Dinner started slow.  They were all so busy digging in that no one spoke, besides the occasional comment from Christine.  They ranged from “Ashley wipe your mouth” to “So  Glen what do you do?”.  The first comment earned the woman a glare from her daughter and the second earned a grunt and mumbled answer about “law and services or something like that” from Glen.  Raife remained silent, only occasionally glancing up from his plate to smile at his daughter and Spencer, they were adorable together.  It was on his fourth time glancing up at them, that he spoke.

“So Ashley, are you ready for this big performance?” he called into the silence and every head at the table perked up, waiting for her answer.  The brunette took a moment to swallow her bite of noodles and when she looked up, she flinched, unprepared for all the waiting faces.  Spencer gave her thigh a squeeze of encouragement and Ashley took a breath.

“Well I wasn’t.  But then Spence made it all better,” Ashley said seriously and Raife stifled a laugh.  Spencer buried her head in her chest from embarrassment and Glen and Aiden just smiled at the comment.

Christine chimed in then, dropping her fork on her plate noisily.  “Well, Ashley if you’re going to be doing this whole music thing then I think that maybe you need to learn to be more self sufficient.”  The room grew unearthly silent, but Christine continued anyway.  “The music world is a harsh and unforgiving place.  You can’t just go around hoping your girlfriend will make you feel better.”

Ashley looked down at her plate, not saying anything.

“But it out Christine,” Raife said, waving his wife off with his hand, but the raven-haired woman just frowns.

“Oh come on Raife!  All those months you spend on tour buses, I know you aren’t sitting around hoping that I can make it all better.

“Well no-”

“Exactly!” Christine interjects and Raife just puts a hand up to silence her.

He takes a look at his wife and then at Ashley and smiles.  “I’ve been a musician for thirty years now and I still get butterflies and goose bumps and an upset stomach before each show.  Still the only thing that can make me feel better is thinking of you Christine.” he pauses to stare at his wife.  “I know you…and Ashley think that I put my music first, but you’ve got it all wrong.  My music is only great because of the two of you.”  Raife stops here and then just sighs.

“Raife,” Christine says breathlessly, and he waves her off again, lifting his glass into the air.

“So I want to make a toast to music and to Ashley and to family,” Raife says smiling at the people around him.  “Let the good times roll!” 

They all erupt into a fit of laughter and Christine pulls Raife into a deep kiss.  Spencer and Glen immediately cheer them on, falling back with laughter. Ashley and Aiden just smile.

“So Ashley…” Aiden starts, taking a sip of his lemonade.  “What are you gonna sing tonight?”

“Yeah what are you going to sing” Spencer adds, sitting forward.

“An original,” Ashley answers simply and looks down at her plate.

“That’s it?” Glen says, not believing her.  “That’s all you’re going to tell us?”

Ashley smiles at Glen and then chuckles some.  “Yep.”

“God you’re a tease,” Glen says seriously and Ashley chuckles.

“Actually she’s not,” Spencer says in what she thinks is an inside voice, but every eye in the room is suddenly on her.  She and Ashley turn bright red and stare at their plates simultaneously.  Before anyone can laugh, Raife stands and moves away form the table.

“On that note,” he says, tightening his collar and trying to erase what he just heard from hid mind, “Let’s get going.”  They all nod in agreement and leave the table, Spencer holding Ashley’s shaking hand.