I Remember You

Chapter 4

Lily hopped off her bike and parked it in the drive next to the large truck before she headed through the gate. She punched in the password and waited for the buzzing to let her know it was unlocked. It was still early, but she knew if she didn't corner Uncle Mason soon she wouldn't get to at all. The man could evade unwanted confrontations better than anyone she knew.

She climbed the steps up the porch and entered the pin for the backdoor lock letting herself into the house. The Stevens and Evers families were like her family. She had lived with the Evers when she had moved to Savannah five years earlier, and since the Stevenses were close with the Sam and Penny Evers and lived next door, they had pulled her in as adopted niece, granddaughter, and babysitter, and there was no need to knock on the front or backdoor in the Stevens family. You came and went as you pleased.

When she entered the kitchen, she saw Aunt Cassie slumped at the kitchen table. Aunt Cassie was her idol, she loved her and wanted to be as talented and beautiful as she was, but one thing Aunt Cassie was not good at was mornings.

"Coffee!" she said, pointing to the machine on the counter which was making gurgling noises without lifting her head.

Lily shook her head and moved to pour them both a cup. "Where is Uncle Mason?" she asked as she delivered her coffee a few moments later.

Cassie cupped her hands around her mug and took a sip with a sigh before pointing up.

"Where is Aggie?" She asked, setting her mug down on the table.

"Elizabeth kidnapped her, she said something about Disney Land or World, I can't remember which."

Agatha, or Aggie, was Cassie's and Mason's only child; she was seven with deep auburn curls and sky blue eyes. Elizabeth Stevens, Mason's mother, was in the habit of picking a grandchild randomly and taking them where ever she wanted, but only in the summer now that they were school age.

"When is she due back?" Lily asked as she moved to the stairs.

Cassie shrugged. "She didn't say."

Lily had never met such a cavalier family when it came to traveling, they came and went as if they were running short errands, not globe trotting.

"Uncle Mason!" she yelled as she reached the bottom of the stairs. When there was no answer, she tried again.

"Mason!" Cassie bellowed, backing her up. "I know you hear LeeLee; don't make me come up there!"

Mason appeared at the top of the stairs. "But that's exactly what I want!" he bellowed back.

"Hello, LeeLee, what brings you here this fine morning?" He was standing at the top of the stairs in nothing but a pair of pajama bottoms, with his hair mussed, a five o'clock shadow and his square-framed glasses, which were his only concession to age. He was forty-one, but he didn't look it.

Lily saw none of this, though; she only saw her Uncle Mason grinning down at her, pretending to be clueless.

"I wanted to talk to you about my audition."

"Nope, can't do it. It wouldn't be proper; you'll receive word through official channels soon."

"What word?" Lily insisted as he turned and walked away. "Uncle Mason!"

His head popped around the bedroom door. "I'm starving, why don't you and Cassie make us some breakfast." Then he was gone again.

"Ughhh!" she cried as she walked back into the kitchen. "He wants us to make him breakfast."

Cassie snorted into her coffee, unimpressed by his demand as Lily fell into a chair beside her. "He won't tell me about the audition."

"I can," Cassie smiled. "They love you!" she said, leaning forward and grabbing her arm. "You're in; you got the part!"

Lily's eyes grew wide. "I couldn't have! Finn Baxter was bored."

"Maybe, but everyone in the room loved you, they loved your chemistry. Mason said it was off the chart intense; he said he hadn't felt anything like it since he and I first started acting together almost fifteen years ago."

Lily stared at Cassie. "I thought I had bombed it!"

Cassie gave a warm laugh. "You only ever bomb it when you think you've nailed it."

Lily groaned as she let her head fall onto her arms. Now, what would she do? She had decisions to make, and she had a feeling that what she did now would determine her entire future. She would end up making a fool of herself. "Nooo!" she wailed as she shook her head in denial.

"You didn't already cook for us and poison LeeLee, did you, Cassie? When I asked you both to make me breakfast I really only meant LeeLee," Mason accused as he entered the kitchen. Cassie's lack of cooking skills was the longest running joke in the family.

"I got the part!" Lily's muffled voice cried.

"Cassie!" Mason hissed. "You weren't supposed to tell!" He moved to the stove and started to pull out pots and pans. "Now I have to cook my own breakfast," he muttered

"I'll have whatever's easiest," Cassie said with a sweet smile.

Mason looked over his shoulder and growled at her. "You're lucky you're so cute in the morning. Do you want anything, LeeLee?" he asked as he reached into the fridge.

"No, thank you." She sniffed as she sat up, wiping her eyes.

"Jeez, anyone would think I just told you your dog died instead of Cassie letting the cat out of the bag announcing that you got a major part in a national television show," Mason grumbled.

"What's with all of the animal cliches?" Cassie asked.

"They're appropriate; why are you judging?" Mason asked as he cracked an egg with a glare at his wife.

"This isn't about you Mason, it's about LeeLee," Cassie insisted as she rubbed Lily's back.

Mason said something under his breath as he turned back toward the stove.

"Why are you upset that you got the part?" Cassie asked softly.

"Because I'll make a fool of myself!" she said.

"Nonsense, Mason only hires the best. If he says you're right for the part, you're right for the part," She looked over at her husband's back. "He's like those pigs that can sniff out rare truffles or camels that can find water in a desert-"

"Or a dog that can find people who are trapped alive in the rubble," Davis, Mason's brother, joined in as he entered the kitchen. He looked over at Lily. "Why is LeeLee crying?" he asked before joining Mason at the stove. "And what's with all of the animal analogies?" he asked, looking over his brother's shoulder with a grimace before reaching for yogurt in the fridge.

"Couldn't say, your brother started it. LeeLee is crying because she got the part in Mason's t.v. show."

"Working with Mason would make me cry too," he agreed as he grabbed a spoon.

"She's afraid she'll make a fool of herself," Cassie said into her coffee.

"You'll be great, LeeLee!" Davis assured her. "Is that why I'm here?" Davis was a photographer.

"Yes, we need some still shots for publicity, but first someone has to call LeeLee and let her know she has the job, then she has to accept." Mason shot Cassie a long-suffering look.

"Why is she crying if she doesn't know she has the job yet?" Davis asked, confused.

"I let the cat out of the bag, and she's acting as if her dog died," Cassie recapped.

"And now we've come full circle!" Mason said, sliding overcooked eggs in front of Cassie.

Cassie looked at the eggs then looked at Mason.

"I'll fix it!" Lily said, standing up and grabbing the plate before she moved to the stove. She needed to keep her hands busy anyway. She cooked and tuned out the conversation behind her. She knew that there was only one decision to make, and that was to accept the part, but the idea of it scared her to death.