Dear Readers, Here is a new chapter. This novel is coming to a close. Before the story ends, what would you like to see? I would appreciate any feedback. Constructive criticism is important to me as I am rewriting this story. Thanks.

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Chapter Twenty-One
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Up in the sky
The sun’s shining
Heat warms me
I unfurl wings
And leap into the air

Climbing up
Looking down
The higher I go
The smaller they get

Away from the crowds
Away from the hate
Away from the sadness

But the pain’s still there
The sadness stays inside
Still feel the pain
I yell in frustration
And tumble to the ground

Want to crash
Want to give up
Want it to stop
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Teri looked at the words and smiled. She really needed to tell Jenn and Grace that she wasn't done changing yet. There was more to explore, more to learn.

Jenn looked over Teri’s shoulder and pointed to the words. “Okay, so I like that, but.…”

Teri turned around to kiss her. “Four-four time, bang, bang, bang, bang. Rock 'em, sock 'em. A power song, something that even Tiffany will grin like a madwoman playing.”

“Rock ‘em, right. But you’re still carrying your pain. How about you inside? Can you let go of the sadness?”

“You think I can? Sometimes I think that’s all I am.” Teri was wondering. She had doubts.

Jenn hugged her tightly and whispered, “She’s straight, you know.”

“Who? Tiffany. I know that.”

“No, I mean Cricket.” Jenn grinned. “I met her guy this afternoon at their game. Big jock.”

Teri paused and took a slow breath. She shook her head. “Really? Oh, wow. And I thought I sensed a vibe from her. Gina calls it Gaydar.”

Jenn kissed her hard and hugged her tightly. “Uh-huh. I felt that, too. But I guess what you felt was attraction. When I went to see her volleyball team practice, he showed up and they hugged big time.”

“Not her brother, right?”

“Um. Not that kind of hug. And she introduced us. The guy has huge paws, one that swallowed my whole hand. Nice guy, but really big.”

Teri grinned. “You know what they say about big hands.”

Jenn elbowed her. “Only one way to find out.”

Teri shook her head and shivered. “Mmm. Let’s see. Amos put on quite a show for me with his. And your sister’s boy toy. Not sure if that exploration should be my quest. But.…”

“But what?”

“You can always report back to me and let me know.” Teri grinned.

Jenn smacked her on the shoulder. “Right, like you could handle that. If I did something like that, you would spiral out of control and crash hard.”

Teri sighed. “Listening to Grace and watching Gina all the time, well, I need to start spreading my wings.”

Jenn shook her head. “You mean like opening up our relationship?”

Teri kissed Jenn. “Well, kinda. I want you to spread your wings and get out there. For our relationship.”

Jenn pushed Teri back into the chair and watched her sit down. Then she climbed onto her lap. “Right. You think that pushing me out to have affairs would boost our relationship?”

Teri kissed. Wrapping her arms around her waist, “It seems to work for Gina and Grace.”

Jenn shook her head. “Grace is thirty-five and Gina is twenty-two. I don’t know what makes them tick or what’s good for them. I wonder if we’re that mature, yet. I miss you when you’re out of my sight. It’s like you are part of me.”

Teri hugged her and nuzzled her neck.

“But if we wanted to invite someone into our bed for the two of us, maybe.” Jenn was kissing her as she spoke.

Teri smiled. “You mean like Cricket? Damn. I thought for sure that fantasy was real.” She looked up to see Jenn frown. “Fantasy, right? I said fantasy.”

Jenn shook her head. “Not right. Don’t tell the woman you love that you’re having fantasies about her study buddy.”

“Right. Won’t forget. Promise.”

“Keep those fantasies to yourself unless you want to be single. If I don’t measure up, not a smart thing to talk about.”

“Right.” Teri saluted her. “Wouldn’t do anything to screw up the best thing in my life.” She grabbed Jenn, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her into her body. As she held her tightly, she kissed her ears.

Jenn kissed back and sighed. “Teri Nelson, you now have to tell me what Jack Demsey is like.”

