25. Emmas Movie
25
EMMA'S MOVIE
Ford
Driving to Hailey’s house, the frustration of my derailed plans gnawed at me. I’d built up the tension with Mara all day, only for it to slip through my fingers. I couldn’t help feeling cheated.
When plans fell through, it usually wasn’t personal, though. Circumstances had a way of changing faster than a chameleon changes colors. I recognized that no one was at fault. I’d learned to roll with it.
As I turned my attention to creating another perfect day for Mara, I couldn’t help feeling the pressure of scheduling a third date in only four days. I didn’t want to overwhelm her, but I already wanted to spend more time with her. A lot more time.
As I headed up the sidewalk toward Hailey’s front door, lost in thought, my dad’s voice startled me.
“You look like you can’t decide if you want to go in or not,” Dad said, frowning. “Not sure if you want to be here?”
“It’s not that,” I said, still thinking about my plans for tomorrow. “I need to come up with a great place to take Mara on a date tomorrow.”
“Mara?” Dad raised one eyebrow.
“Yes, she’s the woman I’m seeing. She owns the comic book shop in town. Any suggestions on where I could take her?”
Dad’s eyes lit up, and I was glad to see him enthusiastic again. “You’re asking me for advice? I like that. What kind of place are you thinking of? Crowded? Private? Cultural? Food oriented? There are tons of options.”
“I drove her all over Pittsburgh today, showing her the sights. Tomorrow I want to do something more peaceful, but still show off the city.”
He gave a decisive nod. “In that case, my number one pick would be the Phipps Conservatory. It’s gorgeous there. Relaxing. Romantic, too.”
“That’s perfect,” I said, picturing us wandering hand-in-hand through the botanical garden with all its curving paths.
Pleasure filled Dad’s eyes. “Glad to help.” He glanced toward Hailey’s front door. “Here for Emma’s grand premier?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “It looks like we have another filmmaker in the family.”
Dad rapped sharply on the door, then pushed it open and walked inside. “We’re here,” he called out.
As I followed him into Hailey’s house, the smell of buttered popcorn and the hum of conversation hit me, filling me with a warmth I hadn’t felt in years. It wasn’t just Mara on my mind. Standing here with my dad, joking about date ideas, I realized how much I’d missed this. Missed us. The ease of talking, the way we’d bounce ideas off each other like we used to—before life pulled me away. This was what I’d been missing by staying away from home for so long. It felt good to be back.
“I’m in the kitchen,” Hailey called back.
We headed toward her voice, and when we stepped into the kitchen, the changes there took me by surprise. I’d only moved out a week ago. Now, the countertops were stripped bare, some cabinet doors were gone, and paint swatches of various colors dotted the walls.
“What’s going on?” I asked Hailey as she pulled a bag of popcorn from the microwave.
“We’re moving on to the next stage of our renovations,” she said as she dumped the popcorn into a big bowl. “We’re expanding the kitchen and the second floor. I’m getting a walk-in closet, a soaking tub, and a new shower with jets.” She wiggled her eyebrows. “Bliss. As for this kitchen, we’re bumping out that wall. You can say goodbye to these dark cabinets. The new ones were just delivered. They’re in the garage. I wanted to wait to start the demolition until everything arrived.”
“Good idea to wait,” Dad said. “The kitchen’s the heart of the house.”
“I remember what it was like when Mom renovated,” Hailey said. “What a nightmare.”
“It wasn’t all that bad,” I said. “Mom let us eat in front of the TV. I loved it.”
“You say that because you were only five,” Hailey said. “Pizza and fast food were haute cuisine to you.” She picked up a tray of fruit and cheese. “Carry that for me,” she said, indicating the popcorn. She headed into the family room, so I followed.
Hailey’s husband, Baris, had his hand behind the television, plugging in a cable that led to the laptop. The two of them had met in Turkey when Hailey had been working on a film. They’d become inseparable almost immediately, and he’d happily relocated to Sewickley after they’d married. Baris’s youngest brother—a doctor—had even moved here. Baris was some sort of petrochemical industry guru. Whenever he talked about work, I felt like I was in a college chemistry class—one I was failing.
“Uncle Ford! Grampa! You’re here!” Emma said, darting over to us. “We’re almost ready. Dad’s setting things up so we can watch my movie.”
Max walked in carrying some beers and handed them out to us, and then handed a soft drink to Emma.
The only family member missing was Sean.
“Looking forward to your movie, Emma my love,” Max said. He glanced at Hailey. “Emma took me upstairs to describe what her bedroom will look like after you renovate.”
