Lucky Waters PV Emma Hill

"What about a cat?" Andrew spoke up. "They're easy to look after." Unless if someone had cat allergies… But compared to dogs, cats didn't require as much babysitting. At least not the Vance cats. They were part-indoors, part-outdoors. If the Vances ever went away, they could leave the food and water bowls out in the backyard, and the cats would take care of themselves. Not that he expected to change the Hills' minds right away. Andrew shrugged. "Well, if you ever change your mind, we can get you a cat from our aunt Cynthia's place. She has a bunch of stray cats on her farm. That's how we got Duchess and Princess."

Stacy chuckled at Kiyana. "Kind of. Depending on how high the jump is, it feels like you're flying. Maybe if you visit our place in Romford, I can show you the horses at my riding center. If you help out in the stables, you can ride the horses for free," she pointed out.

"Really?" Stacy raised an eyebrow in surprise at Abraham. She didn't expect him to have the same liking for History. "I like learning about wars, actually. The American Revolution, World War I, World War II…" Most of the history lessons Stacy had been taught in the classroom had been about world regions, their various cultures and geography. Pretty tame stuff, so far. At home, however, she would sometimes sit on her parents' bed and watch whatever historical documentary her father was playing on the television screen, usually during the day when her mother was away at work. Most of the gruesome subjects Stacy had been exposed to on those documentaries wouldn't be discussed in the school setting until her later grades.

"Mum likes singing." Andrew blurted out after Kiyana's comment. "She does karaoke at our house all the time. She can sing on stage!"

Mrs. Vance blushed. The fact that she had makeup on was the only reason she didn't cover her face with her hands out of embarrassment for being put on the spot.

"C'mon. mum!" Andrew prompted. "You can do 'The Power of Love' by Celine Dion—That's her favorite song.'"

"Oh, no, I couldn't." Mrs. Vance ducked shyly.

"Aww…Mum…" The three whined.

Mrs. Vance smirked, listening to her children plea for a few seconds more, before proposing, "Sure, I'll sing… If you three sing." She pointed back at them.

Andrew glanced sideways at his siblings. Would they dare?

Then the lights went off, and the room fell pitch-black. Andrew jerked in alarm, paralyzed by the high-pitched screams and startled yelps that erupted all around him. Scenes of the Titanic sinking and power being knocked out as water flooded in flashed through his mind. Had something happened to the ship? His thoughts were too occupied in conjuring up scenarios, worrying if they were all in danger, to notice the differences in the glow-in-the-dark flowers—that theirs was suddenly colored differently from the rest.

His rapid heartbeat slowed in relief when the man's voice of reassurance sounded on the speakers and the lights shortly flickered back on.

Mr. Vance soon registered the hazard at the table. "Excuse me." He signaled one of the waiters over. "We seem to have a leak in this vase."

The waiter examined the huge crack. Though he played it off calmly, there was a flicker of surprise on his face. While resembling glass, the vase was actually made of a thick acrylic—selected with child guests in mind—that wouldn't be so easily broken if it were to be knocked over or fall onto the floor. "I see.. My apologies, I shall replace this at once for you." The waiter lifted the heavy vase carefully so as to not have it shatter under pressure. Fortunately, it was only water that needn't be wiped up from the tablecloth before it evaporated. Although the waiter was fairly certain the floral centerpieces had all been blue, since the last hundred times he had passed through the dining room. Had someone replaced it with an orange one? He wondered briefly for a moment as he towed the vase away. . .

It wasn't long before their food came around. . . And then dessert. Just as Andrew finished wiping the smudges of chocolate mousse cake from his mouth, the male host reappeared on stage, speaking into the microphone:

"Who's up for some karaoke, folks? Let's get this night rolling with some music!" He announced, opening up the stage in the center of the dining room for guests to step up and volunteer their voices.

So that was the 'big event'.

Mr. Vance chuckled, glancing at his wife. "Still up for that song?"

Mrs. Vance checked her watch. "Night's still young." She watched in amusement as a rambunctious group of seven went on stage to sing "YMCA", shaking all their dance moves into it.