“Yeah, well, he’s pretty cool. Not as old as my mom, but he seems like a good guy. He and his girlfriend are planning to start a family, and we went across the street to the Allentown Diner to hang out. Gina, Tiffany, and Zoe joined us. They’d been checking out Tiffany’s new condo on top of Final Cut Studios. We need to get a tour; I’ve heard it’s pretty amazing. And you’ll meet Jack and his girlfriend if they come to the barbecue on Saturday at Conor’s place. I think Lisa and Smith are organizing it. I hope you’ll come.”

Jenn smiled. “Sure, wouldn’t miss it since I’ll be having his baby.”

Teri frowned. “That sounds so weird. When we were talking about a sperm sample, well, that seemed kinda removed. And now that I’ve met the guy, and he’s kinda my donor.”

Jenn smiled and kissed her. “I’ll need to examine this sperm donor up close.”

Teri closed her eyes. “Like having sex with him.”

Jenn shook her head. “No. Not a chance. No party with your daddy donor. That thought is way too weird. But tell me about his girlfriend.”

Teri hesitated before she started talking. She had just reconfigured her entire understanding of what she should and shouldn't say to Jenn. “Uh, yeah. You saw her on that Friday night when we heard Jack play. Red hair, attractive, right.”

Jenn smiled. “Yep. A total knockout. What’s she like?”

Teri shook her head. “She’d got a Master’s degree in counseling and makes money doing porn on her MyFan site.”

Jenn turned and looked her in the face. “Kidding, right?”

Teri smiled and shook her head. “No, she said it right out loud.”

Jenn shook her head. “I’m sure she makes great money, but I wonder how Jack feels about her having sex with other people on camera.”

Teri nodded. “Well, the way she explained it, she doesn’t have sex or do anything on camera except change her underwear. She said that fans come to see her in her birthday suit, but leave with good advice.”

Jenn shook her head. “I wanna see.”

“Seriously?”

“Uh-huh. Let’s search her out and watch.”

Teri shrugged and turned on her laptop. It took a few minutes to find her. While they were looking, they came across some intense content.

Jenn was watching intently. “This is so different. I’m just not in the head of someone who is all about public stuff.”

They eventually located her page. Terry pointed, “Look, they have a guest pass to watch old videos.” She clicked on Emma’s most recent post.

Jenn hummed. “Gosh, she’s perfect. And wears some pretty classy lingerie.”

Teri turned up the volume, and they both listened. After a while, she turned to her Jenn and asked, “Geez, do all psychologists sound the same?”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s responding to some guy’s question about erectile dysfunction and sounds very empathetic and professional. She's just sitting in a chair, curled up, and comfortable.”

Teri went to turn it off, but Jenn grabbed her hand. “Wait, I want to see her get undressed.”

Teri sighed and leaned back, pulling Jenn onto her lap. As Jenn was absorbed in watching, Teri slowly undressed her. Lifting her up, she placed her back in the chair and began to make love to her.

Jenn was reacting but whispered in Teri’s ear, “Is it all right if I keep on watching?”
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Lisa was telling the caterers where she wanted the tables and chairs. She looked up to see Smith helping the bartender make pitchers of margaritas. Mike was squeezing fresh limes into a pitcher.

She grinned. One thing she hadn’t told Conor was her wish to have a jam session once the party began. She had talked to Phil. Two local roadies from their tour were bringing their amplifiers and instruments from the band house. They were setting up a platform stage and the PA system.

While Lisa was working with the caterers, Tiffany, Zoe, and Bruno started the fire pit. Tiffany was bouncing up and down with excitement when she saw Grace and Gina come through the gate.

Tiffany hugged Grace and kissed her cheek. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun. I’m glad you're here!” Then she paused and looked at Gina. “Oh, you brought her. I thought you promised to leave the toad home.”

Gina laughed and kissed Tiffany on the lips. “She tried to, but I started to cry and pout, and made her bring me. I did bring a little something for everyone.” She held up a brown bag with a dispensary label on the side. “Party favors.”

Around that time, Jack and Emma showed up at the back door with Conor. “I was just giving your new friends a tour of the house.”