“Framing for the addition starts in a few days, but we won’t get to the second-floor renovations until this fall, after the kitchen is done.”
“Sit with me, Grampa Don,” Emma said, taking him by the hand and pulling him down next to her.
Dad wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. He looked around the room with a satisfied smile. “It’s great to have us all here. Too bad Sean’s missing.”
“He’s in Mexico, right?” I asked, double-checking.
“Filming,” Max said. “He isn’t due back for another week.”
“I’ll give him a private screening when he gets back,” Emma said.
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Hailey said. “I bet he’ll love it.”
“Ford, how long do you think you’ll be in town?” Dad asked with a frown. “Will you be leaving after you sign with McCormick?”
Baris shot us a curious glance, then turned his attention back to the laptop. Hailey grabbed a handful of popcorn as she watched me.
I cleared my throat, feeling the weight of their gazes on me. “I’m turning down the McCormick deal.” The room stilled, everyone’s attention on me. “I’ve got my sights on something better.”
Suddenly, everyone’s attention focused on me. I hesitated for a moment, holding back the information that had been burning inside me for the past couple of weeks. I didn’t want to get their hopes up about choosing to film with Ross Film Productions until I had a solid project in hand. Dad drew his eyebrows together in confusion. “I thought you said the McCormick deal was your big break.”
“I’m not satisfied with the script, and McCormick is stonewalling all my suggestions for improvements. It won’t be much of a break if my first big-budget film is a flop.” I took a sip of my beer, trying to hide my excitement about the new possibility I was considering.
Dad nodded slowly. “Makes sense. What other films are you considering?”
I shrugged, trying to play it cool. “I’m chasing down one excellent possibility now, but it’s too soon to say more.”
The wrinkles in Dad’s forehead smoothed out. “I know you’ll pick something great. You always do.” He lifted his beer toward me. “Here’s to family.”
His words of praise rang in my ears as I clinked my bottle against his. I felt a sense of relief that I had kept my plans to myself for now. Baris chimed in with, “Cheers to that,” and lifted his bottle. Then he picked up the remote, pointed it at the television, and Emma’s opening credits appeared there, on pause.
“It’s movie time,” Emma announced.
Baris pressed play, and I let myself relax into the couch cushions, enjoying the company of my family and the possibilities of the future.
Emma’s five-minute production was surprisingly good. During the closing credits, I applauded enthusiastically along with everyone else.
“Great job, Emma,” I told her. “Well done. Who did all your camera work?”
“Sometimes me, sometimes my friend Marley, and sometimes we used a tripod and a remote,” she explained.
“I like the way you framed your shots and your use of closeups,” I told her. “You did all the editing, right? You did a great job with those transitions and establishing shots.”
Emma grinned, delighted. “You think so? Really? Thanks. I’ll let Marley know. She’s the one who wrote the script. We filmed it together and I edited it.”
“Keep it up and I’ll hire you when you get older,” Dad said, giving her a hug.
Emma squeezed him back. “Would you really, Grampa Don? That’d be awesome.”
An instant later, she threw herself onto my lap and wrapped me in a hug. “Thanks for coming over, Uncle Ford. You’re my favorite,” Emma said, squeezing me tight. “But don’t tell anyone. I’ve got a reputation to maintain.”
Surprised by her unexpected display of affection, I froze for an instant before hugging her back. “I’m glad I could be here,” I told her, realizing it was true. Even though the timing couldn’t have been much worse, my family made it clear they really wanted me here, and that made all the difference. I’d been wrong to assume no one had missed me all these years.
Where would my career be if I hadn’t grown up in a supportive family? Like I’d told Mara, Dad always encouraged us to try new things. To make mistakes and learn from them. I owed him so much. Not just him, but my sister and brothers too. Mom would have been proud of the way we’d turned out.
Mara should have had this sort of encouragement growing up, too. She deserved to have someone who believed in her and supported her dreams. Everyone did. At least she had her mom in her corner to offset her dad’s constant criticism. Even with him holding her back, she’d managed to start two companies.
“We need to get together like this more often,” Hailey said. “Things are a bit hectic right now with all the renovations, but once we’re finished, I’ll have a huge party and invite everyone over.”
“You should bring Mara next time,” Dad said, his grin wide, fishing for a reaction. The truth was, I wanted that too. More than I was ready to admit. She fit here, with me, with us. And I wasn’t letting that go.
“I will. You’ll like her,” I said, realizing how well she’d fit in.
He raised his eyebrows in surprise at my reply. “I already do. She lives here, after all. That’s a huge plus in my book.”