134: A

The bus had pulled up to the hotel now and the doors opened fairly quickly for us to get off. You could hear the screaming of fans already outside.

"Your grandma was a photographer, and a writer. She wasn't a trained vocalist, but when she married your Grandpa, she went everywhere with him, and she was on stage with him. Always. She was part of his group."

"Oh, for Pete's sake, are you talking about Shawna? She was too trained. She had experience. She'd been in high society her whole life."

"She---- was a groupie."

"She was not a groupie!" We exited the bus and Rafe was drawn to one side instantly for pictures—he only did one--- and autographs--- he did only one--- and he waved and we went inside.

Rafe's hand on the small of my back ushered me instantly to the elevator, even though I would have taken the stairs. We got on together and turned around to find Jeremy and Levi, Ben and Mutt and Jeff right with us. Nobody was talking, and I realized they'd been listening to our conversation.

"Can I ask you something?" Jeremy finally said, looking somewhat sheepish. Rafe's eyes simply turned his direction. "Rafe, you pull Aubrey on stage like that and sing a song she didn't know, and how did you know you could do that? Wouldn't it have been better to ask her ahead of time?"

"Do you think that's what we're talking about?" Rafe snorted. All eyes turned to him. "She's got more performer blood in her little finger than the rest of us combined. When I talk about her Grandpa pulling his wife onstage with him--- I'm talking about Ray McCaffrey, guys."

Jeremy's eyes slid to mine. He took in the features, the hair, the skin tone--- and it clicked for him. "Dang, girl, you're Tracy's daughter."

There was laughter all around, from the guys who already knew it. Nothing needed to be explained. My grandfather, Ray had been in the most famous rock and roll band of all time--- his sales with the band still topped the charts. Even though it had been fifty years ago, and their band had broken up forty years ago, and David was dead, and Duncan was dead. It was just Grandpa and Trask Wilkie.

My mother--- well it went without saying. She was still performing. The guys had probably grown up hearing at least a few of her songs.

"But--- Rafe." Jeremy got over his shock pretty quick, because like my mom, I am just a girl, and I have that presence that keeps you calm. I'm a doctor, it's what I do.

"Yeah?"

"How did you know she'd be able to sing The Load Out with you? I barely even know that song. It's an old song. A really old song, and its classic Tiger Irwin."

"I knew she'd know it. Aubrey is an old soul, she would have known a Jackson Browne classic, she knows a lot of older music. Maybe more than I do. I've heard her humming it. And anyway, I know the Load Out, so if she had stumbled, I'd have kept singing."

"And she knew Stay."

"And it was smart of you guys to come down and jam with us." Rafe high-fived Jeff and Ben. Rafe and I could sing the falsetto parts of Stay, which was iconic--- not even a Tiger Irwin song---

The elevator doors opened, and rather than going to their rooms, the whole band, including me found the little sitting area near the corner of the balcony and sat down. We weren't finished with the conversation, nor were we ready to be separated. At least that's what I got from the looks on their faces.

"Why do you say she's an old soul?" Jeremy persisted, and I wondered if he was protecting me, and then I wondered if he had a crush on me. He'd better be careful. Too much interest would piss Rafe off.

I still sat on Rafe's lap. He doesn't have a big lap. But if I sat full on him, and let my legs dangle, which they easily could, my weight was distributed enough that it wasn't uncomfortable for either of us.

"Aubrey---." Rafe fingered my hair. "Who wrote Stay?"

My eyebrows lowered. He did not know this about me. We had not discussed older music much. Just the Bowie reference recently. I was not sure I wanted this knowledge bantered about like a prize.

My hesitation opened the door for speculation. "Jackson Browne." Jeff said.

Rafe shook his head. "Browne covered it to go with the Load Out, a tribute to his roadies and to the audience. I can't even sing the Load Out without Stay anymore. It's just where the song belongs."

"Springsteen." Mutt contributed. "1979."

"It's been around longer than that." Levi was thinking about it seriously. "It came out in the 60's. I think the Beatles did a cover."

"If they covered it, it was early, live, probably in Hamburg or Liverpool, and probably just on stage, like what we just did. They didn't record it. John would have sung lead and he wouldn't have been able to hit those high notes." I said.

Rafe was nodding, proud of himself for knowing I would know this.

"How do you know I know this?" I demanded. "I told you I don't even know my own mother's work."