Everyone gathered around them and exchanged greetings. As they did, Teri appeared through the side gate, carrying some of the band’s equipment. She was surrounded by roadies, Phil, and Richard, who were unloading a box truck full of gear.

Conor smiled and saw the equipment coming in. “Oh, wow. This is going to be some party.” He turned and called out to Smith, “Did you bring your harp with you?”

Smith and Mike were walking away from the bar toward the crowd. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his Hohner Marine Band. “Lisa said I needed to come prepared!”

Zoe shouted to her dad, “You need to grab your axe and offer something to Jack. I heard he can sing and play.” She looked at Jack, “You gotta sing for your supper, new guy.”

Teri grabbed Jenn’s hand and pulled her over to Jack and Emma. “I have to introduce you to my girlfriend, Jenn. This is Jack and Emma.”

Teri felt Jenn squeeze her hand tightly. Jenn whispered in her ear, “More beautiful up close.”

Jack was smiling and seemed comfortable. “Well, it’s nice to meet more of this family. Is your mom here?”

Teri looked up and saw her mom giving more instructions to the caterers. She waved to catch her attention. “Hey, Mom. I want to introduce you to Jack Dempsey and his girlfriend, Emma Bassett. This is my Mom, Amy Nelson.”

Teri took a step back and looked. It was a really strange moment to see everyone gathered together. They all greeted each other warmly. She glanced at Jenn, who was still trying not to be obvious as she stared at Emma. Teri whispered in her ear, “We can watch her online any time you want.”

Jenn turned and kissed her girlfriend. “She’s unreal.”

Teri kissed her back. “We live in a big, confusing world. I know that Emma said they are starting a family, and if you both use the same sperm, then you would be raising half-sisters.”

As Phil finished testing the equipment, Conor brought out a couple more amplifiers and guitars. He opened two cases and pointed. “Here, Jack. Choose your weapon.”

Jack looked down at the two guitar cases and watched as Conor opened each one. The first thing he noticed was that both cases were old. Then his eyes widened when he recognized the Gibson Les Paul.

“Conor, what year’s the Les Paul?”

Conor blushed. “Uh-huh. It’s 1960, and I don’t have to tell you how hard it would be to find a Sunburst, today. Yeah, I didn’t pay that much for it because it was my guitar, and I bought it used from the music store in Dublin thirty years ago.” He reached into the case, handed it to Jack. “Yours to use. Welcome to the family.”

Jack put it on and then tested the neck. “He looked at Conor. “You still play it, right? The neck is amazing. It’s been loved.”

Conor handed him a transmitter, and after they plugged it in, he pointed to a medium-sized amplifier.

As they got closer, Jack began laughing. “I can’t believe that this is your personal gear. A tube amplifier head, wow!”

Conor patted him on the back. “I invested a lot of money into equipment after the band broke up. Nice place to stash mad money.”

“Mad money! An awful lot of mad money.”

“Yeah, a while back, I was into import and export, and it was a cash business. A lot of cash. Never trusted the government or banks. Nobody tracks equipment and who’s selling it. I ended up with a lot of it. But, here. Look at the other one and try it out, too.”

Jack was busy working the sound on the Les Paul, knowing you couldn’t get that one for under two hundred thousand bucks. He wandered back over, and Conor was already handing him another. His eyes bugged out when he saw that the man had a Fender Stratocaster. He raised an eyebrow.

Conor smiled. “Fifty-nine. We can swap later. Someday, I’ll show you more.”

One of the Cats, Tiffany, passed by and saw the two of them getting all dreamy over the guitars. “Conor gifted all the Wildcats classic instruments. I have a Fender bass locked up at home.”

Before Jack could let his mind wander, Conor unleashed a Buddy Guy guitar solo and turned toward him, and Jack grinned as he handed back another sixteen bars. As they continued to get lost in guitar solos, a third guitar started up. Jack swallowed his gum when he saw a very pregnant woman jump right in. She was obviously her father’s daughter because she blew her dad a kiss.

