Chapter Nineteen
Chapter
Nineteen
If this is a dream, no one had better wake me up.
Right now, I’m at Wonder Land for Galactic Wars Weekend—meeting
fans, signing autographs, sitting on panels, and living the kind of weekend
twelve-year-old me used to wish on every shooting star for. And the best part?
I get to be in the big Galactic Wars parade.
Twelve-year-old me is losing her mind.
This is where everything started.
This is where I used to wander as a kid, imagining myself
under the lights—dancing, singing, waving from a parade float as if I belonged
here. Standing here now feels surreal. Unreal. Perfect.
The crowd is wild. The lines go on forever. And they’re not
just here for the rides. They’re here for us. For the Galactic
Wars cast. For the galaxy that somehow became home not just to fans, but
to me.
How is this my life?
This morning alone, I counted over two dozen fans dressed as
Ashla, and every single one made my heart squeeze. Knowing that the character I
helped bring to life is becoming a beloved part of the GW universe is beyond
anything I ever imagined. Especially after the rocky start—Ashla wasn’t exactly
everyone’s favorite in the beginning. But she grew. She healed. And the
audience grew with her. Now, with season two coming out soon, she’s officially
a fan favorite.
I’m her!
She’s me!
And somehow…she lives in all of us.
That’s become my tagline for her. And honestly? It’s
catching on. And it feels right.
I love the energy of the crowds. It feeds me in a way I’ve
never experienced before. This is a level of fandom I never knew existed, and I
wish this were more than a weekend event because I want to keep
feeling this way. Having a synergy with the fans, where they appreciate me and
I appreciate them. I only wish Christian could be here with me. But since he
can’t, my family came into town, and the Lucases
showed up, too. I have a big cheering section.
Baseball season is in full swing for him, and so far, it
hasn’t been an easy one. He’s still dealing with injuries, and my traveling
back and forth from LA to Florida to Toronto is exhausting and really taking a
toll on me.
But I can’t focus on that right now.
Right now, I’m in the middle of something magical, and I
want to just fully focus on it and appreciate every moment.
“Excuse me, Ms. Lucas?”
I turn and see a cast member wearing the same uniform I wore
back in the day. “Yes?”
“I’m Tara. I’m here to take you to your parade vehicle,” she
says with a smile. “Will you come with me?”
Nodding, I follow, my smile so wide it hurts. I pass all of
my Echo Wars co-stars, and we’re all a little dazzled by the reception
we’re getting. Who knew this animated series would garner this much frenzy?
We stop at a red Pontiac convertible with a decal on the
side that has my name (my actual name) above Ashla’s, and which series
I’m in, along with her picture.
“This is so cool,” I say as I climb onto the backseat and
then up onto the trunk area. “Is this where I’m supposed to be?”
Tara nods. “Exactly. This way, the fans can see you and get
pictures of you smiling and waving. But don’t worry, the drivers go very slow,
so this is totally safe. They can only go three to five miles per hour.”
“Oh, okay. Wow. That sounds extremely slow,” I joke.
“It’s all for safety reasons,” she assures me. “This will be
your vehicle for all the parades—today, tomorrow, and Sunday. The parade starts
at eleven, but we’ll need you here by ten-thirty, just like you were today.”
I nod.
“I know it’s a bit early, but by getting everyone here
early, we can make adjustments as needed. Is there anything I can get for you
while you wait? Water? Coffee? A snack?”
“No, thank you,” I say with a smile as I try to make myself
comfortable.
“There are two bottles of water on the back seat, just in
case you need them. Your driver’s name is Jeremy. He’s walking over now.”
Within minutes, we’re introduced, and he explains the speed
limit, the water, that he has a first-aid kit, and how I just have to let him
know if there’s anything I need.
I’m feeling very well taken care of, and by the time we’re
ready for the parade to start, I’m relaxed and excited.
The official Galactic Wars series music score
plays, and I brace myself, my heart racing from the thrill of it all. It’s like
walking the red carpet, but bigger. There are costumed characters lined up, who
are actually cast members of Wonder Land. Anyone who is a live actor or voice
actor in the GW universe has their own vehicle to ride in.
The car starts moving as I hear, “Ladies and gentlemen. Boys
and girls. Wonder Land welcomes you to the Galactic Wars Weekend!”
I do a little happy dance in my spot because I’m just so
psyched to see the crowds.
“As part of the Galactic Wars Weekend, we are proud
to present the Legends of the Galaxy, a very special celebrity motorcade!”
“That’s you, Ms. Lucas!” Tara says as she walks alongside
the car.
“Do you stay with us for the entire parade?”