Perhaps it was the sugar from his dessert, or the atmosphere of the room that made Andrew hyped and excited. He reckoned it was almost midnight, and there was something about staying up past his bedtime that gave him a thrill rush, experiencing the world of nightlife for the first time.

"Well, looks like we're gonna be here a while." Mr. Vance leaned back in his chair. "Waiter! Two baskets of chips and salsa," he ordered for the table.

"Aren't you full?" His wife asked.

"Darling, you know this stomach's never full." Mr. Vance soon popped a chip-boat of salsa into his mouth. Snacking was inevitable during a vacation like this. At least it gave him something to munch on to pass the time while talking to company and listening to music.

Mrs. Vance renewed her confidence, after watching a few more guests sing their solos. She waved a hand for the karaoke songbook to be brought to her and she flipped through the pages, searching for that one signature song of hers. Sure enough, there it was…

"Alright, sign me up," she told the host.


Mustering her courage, Mrs. Vance waltzed onto the stage and made her dramatic-act speech into the microphone: "I dedicate this song to my wonderful husband and our three precious children who brought me up here to sing to you tonight." She beamed at her family as if they were the only ones present in the room. "'The Power of Love', by Celine Dion."

"Woo-hoo! You go Mum!" Andrew whooped.


Mrs. Vance had practiced this song on repeat throughout the years. All the house parties she had thrown with her friends and coworkers, singing karaoke into the night, had paid off. Sure, she was no Celine Dion, but as long as one gave it their all and didn't act embarrassed, it was all about having fun anyways.

After her number ended, Mrs. Vance scurried back to the table, grinning uncontrollably.

"You did good, love," Mr. Vance complimented.

"Now you sing with me." Carroll grasped her husband's hand as if to tug him from his seat. Suddenly they were a young couple again, from the way Carroll was acting.

"Oh, no, not this time," Michael stated adamantly, though he knew full well that he wouldn't have much of a choice…

"Not even for our friends?" She deflated with a puppy-eyed look.

Michael squirmed uncomfortably. Desperation filled his tone. "Can't you get one of the kids…?"

"What kind of example is that for them? Their own father, being coward?" Her tone was soft yet gently reprimanding. "Come on, one song," she coaxed. "Hey, I'm the one that got this trip for us, so you better thank me and sing!" She teased, inserting more command into it.

Michael sighed in protest. But he couldn't deny his wife if he didn't want to end up sleeping on the floor that night—outside the cabin.

"Alright, one song," he warned, as his wife dragged him towards the stage. Though if she ordered him to, he knew he'd be forced to sing as many songs as she wanted. "Which one?"

"You know the one," she hinted flirtatiously.


Another Celine Dion song. The Vance couple's classic duet, "I'm Your Angel." In the house with his family was one thing, but Mr. Vance rarely sang in public, especially in front of strangers. He couldn't belt out the notes like his wife and his voice wavered nervously at being in the center of the spotlight, but making a point to keep his eyes on his wife and not pay too much attention to the crowd, he soldiered through it.

After the song ended, the two returned to their seats. Mrs. Vance patted her husband reassuringly on the back, who began shoveling chips and salsa into his mouth as a means to recover from his stage fright.

"Your turn, darling." Mrs. Vance turned to her eldest.

"Uh…" Stacy sank lower into her chair, hoping to disappear.

"Everyone at this table is going to sing," Mrs. Vance asserted with conviction. "Even you, Arden," she poked him playfully.

"Yeah, you and Abe!" Andrew nudged his sister, whose expression froze horrified. Suddenly she'd rather brave it solo than with a boy that she just knew her brothers were trying to "pair her up" with.

"That's a brilliant idea," Mrs. Vance seconded the vote. "Let's get the oldest on stage!"

Stacy groaned through her teeth and stiffened with panic.

"No one's judging you," Mrs. Vance assured, seeing her daughter in distress. "We just want to hear your voices, is all. Ambiance. You're adding to the atmosphere of the room. Gives people something to listen to. It's all background noise, really."

"I-I don't know what to sing," Stacy stuttered, staring blankly at the songbook. She couldn't think of a duet that wasn't romantic. No way was she going to let the audience get any ideas that she and Abe were together…

"Ooo, I'll pick!" Andrew swiped the book away, eliciting a startled "Hey!" from Stacy.