"You do though. It's stuck up here." He tapped my forehead. Ben got up and went into his room which was the closest, and came out carrying his acoustic guitar.

"So, who did it, Mr. Know It All? Who wrote Stay?" I challenged him.

"I don't know!" Rafe laughed. "Does anybody know?" They all shook their heads. "How many would like to know? Without checking your phones?" They all raised their hands, so Rafe turned me to look at him. "Okay, Aubrey. Time for disclosure."

I blinked at him, rubbed my hand over my forehead. I didn't want to look like a walking music encyclopedia.

"Wait!" Levi protested. "I heard it recently. Like on this Australian band's album I just got. It came out recently. Maybe it's not an old song at all." He started singing it again. "People stay.... Just a little bit longer.... We wanna play...." His finger pointed up on the high notes he couldn't reach and Rafe joined him--- because he could. And suddenly they were all singing--- horribly I might add.

"Human Nature." I said softly. "One hit wonders."

"Yeah, that's them!" Levi exclaimed excitedly. "You mean it's not their song?"

I shook my head and Rafe knew I had to clue them all in. It wasn't in my nature not to disclose information. "1953. Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs. He was 15 years old."

Dead silence.

"Shortest single ever to hit number one on American charts. In 1990 it topped eight hundred million in sales." Rafe added, so I wouldn't be alone knowing things that no one else did.

"No freaking way." Someone breathed.

"Who's Maurice Williams?" We all laughed.

"So, what I want to know tonight..." Rafe said, patting my leg. "Is what is your favorite song of all time." There was a collective groan. I knew why--- there were too many we all called favorites.

Rafe pointed at Levi. "Come as you are. Nirvana."

"Kurt Cobain was the man." Rafe did some kind of weird smoking a doobie sign, or something similar that I am unfamiliar with and they all acknowledged this with similar movements. All except me. I didn't even know the song without hearing it.

Rafe pointed at Jeff. "God Only Knows."

We all knew that was by Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys. And we all joined in as Rafe sang:

"I may not always love you
But long as there are stars above you
You never need to doubt it
I'll make you so sure about it

God only knows what I'd be without you......."

In seconds we were all singing it. Talk about moving, touching, deep.... Listening to all these guys sing this tribute to Brian Wilson, one of my favorite artists of all time. It was all of those things, not to mention this song was so classic, and had survived the test of time.

Rafe pointed at Mutt. "Hotel California." We also all knew that was the Eagles.

He pointed to Jeremy. "Born to Run. Springsteen."

Very classic, we were all nodding, agreeing.

Rafe pointed at Ben. "Hey Jude." Again, so classic as to be not a question. How could you not love The Beatles, Hey Jude?

Rafe pointed at me. I knew I had genres and genres of favorite songs. It would be impossible to say which was actually a favorite. However, I could choose something everyone could relate to--- because frankly I knew that many of my favorites weren't well known. "Bohemian Rhapsody. Queen."

Huge collective ah ha moment. One of everybody's favorites.

I pointed at Rafe. He looked intently into my eyes, knowing I was like him and couldn't choose just one favorite. "I'll give anybody a buck who can sing all the words with me." He dug in his pocket and came out with some one dollar bills. "It's an oldie. One of many of my favorites. But we'll just let this be a good night test for all of us."

They laughed and some sighed and shook their heads, but all were up for it.

And Rafe started singing:

"A long long time ago
I can still remember how
That music used to make me smile
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And maybe they'd be happy for a while.....

So Bye-Bye Miss American Pie------"

I had just sung another of my all-time favorite songs with my future husband. At one point I actually think that knowing this song was on my "Must have" qualities for my future husband. My mom made all her kids learn all the lyrics just for fun. I don't think anyone but Rafe and I knew the whole thing, maybe Ben. Yes, Ben had sung it. And everyone knew the chorus, how could you not?

Even Rafe had gotten mixed up a couple of times, and started verses where they weren't supposed to be. I had corrected him, and everybody had laughed.

Keeping going was what needed to happen. We were all laughing when it was over.

Rafe stood me up and then I pulled him up.

He stretched. "What time is church?"

"Ten." I said.

"Okay. I'm saying good night." He hugged Ben and Jeff, and I simply went to our door, but Rafe and the guys were all there, and then everybody started hugging, and talking and hugging some more. And then we closed the door behind us.

*******