Within a minute, Jack was surrounded by drums, a keyboard, a Hammond organ sound, and a bass. He loved every moment of their jam. Another player stepped up and started blasting out a perfect harmonica solo.

After a few minutes of playing, Lisa moved over from the piano, picked up a tambourine, and signaled everyone to stop. Once they stopped, Zoe started playing the guitar intro to Smokestack Lightning by Howlin’ Wolf. Smith joined in on the harmonica, and they all shared the singing.

All the guitar players had their solos, and Jack was falling under the spell of the great music. He was especially amazed when Tiffany, Lisa, and Teri sang three-part harmony on an Aretha Franklin song.

Finally, after twenty minutes, Lisa lifted both arms and shouted, “Break Time!”

After everyone wiped down their equipment, they heard Amy call everyone over. She was holding trays of margaritas, pointing out the virgin drinks to Zoe and Tiffany. “A toast to old friends and new ones, too. Jack and Emma, please eat, drink, and be welcomed into this crazy family. A group of people who work hard but relax with family and friends.”

As they were toasting, more people were pouring through the side gate. Somebody yelled, “Parents!”

Amy glanced from holding the trays of margaritas and signaled to the bartender to serve each new guest a drink.

Teri turned and saw Tiffany’s mom and dad talking to another couple, whom she guessed were Mike’s parents. Mike looked just like his dad. She recognized Mr. and Mrs. Denardo, then saw Isabella and her husband walking right behind them.

Teri started standing in front of their synthesizer and found the organ sound. She started singing the lyrics to an old Sly Stone song, “It’s a family affair, it’s a family affair.” She sang the whole song solo.

As Jenn bumped her hip, she looked for Emma and Jack, encouraging them to come over. “Everybody is here.” She pointed out which parents belonged to whom. “Well, I guess that’s not important, just have a drink and keep introducing yourselves as our friends. And that’s what I really hope we become. I have tons of production questions I want to pick your brain about.”

Jack shook his head. “I watched your live videos and was amazed at your gifts. And your sister said you remember and can play every song you’ve ever heard. She told me how the Roots from the Tonight Show were unable to stump you during rehearsal.”

Teri was nodding. “That was a great afternoon and evening. That band is totally amazing. With Questlove’s help, I’ve been able to collect fourteen of their vinyl albums!”

Jenn was trying to focus on the conversation, but was trying to watch Emma without making it obvious.

Out of nowhere, Emma whispered in Jenn’s ear. She reached down and squeezed her hand.

Jenn’s face was flushed.

Teri loved it. “Oh, it’s so cool to see how infatuated you are with her. What did she say?”

Jenn shook her head and kissed her passionately. “I promised not to tell. Dammit. This is killing me. She is just so perfect.”

Teri whispered, “Perfect, perfect, perfect. You can dream about her when we make love. You can even call me Emma!”

Jenn shook her head. “I heard that Gina brought a bag of treats. I wanna get high.”

Teri was smiling as she walked her toward Gina. She whispered to her girlfriend. “Ooh. So can I watch while Jack nails you and Emma, spreading his seed?”

Jenn shook her head. “You are so gross. I don’t want to have sex with your parent donor. I just want to climb all over his future wife.”

“Me, gross? Nah. Just saying the words you don’t want to hear. You’re the one who came up with this artificial insemination thing so the baby would have a little of me in her.”

“Right. And you’re prepared to breastfeed our baby when the time comes? I’ve got a list of drugs you can take.”

“Seriously?”

“Sure. The simplest one is Progesterone, but there’s also another called Domperidone. We’ll talk to our OB-GYN.”

“Seriously, our OB-GYN? Do I need another doctor?”

“Sure. My doctor is great, and we’ll have your surgeon hand you off to her. She can prescribe medications. I think it’s going to be wonderful to share our baby like that.”

Teri shook her head. “Well, I’m really betting that Lisa and Tiffany are pregnant before Christmas.”
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After everyone finished eating, the musicians took turns entertaining the crowd. Finally, Lisa grabbed Jack’s hand. “You’re singing the second and third verse of Time is on My Side. And don’t tell me you don’t know it because a little birdie told me that it’s part of your club song list.”