"Make sure it's a love song," Kyle giggled covertly as he scooted closer to Andrew, the two of them scanning through the book together.

"How about…?" Andrew pointed his finger to one of the first songs listed under the Disney category, showing it out to Stacy. "This one!"

"No! Not that one" Stacy protested, trying to hide her emotions about the way she truly felt about singing that particular song.

"Why? It's just a song," Andrew pressured.

"Yeah, well…" Stacy hesitated. "It's gotta be something more friendly."

"Scared?"

"No!"

"Sing it, then," Andrew prodded.

Thanks to the dim lighting in the room, no one would notice Stacy's face flush a shade redder than usual, seeping with embarrassment and anger. She glared defiantly at her brothers, shooting them with daggers as she watched them giggle at her discomfort. She knew what they were conspiring. If she refused to sing it, her denial would give them all the more reason to poke fun at her about her "awkwardness" around Abe. But even if she did sing it, they'd still find a way to twist the perspective and mock her for liking him anyway.

You are so going to pay for this. She narrowed her eyes at her brothers. Either way, she was cornered. But backing out from a dare was even more bruising to her ego. Nevermind Abe…

"You want a duet? Okay, let's do this duet!" She immediately rose from the table, face full of determination as she waved the host over to place her request. . .


Snatching Abe's hand, Stacy stormed over to the stage, trying her best to look natural as she stepped into the spotlight, microphone gripped nervously in her hand. Her heart pounded frantically but, catching Abe's eye, she rolled her eyes at him as if to say "Let's just get this over with".


The familiar tune of the Aladdin classic, "A Whole New World", came on the speakers. Stacy gulped nervously and held her microphone away to clear her throat, suddenly worried about how much her palms were sweating; she feared the microphone would slip out of her hands.

Just relax. . . Focus. She tried to calm herself. It was no different than acting on stage in drama class or competing in front of a crowd like those showjumping tournaments. Her only concern was making it over the next jump, or in this case, hitting the next melody:

"♫♪ A whole new world. A dazzling place I never knew…♫♪"

From the shelter of their table, Andrew and Kyle squealed and snickered giddily, trying to keep their volume low to avoid the adults' detection. Immature antics aside, the two boys genuinely enjoyed the performance of watching their sister sing, whose voice and posture soon relaxed after the first couple of verses. Soon the context of the song was forgotten. A smile appeared on Stacy's face as she loosened up, immersing herself into the experience of the "game" as she did with Abe back at the arcade, aiming to reach that karaoke high score of 80 or above that would flash on the screen. . .


"Alright then." Stacy strolled back to the table with a sly grin, once her song with Abe had ended. One could almost see the devil horns sprouting from her head as she pointed her retribution at Andrew. "You and Emma. You're singing."

Well that was to be expected. Andrew shrugged nonchalantly. A bluff to conceal his flop sweat. He couldn't let Stacy have the satisfaction of seeing him nervous.

"Okay, then." He coolly slid the songbook over in Emma's direction. "What do you wanna sing, Emma?"

"Nuh-uh-uh." Stacy plucked the book away from them. "Our choice. What do you think, Abe?" She invited him to browse through the pages. "It's gotta be a duet. Love song."

At the mention of karaoke, the Hills began cheering on Mrs. Vance, but they were certain to maintain their volume to a minimum. Well, most of them. They had all heard of the enjoyable recreational activity but never got to experience for themselves. With school performances being the only exemption, most of the Hills customarily sought to keep their singing voice a secret to avoid teasing. A lot had changed since then. There were no more choir concerts for Emma, as had been promoted to the fifth and final grade until the opportunity to receive her letter came. Their primary source of heart and soul came from Kiyana until she elected to give up singing.

"C'mon you've got this!" Kiyana united with the Vances to dispense her support on her. She barely knew the mother, but it was her personality and sweetness that brought her pleasure. Besides, she couldn't miss out on the opportunity to witness an amazing performance. Unlike her brother, however, her encouragement was authentic and she certainly meant her words. There was no trace of sarcasm or overjoy in her voice, and more of just content wishes and innocent gestures. Even the older two had joined in and supplied their messages of reassurance. Mrs. Vance might have been upstaging hundreds of people. Even stepping on to the platform was an immense accomplishment.

