sugar any way she can get it. Aileen does her best to limit it, but I’m not as good at saying no to her as her mommy is. I joke that Aileen is the only thing keeping her from being completely spoiled.
“Yummy. Thank you, Daddy.”
“My pleasure, sweetheart.”
“Are you having some, too?”
“You bet.” I bring my plate and coffee to sit next to her at the kitchen island.
“Pancakes are my favorite.”
“Mine, too, but only when I get to have them with you.”
“You’re silly, Daddy. They taste the same no matter who you eat them with.”
“Nope. They’re much sweeter with you.”
She rolls her eyes, which is something she learned from her sister. At twelve, Maddie has become a delightful preteen who cracks us up with her quick wit. She’s in sixth grade, while Logan is in ninth. He’s become one hell of a soccer player and watching him play is one of my favorite things. They’re both out at sleepovers, which I hate, but Aileen tells me it’s a normal thing that kids do. I know nothing about such things because I was never a normal kid. Everything feels wrong to me when they’re not sleeping under our roof. I encourage them to invite their friends to our house as often as possible.
Rufus the dog rubs up against my leg to remind me he’s there.
“Ruffy, want some pancakes?” Joy slips him a bite before I can object, not that I would. The two of them are best friends.
“No pancakes for Rufus,” Aileen says when she comes into the room just in time to catch me asleep at the parenting wheel.
That happens a lot.
“Unless you want to clean up his puke, Miss Joy.”
“Morning, Mommy.” That angelic smile makes Aileen melt. She’s only human, after all.
“Morning, my littlest love.” She kisses Joy and makes her giggle with whatever she whispers into her ear.
“How’s everything?” Aileen asks me as she kisses my cheek and fixes my hair.
I wrap an arm around her and give her a proper kiss. “All good. Flynn said they had a great night at Frankie’s.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“You said it.”
We’ve all been anxious, waiting to hear if the Godfreys would be able to resolve things in time for their anniversary celebration, not to mention the rest of their lives.
“The thought of them not together and happy was super upsetting to me,” Aileen says as she pours a cup of coffee and tops off my mug.
“Same, babe. It’s amazing how it feels like they belong to all of us, you know?”
“I do, for sure. They’re always there for us when we need them. As they get on in years, they’ll have an army of kids tending to them. I hope they’re prepared for that.”
“I’m sure they’ll love it, but we’re a long way from them needing tended to.”
“Definitely,” she says. “Well, now I can look forward to today without the feeling of dread I’ve had since I heard the news.”
“Apparently, there’s an NDA from Max’s divorce from Vivian that the lawyers are looking for. If they can find it, we might be able to stop the publication of the book.”
“That’d be something.” She sips her coffee and then hands Joy a wet paper towel to wash the stickiness off her hands.
I use it to wash her face, too. I help her down to go play, and she takes off with Rufus in hot pursuit. The two of them are inseparable.
“I still can’t believe Max was once married to Vivian Stevens.”
“It’s so weird to think of him married to anyone other than Stella.”
She sits next to me. “I know! They’re an institution.”
“I really hope they can find a way to keep his marriage to Vivian under wraps. That’d be a massive story in this town.”
Aileen cringes. “I’m sure it would be. The media would turn it into a BFD.”
I take her hand and link my fingers with hers. “Any news yet?”
She shakes her head.
The waiting for the results of her now-annual breast cancer checkups is torturous. You’d think I’d be used to it after all these years, but you’d be wrong. Technically, she’s “cured” since she’s been in remission for more than five years, but the annual checkups will happen for the rest of her life. Each one of them takes ten years off my life.
“I’m sure we’ll hear something soon.”
“I sure as hell hope so.” I slide my hand up her leg, moving quickly until she stops me. “Not in front of the child.”
“She’s not paying any attention to us.”
She squeezes my hand. “Put it on ice, buddy. We’ve got stuff to do.”
I make a pout face. “I hate when we have anything to do other than each other.”
Her laughter is the best sound in the world to me.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“I love my wife.”
She leans in to kiss me. “She loves you right back. Now go get dressed.”
Stella
The kids send a chauffeured Bentley for the ride to Hayden and Addie’s home in Calabasas. We’ve been instructed to act surprised because the guests were told to keep the secret. My hair stylist was the first to “give it away” when she asked if I wanted to set something up for today just in case.
Belinda has been doing my hair for forty years, so of course she’s invited to the party, along with my makeup queen, Michelle. They’re close friends after all these years, and they spent the morning at the house making me pretty. My kids know I don’t love surprise parties, but they like to do nice things for me, so I try to be a good sport about it. They meet me halfway by telling me the basic details of what they have planned so I can properly prepare.
As an aging celebrity, I’m careful not to appear in public looking less than my best to keep the tabloids from publishing unflattering photos of me. Could I retire and be done with it all? Sure, but as long as I still enjoy my work, I’m not making any plans to slow down. These days, however, Max and I accept only the offers that interest us rather than feeling like we need to grab everything that comes along like we did when we were younger.
I’m looking forward to the televised concert at the Hollywood Bowl, set for late January, and I’ll be glad when the rigorous final rehearsals for the show are done. I’m taking a few months off afterward to rest and figure out my next move. I have offers pending for everything from movies to television shows to Broadway, which doesn’t interest me at all. I have no desire to be away from my family for months on end, especially with a whole new group of grandbabies to dote on while the older ones mature into young adults.
Life goes by too quickly to miss anything.