As they checked their mics, Lisa started singing the opening verse of the Rolling Stones song while Teri played guitar and sang the chorus with Tiffany. As all the guitars and voices came together, Zoe played a guitar solo that sounded like the band had taken the solo and moved it into the next century. When she finished, Lisa pointed and shouted, “Zoe, let’s hear it for Mama Zoe!”

While everyone was applauding, Lisa pointed to Jack Dempsey. “C’mon, Jack. Sing it!”

Jack took a deep breath and looked at Emma, then he began the second verse. The song is slow enough to hear him clearly, and as he sang the verse, all the Cats joined in on the chorus, ‘time is on my side, yes it is…’

As the band finished the last verse together, Jack began his own solo. When he finished, everyone cheered. The musicians then played a few more songs before everyone returned to the tables because the barbecue was ready to eat.

As they all ate, Amy took the opportunity to talk to Jack and Emma. “I’m glad the two of you had a chance to come by. I think the phrase Lisa used was "closing the circle." I like that and hope we can keep getting to know the two of you better.”

Emma smiled. “I know that your two girls have to feel good about what’s happening.”

Amy nodded. “Yep. I really made a mistake by never telling them the truth about using reproductive services for both of them. Twenty years ago, that wasn't as easy to talk about as it is today. But they’re great kids, and, well, it’s a healing moment.”

Jack hugged her. “I’m glad that we can be a part of this. I was especially tickled when Jenn told me about their plan to have their baby together. It’s a bit unnerving, but it makes too much sense.”

Amy shook her head. “Kind of a grandfatherly thing, isn’t it? But I hear that you and Emma are starting a family, too.”

Emma grabbed Jack’s arm and pulled herself close. “We are. But along with a baby, we’re going to celebrate Jack’s retirement and relocation. It’s going to keep us busy for months.”

By that time, Teri and Lisa had both moved closer to listen to what was being said.

Emma shared their excitement. “We want to raise a family in a small town. Some place with fresh air, open spaces, and just a nice place to live.”

Lisa listened. “When we toured this summer, we stopped in Washington State to do a show. It’s a pretty amazing place out there. You ought to take a vacation and see it.”

Emma was laughing. “It’s one of the places on our list.”

Teri spoke softly. “Uh, I’m happy for both of you and understand that you want to leave New York. But, I had an idea if you want to hear it.”

Seeing both of them smile, she continued. "I have a friend in the production business who speaks highly of you, Bill Wiggins from Warner’s records.” She paused to see if they were still listening. “So here’s my idea. I think you should pick a place you love and move there, but go in with Bill on building your own studio. Say you want to go to Washington State. Find that perfect small town, buy some land, and build a studio. You’ve produced so many successful albums, and all those bands remember who you are. Get the word out and see if you can attract business. Nothing big or fancy, just a spot where musicians can work on solo projects, or where a band can relax and create. A beautiful setting goes a long way.”

Jack hugged Teri. “Thank you. It’s a great idea, and I think it would be good to talk to William Wiggins.”

Teri loved the hug and returned it with one for Emma, which made her blood pump faster. “Well, you know more about production and communication than all those startup guys with their digital setups. I’m not saying you should go with analog, but Wiggins brought a team to our place, and they cobbled together recycled equipment for our own recording studio. Before we go much farther, let me introduce you to Richard and Phil. They take care of us, but Phil is a master producer, too.”
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As the party started to wind down, everyone thanked Conor for hosting a real Fall classic.

Watching the caterers and the roadies load everything up, Teri wrapped her arm around her sister’s waist. “Great idea, sis. I know that everyone had fun.”

Lisa watched and laughed. “If they did’t have fun, it’s their own fault. Now, I want to find my guy and start making a baby with him.”

Teri shook her head. “No surprise now that we know we’re not throwing our babies in with the box of broken toys. All of a sudden, I’m going to be a godmother, an aunt, and maybe a mother. A big change.”

Lisa squeezed her back. “How you handling that, little sis?”

“I’m going to be nineteen soon. I’m getting so old!”