Emma didn't know if she could do it. Stand on a platform and sing to hundreds, if not, a thousand people on board. By no means was she a vocalist, her nasally voice was prone to cracking from time to time when she sang. She had become used to it, though, and stuck to humming different tunes, but even those would falter frequently. She much preferred being someone she wasn't and performing the part of anything from a chef to a dancer. Challenging her to sing in front of a crowd was a disaster waiting to happen. Silently praying for a disturbance, she drummed her fingers against the table and took a deep breath. Her cheeks were warm with fear and she could feel her pulse beating rapidly at the bottom of her stomach. There was no way on Earth she could complete the task, but she continued to cheer on Mrs. Vance, covering the profound sense of dread. If only the main event were acting.

As the leading group of seven consolidated on stage to perform their number, the Hills couldn't help but bounce along with the audience at the essential dancing song. Abraham was astonished to see that people remembered the words to the song, the choreography was unquestionably better known than the lyrics. He too was also dancing along, even if it simply swinging his body back and forth to the tempo and bobbing his head.

Once the electronic song ended, the group applauded for the seven, but the Hills didn't stop. It was Mrs. Vance's turn! The five only got louder as she made her way to the stage and prepared her number. Even though the song was unfamiliar to Emma and Kiyana, they still discovered a way to sing along and move to the comforting harmony that was enhanced with her spin on the lyrics. Not everyone could hit Céline Dion's rich and compelling notes. Just about to everyone's surprise, Mrs. Vance wouldn't be bearing the enthusiasm to herself any longer. Though her performance left the Hills stunned, laces dragged Mr. Vance to the stage and to no surprise they were being held by his wife. His voice complimented hers, at least in Abraham's mind. In a humorous and graceful way that brought a simper to his face for some reason.

Resting his hand on his palm, he watched the next person perform their song, but when he overheard his name, he snapped his attention back to the table where both Emma and Kiyana were staring at him. 

"First date's bound to happen soon-" Commented Emma, and she leaped out of her seat and around to the songbook to help choose the song. "It better be a Disney song, princess song. Those are the best." She clapped her hands together and a grin overtook her anxiety. His sister was meanwhile busy poking at his heart, literally. Frolicking around with "oohs" and drawing different sized hearts on his shirt. 

"Would you stop that! I never said I wouldn't do it," He swatted at her hand. "I do know where you sleep." 

"That one! That one!" She pointed at the Aladdin song, and before he could glance up, Abe was being carried away and up to the stage without a warning. He heaved a deep sigh and shook his head, him and Stacy sharing the same emotions. He didn't even know the song. The fluorescent lights were blinding, if it weren't for the cheering in the crowd, he would have assumed the audience had been evacuated. As the well-known melody played, his body slumped and he gazed at the huge television for the lyric references. 

"♫♪ Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide? ♫♪" Following the general rhythm of the song, he caught the big words on the teleprompter. The last time he had ever watched a Disney movie had to be months ago, but old pictures resurfaced and he recognized the tune of the song. Tittering amongst themselves, the girls pointed to Abe and Emma began making certain gestures with hands like crossing her fingers or interlacing her fingers. The girl's had no clue he sang, it was their first time hearing him truly sing instead of screaming strange, offensive lyrics from memory.

Once the song finished, he remained and waited for their score. 86, it was one of the best grades he had ever earned and it wasn't even going towards his classes. Maybe he should have tried out for choir and lived up to sister's legacy... which was still being constructed. He concentrated his thoughts and went to retrieve the next duo, walking alongside Stacy with a slight smile.

Scanning the catalog pages, he took a glimpse at each song. It would have been a lie to say he knew every song on the page, he didn't even recognize half of them. There was one song, however, that everyone knew the words to. He settled his finger on the song and hoisted Emma from her chair and up to her feet. She didn't want to do this. With every struggle she could get, she tried sitting back down, but she was always lifted right back up to her feet. Her heavy heartbeat resurfaced again, and she glanced at Andrew who was looking right back at her and immediately looked away. Through clenched teeth, she stared at Abraham. "Never again."

