Between the Sun and the Stars

Family Ties

"Tim and Faith did that soul to soul tour not long ago," Byron said over the speaker phone, "y'all should consider doing some kind of joint album. Maybe Christmas. You don't need to rewrite songs, just sing them with your own twist. I want you both on the Opry Christmas Special and the CMT Christmas show. I've got to go, I will have my assistant email Alexis."

"We just got told," I laughed closing my phone, "merry Christmas." 

Hunter laughed, "It's not a bad idea Jen, he's right- we skip the hard part and just go record". We had been back home for a week, Sutton was finally over her ear infection. It was nice to be home and back to work. "How about you wrote a list of your top five songs, I'll do a top five list and we do something like Hayes Family Christmas album?"

"Assuming you have a different top five than me - that could work," I laughed glancing over to Sutton who was standing in her play pen, "hey baby girl, wanna come out?" I hoisted her out and had her standing on her feet, holding my hands. 

"She's gonna be walking before you know it Jen, don't rush her."

"I'm not rushing her, I am promoting her physical abilities." I laughed as I sat on the floor and turned her to face me. "You definitely stole your daddy's eyes and nose, you have my round cheeks and curly brown hair. I wonder if you will be taller than mommy and daddy." I was always in awe of our daughter, her smile, her easy going attitude. She was brilliant.

"I can't wait to get to keep knowing her, her likes and the person she will evolve into." I nodded, she was only 14 months old, her vocabulary is getting better, she recently said 'baba' which for us, was totally a stab at saying 'dada'. 'Mama' came quickly too. She knows how to sign for more food and she is only getting a bottle for her nap time. Part of me misses the feeding her and feeling so close, on the other hand, my boobs don't hurt and she's not biting at me. Part way through our conversation, we heard a key turn in the door, I looked at the time and realized we had a meeting with a Alexis. I got Sutton a bottle and brought her upstairs for a nap while Hunter set the table for our meeting. Having a PA has changed our lives and we are so much less frazzled between booking tickets, hotels, ironing out public details.... Alexis does it all.

"Hey y'all, how are you? How was the wedding?" We made small chit chat before getting down to business. "Byron said there's a Christmas album in the air? If that's the case we need to get started like, yesterday."

I nodded, opening my calendar. "Well, I think we can do a lot of our work here at home..?" I half asked, half stared looking to Hunter.

He nodded, "Once we come up with a list of songs, we will present it before we decide to get started. We will know what we are doing by tomorrow, if not tonight." I jotted that down in my agenda, and so did Alexis.

"I'd say as far as projects go, that's all we have on the plate." She flipped through her notebook, "Jenna, Cosmopolitan wants to come do an interview during the first week of November and cover shoot, as does Women's Health for their January issues." Hunter places his hand on my thigh, as we discussed the details. "Hunter, Rolling Stones wants to do an interview with you at the end of October." I placed my hand on top of his. "That's all that's happening at the moment. I was told to get in on the Opry and CMT Christmas specials but those are just being booked now, can week keep the weeks of December first to eighteenth open for anything that might pop up there. I'll know next week for sure."

"Perfect, thanks Alexis." She headed out and Hunter and I decided to do our 5 song list while Sutton was napping. "Baby It's Cold Outside, Oh Holy Night, Run Run Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Last Christmas" I slid my list across the table to Hunter.

He laughed, "I put Run Run Rudolph too," he reread his list. "I had Let it Snow, White Christmas, Jingle Bells and Drummer Boy."

"So we have nine." A thought came do mind, "Did you not do Merry Christmas Baby?"

Hunter smiled, "it's on the list. We got ten. I'll email Alexis."

Hunter and I made dinner together while Sutton was sitting at her play table, "Cosmo and Women's Health, what do you think about that Jen?"

"I'm a little intimidated to be honest," I smiled, peeling potatoes, "never in a million years did I think that I would be living this life."

Hunter cut the potatoes I was peeling, "You've worked hard and you have so many fans." He scooped the potatoes into a pot and put them on the stove to boil. "Would you ever want to do a joint tour together?"

I turned, smiling, "Absolutely, but not for like, ten years." I handed him the steaks to bbq. "We have been married for almost one year, we need a little more life experience to sing about. But performing alongside you is my favourite."

He kissed my cheek and went outside to bbq. I cut up vegetables for a salad and mashed the potatoes before setting Sutton up at her high chair. Hunter came back in with the steaks and we enjoyed a nice, family dinner together. Most of Sutton's mashed potatoes actually made in her mouth, she loved eating all sorts of food. We cleaned her up and gave her a bath before spending an evening cuddled up on the couch together. "I don't think life can get much sweeter than this." Hunter said, looking at our daughter, sitting up between us in a blanket as we watched the evening news. 

"I am reminded how lucky I am every day just by looking at her face." I kissed the top of her head. "I know I felt incredibly guilty doing that tour. Just feeling selfish, doing something I loved while I put all of her needs on you."

"Jenna, you're not selfish. Look at how hard you worked, you deserve this. It's a balance, and clearly, she was not negatively affected. When she's older, she will begin to understand that our jobs are different from her friends parents, and that's okay." He squeezed my hand, "She's loved, she's happy, that's all that matters."

"You know just the right words," I squeezed his hand back, "what do you say we get this little miss off to bed?" He nodded and scooped her up. Hunter read her a few stories while I took a shower, we tucked her in and kissed her good night.

"I love you Jenna," he said quietly, kissing my lips gently, "and I love our little girl."

"I love you too. I am so happy to be a mom," I kissed him back, "and to share this life with you. I'm so lucky."