Sabrina couldn’t stop watching her daughter on stage. Just like her father, she commanded her audience to watch her. Just like her mother, she moved with a grace and ease across the floor. Aria Chasez made dancing look flawless and Sabrina was smart enough to know that she was going to follow in either one of her parents’ footsteps and probably skip college all together to dance.

When the recital ended, the entire auditorium was on its feet. The sixteen ballerinas took their bow and Aria looked out and winked at her mother.

Sabrina met her daughter out in the lobby and hugged her tightly. “I’m so proud of you, baby.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Aria drew away from her and grinned. “Hey, dad called me earlier. He got engaged, did you hear?”

Sabrina forced a smile and nodded. “Yes, I have to call him and find out when this wedding is and when we have to go down there.”

“You think Kelsey will be taking Beckett?” Aria followed her mother outside and watched as Sabrina hailed a cab.

“I would think so. Your dad’s not going to get married without both of his children there.” As Sabrina said this she took a breath and exhaled slowly. What would have happened if there had never been a Kelsey? Would she and JC still be together? Would Tinsley Shackelford even be a factor in their lives?

Both of his children. Aria was theirs. Beckett belonged to him and another woman. And she was pretty sure that Tinsley would either be pregnant sooner or later.

“She’s like 8 years older than me, Mom. Isn’t that weird?” Aria was saying as they climbed into the cab.

It was weird. It was all weird.

“Where do you want to eat?” Sabrina desperately wanted to change the subject. JC had been weighing on her mind too much today. She wanted to enjoy this time with Aria because once summer hit, she’d be with JC for a month and a half and then would start her senior year of high school.

“I don’t care.” Aria shrugged and leaned back against the seat. She yawned and pulled out her phone. “Dad called and left a message.”

“Want to go to Sarabeth’s in Central Park?” Sabrina ignored the information her daughter had just passed along.

“Sure.” Aria nodded and looked at her mother. “Mom, I know this is weird but we gotta talk about it. I mean, Dad was gonna get married again. You know that.”

“Sarabeth’s in Central Park, please,” Sabrina said to the driver. She turned to Aria. “I know that. I guess it’s just all so strange. He and I were so happy when you were a baby. And now he’s marrying someone that was eight when you were born. Eight!” She shook her head and groaned. “And I don’t know why it’s bothering me so damn much.”

Sabrina had never withheld anything from her daughter. Aria had matured by the time she was thirteen. Last year she’d brought home her first boyfriend and Sabrina went with her to get birth control, only because Aria had been honest and told her they wanted to have sex. And Sabrina was there for her when that boyfriend had trampled on her daughter’s heart and helped her pick up the pieces.

She looked at her. Aria was a gorgeous mix of her mother and father, from her caramel skin to her curly hair. She had JC’s smile and Sabrina’s dark eyes. When she laughed, her eyes squinted together like JC’s did. A constant reminder that once upon a time, Aria’s father had loved Sabrina enough to bring this beautiful child into the world.

The cab passed by the theatre where Rumors was playing. Sabrina had no intention of seeing it, although she’d heard from nearly everyone in the industry that Kelsey was “killing it” as “Clair Ganz.”

“I don’t know either, Mom.” And it was true. Aria didn’t know why her mother was feeling so glum about this third marriage to some little twit down in Georgia. “I need to call Dad back.”

“Let’s wait and call him after dinner. I want to talk about that amazing recital you just did!” Sabrina shook her head in amazement at her daughter. “You are just radiant on stage, baby girl. You make me so proud.”

“Aw, Mom!” Aria leaned into her mother for a hug. She didn’t pull away until the cab parked next to Sarabeth’s.

~~

“The wedding is in June. I had to make sure it was after the Tony’s because of Kelsey’s award.” JC was saying to Sabrina that night on the phone. She and Aria had finished dinner and taken the subway back to Tribeca. Aria had talked to her father as they walked into the apartment building and handed the phone to her mother when she was done.

Kelsey’s still calling the shots, was Sabrina’s first thought, but she dismissed it. She knew very well Kelsey couldn’t help when the Tony’s were and that JC wanted his son in his wedding.

“Ok. June what?” Sabrina was in the kitchen pouring herself a glass of wine. Aria was in the living room watching Jimmy Fallon.

“Twelfth. Saturday. Tinsley wanted to do it in Forsyth Park. We’re actually shutting down the entire park for the wedding.”

He sounded genuinely happy. “That’s great, Josh.”

“Yeah. The reception is going to be at a rooftop bar on River Street. Anyway, Tinsley will be calling Aria soon to get her dress size and all that. We’re kind of planning this in about five weeks.”

Because Tinsley was pregnant, Sabrina surmised. “That’s….really fast, Josh. Why the rush?” She felt herself tensing up as she waited for his reply.

“Well, I’ve got another project in the works and Tinsley’s been asked to design a new clothing line with Kendall Jenner.”

Sabrina had to bite her tongue. She forgot Kendall and Tinsley were “BFF” and that all of the hashtags on Instagram with them together had been “#besties4life.” The media had even dubbed them “Kendley.”

“That’s great, Josh. I know we’ll make it work.” Sabrina looked in the living room where Aria was intrigued by something on Jimmy Fallon. She walked behind the couch and saw what it was. Kelsey’s interview.