“No, just until you get past the backstage gates. Everyone
walking has to be in costume. But don’t worry, you’re in good hands with
Jeremy.”
“Thanks, Tara.”
Before I know it, we’re through the gates and driving slowly
along the midway, and I want to stop and pinch myself.
It’s really happening.
I’m one of the stars of a Wonder Land parade.
We go along, and people are calling my name and snapping
pictures, and it’s so much better than I ever imagined. When we get to a
roundabout, I spot my family. They’re all here to support me, smiling and
waving, and I swear it means more than all the thousands of other people here
to do the same.
Mom and Dad give me a thumbs up. My sisters jump up and down
and wave, right along with Christian’s siblings and mom. My heart is ready to
burst with love. I truly have the best hype squad, and it makes my heart so
happy that our families get along so well.
I briefly shut my eyes and imagine Christian standing there
with them, cheering me on and beaming with pride. One day, I know he’ll be able
to attend these types of things, but I’m so grateful for my family and friends
in the meantime.
As the car continues on, I turn one last time and wave to
them as tears gently sting my eyes because…my wish came true.
I finally made it.
The pace doesn’t slow down.
In late summer, I’m back in LA, and Christian’s up in
Toronto. We’re spending more and more time apart, and neither of us is happy
about it. My trips to see him are long and expensive, and I’m seriously
wondering if I can keep it up. As much as I love my role with The Echo Wars,
I don’t know if I want to pursue anything else. My focus needs to be on my
marriage. My husband. And trying to do even more with my career is keeping me
from him.
I know I can handle all of my work for playing and promoting
Ashla, but anything beyond that feels like too much.
And it breaks my heart. But it seems impossible to find
balance at this point. The scales are completely tipped.
I’m so tired of traveling, yet here I am, packing my little
carry-on for another quick trip to be with Christian. I can’t wait to see him
and feel his arms around me as we curl up in bed tonight to watch some TV.
I wish he were only a few hours away, but he’s not. The
flight alone is a little over five hours, and that doesn’t include the two
hours at the airport or dealing with customs. It turns into an entire day, and
I don’t love it.
“Hey!” Jen says as she pops her head into my room. “You
almost ready?”
She’s driving me to the airport. Normally, I take a cab, but
she offered today, and I’m thankful. “Almost.”
“Uh-oh. You okay?” She steps farther into the room. “You
sound tired. Do you feel all right? Can I get you anything?”
“You’re sweet. I’m just…” Pausing, I sigh. “I hate travel
days to Toronto, that’s all. They’re so long and…ugh. I can’t wait for the
season to be over.”
“Do you think they’ll re-sign Christian?”
“He doesn’t think so and mentioned they might trade him, but
who knows, right?” I toss my cosmetic bag into my suitcase and then zip it
shut. “Ready.”
She just stands there studying me.
“What?” I ask after the silence gets awkward.
Her smile is serene. “I don’t like it when you’re cranky.
You’ve been in such a good mood lately. It makes me sad to see you do a
complete one-eighty.”
I know exactly what she means. “Yeah, I’m not a fan either,
but I’ll get over it. I know it’ll all be worth it when I see my husband’s face
later.”
“Any big plans while you’re there?”
Shaking my head, I pick up my suitcase. “Nope. Just living
together.” I smile. “He’s got one night off, so maybe we’ll go out to eat or
something. Other than that, we’re just going to enjoy living like a regular
married couple.”
She laughs softly before nodding toward the door. “Come on.
Let’s get going. The traffic’s going to be a beast.”
I follow her out of the room. “You know you don’t have to
drive me, Jen. There’s so much traffic for you—coming and going. It really
isn’t a big deal for me to take a cab.”
“I want to do this. Besides, I’m going to be traveling the
next time you’re in town, so this will have to hold me over until we’re here at
the same time again. And who knows when that’ll be?”
Unable to help myself, I pull her in for a hug. “I love you,
friend.”
“Love you, too. And not just because you’re Ashla Voss and
part of my favorite movie franchise. Because you’re Ella Holt. The best friend
a girl could have.”
I go to correct her, and she stops me.
“Don’t even,” she says with a laugh as she grabs her purse
and keys. “I know you’re Ella Lucas now, but you were Ella Holt when we met.”
Hard to argue with that logic.
The ride to the airport is long, but we don’t talk about
anything serious. We sing along to one of our favorite playlists and laugh at
some of the memories it evokes. By the time we pull up at the terminal, I’m in
a much better mood. And when I hug her goodbye, I’m so full of gratitude.
“Do you have any idea how precious you are?” I ask.
That makes her laugh even as she hugs me back. “That’s not a
phrase I usually hear.”