Stepping on his shoes and she passed by, she looked at Andrew and shrugged helplessly. "I hope you're not as nervous as me." It was the only thing she could get out before the house lights blinding her, and her cheeks were hotter than ever. It'll be over shortly, you got this. She told herself, trying to regulate the shakiness in her breath. 

The heavy piano keys started the song and Emma tried to make out Abraham's figure in the crowd, but before she knew it, it was her turn. 

"♫♪ When our friends talk about you, all it just does is tear me down ♫♪" She had to close her eyes to keep going, a rush of anxiety clouding her vision. Now that her stanza was over, she could unwind a little and it got better, to say the least. Then, all of a sudden, that feeling was gone. There was no in the audience, and it was just Emma and Andrew being kids. Her accelerated heartbeat had relaxed and her red-hot cheeks had retreated to her natural hue. There was no other way to explain it. "♫♪ I was wrong! ♫♪" 

She meant have been way too loud, but the brunette was comfortable now. That was all that mattered. Even if it was magic that affected her, she had a smile on her face and she was on a stage. It wasn't acting, but maybe Emma would start doing it more often... when there was no one in her vicinity. Taking her time to exit the stage, she returned to her seat and snagged the book for herself.

"Nope. Kyle and me have already picked our song. 'Love Is An Open Door' from the Frozen movie!" A series of stares from both families met the two.

"Are you sure?" Abraham questioned his sister.

"Yes, I'm sure. Let's gooo!" Kiyana ran for the stage and took the microphone in her hand. Abe looked back at the group and chuckled to himself, watching as the two ran off for the stage. At least her performance would innocent. It was all he could hope for.

As his turn with Emma neared, Andrew felt his heart accelerate. He had been putting on a brave face, but beneath his cardigan he was nervously sweating up a storm. Please, don't let there be stains, he prayed to whatever higher power was in control of sweaty armpits, hoping they wouldn't bleed through his shirt and be seen by everyone… though it was doubtful anyone would look up from their dinner and dessert plates long enough to pay much attention to a little boy's underarms, which Andrew clasped stiffly to his sides as he walked up on stage with Emma.

While his mother and siblings could pull off grand performances in front of a crowd, being more extraverted, Andrew was more like his father. The two of them rarely sung out loud, even in total privacy. But while Mr. Vance had age on his side, being too old to care about public opinion concerning his weak singing voice, Andrew was still in his "shy" phase, much more sensitive to the audience's perception of him.

His voice wavered and cracked at the beginning of his line, overwhelmed by fear and pressure, quickly followed by embarrassment as Andrew faltered, having to pause mid-line to allow himself to recollect his composure in one shaky breath. "No matter what happens", his parents would lecture him before every public speaking or singing event, "You finish it. You do not walk off stage". His parents would force him back up there, if he dared otherwise.

And now that he had already embarrassed himself in front of a crowd… There was nothing more to lose.

Releasing that shaky breath with a sheepish smile, he resumed his line, able to hold his tune, focusing on the song than the audience, which helped him loosen up and boost his volume a bit. He couldn't say being in the spotlight was fun…but no pain, no gain; what doesn't kill you makes you stronger…Every little bit of exposure helped in building self-confidence, whether he realized it or not.

The screen flashed "77" at the end of the song. Hey, that was still a passing grade! Andrew was simply relieved it was over. He couldn't have hurried back to the table fast enough while trying to hold his cool, ignoring his siblings' teasing comments about him stuttering up front, as he sat down. Nevertheless, his family gave him a pat on the back for a job well done.

He joined in with his father, reaching for the chip basket and salsa bowl, stress-eating to recover from his "traumatic" experience as he watched Kyle eagerly skip over to the stage with Kiyana. The upbeat liveliness of the Disney song soon relaxed Andrew and brought smiles to his face as Kyle joined in with gusto, projecting his voice with Kiyana's into the mic.

Overall, it was an amazing evening… And the two families stuck like glue for the rest of the trip, mainly because of the children, exploring Norway together and having their own share of shenanigans along the way. Some of them, Andrew would grow up to fondly recall, the hints of magic that had lied under his nose all along.