Max reaches for my hand. “What’re you thinking about over there?”
“About how fast the time has gone and what I might do after the concert.”
“Dani told me you’re in hot demand,” he says of the manager we share with Flynn. “You have your pick of projects.”
“I told her I’m taking a break after the Hollywood Bowl. I want to spend some time with the grandkids and futz around the house.”
“You’re not thinking about the R-word, are you?”
“Good Lord, no. I’d be bored out of my mind if I never worked again. You know that.”
“Phew, you scared me for a second there.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not punching out quite yet.”
“You can, you know. If you wanted to. Nothing says you have to keep up the current pace.”
“Trust me, I know that. I’m not ready to be done for good. Maybe in a few years, I will be, but I’m not there yet.”
“Me either. I still enjoy the game.”
We played ourselves in Valiant and were thrilled to be part of the film that tells Natalie’s amazing story. Production was delayed first by the pandemic and then by the strikes. It’ll finally be released in March with an amazing new actress playing our courageous daughter-in-law—Natalie’s youngest sister, Olivia.
In the years since she accepted her first modeling job, Olivia has become one of the hottest young stars on the scene, and we’ve been thrilled to have front-row seats as she took the town by storm with an award-winning turn in a TV series, followed by a movie role that significantly raised her profile. Valiant is her first starring role, and we’re so excited to watch her shine.
Their middle sister, Candace, is Olivia’s manager. Both girls are like daughters to us and even have the security code to our home and orders to come and go as if they were raised there. Their mother visits from time to time, and Natalie has forged a new relationship with her, even if they’ll never be close after both her parents abandoned her when she needed them most.
I’m able to be cordial to the woman for Natalie’s sake, but I have no respect for her, and I never will. That she could walk away from her child after she’d been raped and beaten by her husband’s friend… No, I can’t forgive that as a mother or as a woman. I give Natalie credit for finding it in her to forgive her mother. She’s a better person than I would’ve been, not that I’d ever express those thoughts to her. After everything she went through, Natalie deserves a peaceful, happy life. If reconnecting with her mother helps achieve that goal, then I totally understand.
We’ll get to see the film for the first time when we’re in Utah for Christmas, and none of us can wait to see the finished product.
“Are you ready for this?” Max asks as we arrive at the gates to Hayden and Addie’s seaside home.
“As ready as I’ll ever be.”
He smiles at me. “Let’s enjoy every minute of it.”
“That’s the plan.”
We’re met by a young man in a tuxedo, who offers a hand to help me out.
After Max emerges from the back seat, our four children appear with their partners at the front door.
A lump forms in my throat as they come toward me, wearing formal dresses and tuxedos.
“What a gorgeous group,” I say as I accept hugs and kisses from each of them.
“You’re looking rather stunning yourselves,” Aimee says as she smooths her hands over Max’s lapels. “That gown is exquisite, Mom.”
“This old thing?”
They laugh, and I do a little spin to show them how my gold gown shimmers when it moves. I loved it the second our favorite stylist, Tenley Black, suggested it for the “surprise” party. The people closest to me know it’s not a surprise, but we’ll act the part for our other guests. I’m looking forward to seeing Tenley and her handsome husband, Devon, at the party.
We’re led through Hayden and Addie’s palatial home to the backyard, where a massive tent occupies much of the yard. At the bottom of the stairs, we’re greeted by our grandchildren. Ian has baby Ben in his arms, all of them in formal attire, even the baby. I have tears in my eyes as I take a moment to cherish each of them with a hug and kiss. Just when we thought we had everything, our grandchildren arrived to show us there was so much more.
The kids take us by the hands to walk us into the tent, where the rest of our guests yell “Surprise,” and throw gold confetti as we make our way inside, stopping to hug our friends and extended family. Gold is the theme as tiny tea lights sparkle above, and lush floral centerpieces sitting on gold tablecloths give off the fragrant scents of lilies and roses. I want to look at everything, but we’re surrounded by so many people who’ve been part of our fifty-year journey, and each of them wants a moment with the guests of honor.
It takes more than an hour to greet everyone, and by then, we’ve consumed several glasses of champagne.
We’re led to the front of the big tent, where our close friend Superior Court Judge Rosalee Davis leads us through the renewal of our vows, something we’ve never done before. After the last couple of days, it seems somewhat fitting that we should reconfirm our commitment to each other.
We decided to go with traditional vows rather than trying to come up with something on our own. As it is, I’m astounded by how emotional even the most traditional of vows makes me as I stare into the eyes of the only man I’ve ever loved and promise to love him and only him for the rest of my life.
Even with everything I know now, it’s still the easiest vow I’ve ever made—both times.
It’s not lost on me that having the Vivian bomb dropped on me on the eve of this momentous anniversary was probably a good thing. At any other time, I might’ve made the grievous mistake of punishing him for much longer than a day for something he did a lifetime ago that doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. Yes, I’m still shocked by it, but not so shocked or angry that I’d throw away all the good I’ve had with him. The anniversary festivities have forced me to focus on the good, and there’s so much of that.
Before we’re seated for dinner, we step outside into a gorgeous sunset over the Pacific for a family photo that’ll be my most treasured keepsake from this day and will be the only image released to the media to mark the occasion.
Surrounded by the ones I love best, I’m at peace after a tumultuous couple of days. Yes, the news about Vivian was stunning and disappointing, but I’ll get over it. Eventually. For now, I’m delighted to be spending this evening with all my favorite people.