Red Side of the Moon

XXI

"Dad, I'm tired," Luna whined.
"Then go to bed," I said.
"But I wanna see daddy..."
"Then shut up," Piper snapped.
"Hey," Dylan hit her arm. "Don't be rude."
"Sorry," she huffed. "I'm just grumpy."
"Yeah, we all are," I mumbled.
"Why the hell does he have to be the last category?" Luna pouted.
"Everyone shush, his numbers up."

For the last six months or so, Phil has secured the role of Sweeney Todd in, well, Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. The ensemble sang The Ballad Of Sweeney Todd and it left the four of us breathless. The triplets had gone to bed hours ago, and we gave the girls permission to stay home from school the following day. I mean come on, how many people can say that their dad performed at the Tony's‽

When his number was over, we still had to wait another hour or so before his category came up. By that point, Dylan had dozed off on my shoulder and Piper had fallen asleep on my lap. Luna and I were up and alert, holding each other's hands tightly, as the nominees were read off. Luna was sat on the floor, with her hand up and above her head so I could hold it without waking the others.

"And the winner, for best actor in a classic musical is..."
"Say it!" Luna and I yelled. Dylan and Piper shot up, not entirely sure as to what was going on.
"Phil Lester!"
"Yes!" Luna and I cheered.

We stood up from our spots—I grabbed her waist and teasingly spun her around. She let out a few giggles as she gave me a tight hug—we stayed there silent for a while.

"Hey, dad?"
"Yeah, sweet pea?"
"I miss daddy..."
"I know, sweetie," I whispered. "I know..."

***

"Mail call!" Dylan yelled.

Dylan had sectioned off the mail, as he always does. He had separated the girls' college flyers, party invitations, or anything from school and put it into a neat pile—all was tied together with a rubber band.

"Pipes, Daniel–"
"Thank you," I mumbled.
"Moon," he teased.
"Thanks," she smirked.

We all dispersed to different parts of the kitchen to go through what we needed. As everyone started putting their mail away, Luna walked over to me and tugged on my scrubs.

"Yeah?"
"Look..."

I grabbed the paper from her and skimmed through the letter. For Luna's seventeenth birthday, Phil wanted to fly all seven of us out to see his final production of Sweeney Todd. Luna looked to me, as if she didn't know what to do.

"What're you looking at me for?"
"Are we going?" she asked.
"Do you want to go?"
"Do you want to go?"
"I don't care, it's not my birthday. What do you want?"
"I wanna see daddy..."
"Then we'll go see him, okay?"

A huge smile came to her face as she attacked me with a bear hug. The wind was momentarily taken out of me before I came to and hugged her back.

"What's going on?" Dylan asked.
"We're going to New York in December."
"Why?"
"I'm gonna see daddy..." Luna beamed.
"I'll take off work now," he smiled. "You better do the same, Howell."
"Yeah, yeah, I will, jerk," I teased.
"Good."

He planted a kiss on my lips before heading to the front door to greet the triplets. Luna gave me another firm hug as she giggled like a giddy schoolgirl.

"I'm gonna see daddy."

***

"Boys, we have to go!" Dylan yelled.
"Coming, papa," they sighed.

They were walking down the stairs, not even bothering to stop their suitcases from banging along the way. Dylan rolled his eyes and grabbed them so he wouldn't have to hear the incisive clanging. He loaded everything into the car and drove us to the airport.