~

Aria could feel herself growing uncomfortable as she always did whenever her former stepmother was on television and her mother was in the room. It had been years now that Kelsey hadn’t been with her dad and even though Aria knew Sabrina was over everything for the most part, it still made her finicky.

“Ok, well, I’ll give you back to Aria now. Talk to you later, Josh. Bye.” Sabrina handed the phone to Aria and Aria quickly said goodbye to her father as she watched his former wife laughing it up with Jimmy Fallon.

“…oh he’s ten now and taking piano and plays soccer..” Kelsey was talking about Beckett.

“And what does he think of his mom being all over the billboards in the city?” Jimmy asked.

“To be honest, I don’t even know that he pays attention to it. He’s too busy being a fourth grader.”

“We can change it, Mom.” Aria looked up at Sabrina, who was fixated on the screen.

“Stop that. You know I don’t care.” Sabrina patted her daughter’s shoulder and left the room.

Aria took out her phone and texted Kelsey: Great job on Fallon! Watching right now!

Kelsey texted back almost instantly: Thanks, honey! Beck was asking about you today. Come over tomorrow and we can catch up.

Aria had a special bond with Kelsey. She’d never hated her even though Kelsey was the reason her father had left her mother. But she’d been so young that all she’d really known was her dad with Kelsey and, despite the fact she did her best to shield Sabrina from pain, Aria loved Kelsey.

“Mom, is it OK if I go to see Beckett tomorrow?” She had walked into her mother’s bedroom. Sabrina was lying on the bed reading a book.

“Sure, baby. Just let me know when you’re on your way back.” Sabrina smiled at her daughter and went back to her book.

Aria knew her mother was really OK with it, still she couldn’t help but feel somewhat guilty. For what, she didn’t know.

~

Kelsey had just taken a pan of chocolate raspberry muffins out of the oven when the intercom buzzed and the doorman told her Aria was on her way upstairs. Kelsey and Beckett lived on the top floor of an Upper West Side apartment and had a terrace that overlooked Central Park. It had been the apartment that she’d lived in with JC and when they divorced, she’d gotten it along with the grand piano. Beckett was making great use of the piano and practiced at least once a day. He played by ear, something he’d inherited from his father, and often serenaded his mother before he went to bed.

“Beck, your sister’s on her way up.” She called down the hall to Beckett’s room. He came out still in his pajamas and was playing a game on his phone. “Beck, it’s not even noon and you’re already playing Roblox?”

“I’m almost done.” He didn’t look up and continued to walk down the hallway. She retrieved his phone when he was close enough for her to take it from him. “Mo-om!” He protested and Kelsey shook her head.

“Aria’s coming and wants to see you. You just told me yesterday you wanted her to visit. You can have this when she leaves.” Kelsey kissed the top of her son’s head and Beckett sighed, knowing he was defeated.

“You don’t have to be at the theatre today?” He asked as he climbed up onto a bar stool.

“No. My understudy’s doing the matinee today. I have to go in tonight. Jessie’s coming over at five.” Jessie was Beckett’s nanny. Kelsey began to place the muffins on a plate. “Do you want orange juice?”

“Yeah. I can get it.” Just as Beckett was hopping off the barstool, Aria walked into the apartment.

“Sissy!” Beckett still called her “Sissy” even though he’d been able to pronounce “Aria” since he was three.

Aria grinned as she took her little brother in her arms. He was growing taller by the week. He still fit just beneath her chin and she kissed the top of his head. “Hey Buddy.” She looked over at Kelsey. “Hi, Kelsey.”

Kelsey walked over to Aria to give her a warm hug. “Good to see you. Come sit down. I just took muffins out of the oven. Do you want coffee?”

Before Aria could answer, Beckett piped up with, “Did you hear Dad’s getting married? To some little fruitcake down in Georgia.”

“Beckett!” Kelsey gasped and remembered a conversation she’d had with her mother late the night before. She’d mentioned to her that Tinsley was nothing but “a little fruitcake in Georgia with nothing for brains.” She had to be more and more careful about what she said when she thought her son was asleep.

“What? That’s what you were telling Nana!” Beckett was grinning because he knew he wasn’t supposed to repeat what he’d heard. He didn’t care. He had a feeling Aria felt the same way.

“I heard, Beck. Dad called me yesterday.” Aria sat down on the stool in front of the bar. She looked at Kelsey. “I cannot believe our stepmother is going to be Tinsley Shackelford.” Her face was filled with disgust. “She’s only eight years older than me.”

“How does….um, how does your mom feel about it?” Kelsey was treading lightly. She had never spoken ill of Sabrina in front of Aria but that didn’t mean Aria wasn’t going to be protective of her mother.

“I don’t think she’s surprised.” Aria was telling the truth. Only because Sabrina hadn’t divulged that much information. “I mean, Dad was bound to get married again. He can’t be alone.”

Kelsey let that sink in. He can’t be alone. That was certainly true.

“Well, I don’t wanna go to some dumb wedding.” Beckett said this with a mouth full of a chocolate raspberry muffin.

“You have no choice.” Kelsey told him as she poured Aria a cup of coffee. “We’re all going. You, Aria, Sabrina, and me. It will be like one big happy family.”

Aria noted the sarcasm in Kelsey’s tone and looked up from her plate. She had only been around her mother, father, and former stepmother a handful of times in her life. She could only imagine what this wedding was going to be like when everyone was together including Tinsley Shackelford.