[Next Day] [Pritchett's House]
While Gloria and Jay were out, the house had completely changed from the quiet place they had left that morning.
Manny, Luke, Phil, and Mitchell had taken over the main areas with decorations, boxes, ribbons, and enough supplies to make it look like they were preparing for a small event instead of a family birthday party. Phil was moving between rooms with the confidence of someone directing a major production, while Luke followed behind him, helping him wherever he needed while chewing on a sour patch.
At the same time, the living room had become the rehearsal space for the music portion of the surprise.
Alex sat with her cello positioned carefully between her knees, checking the notes in front of her while Cam adjusted the drum set that had been placed near the corner of the room. Jack sat nearby with an acoustic guitar resting against his leg, quietly tuning the strings before they started.
It had been a while since Jack had played guitar seriously.
He still remembered the basics, and his hands knew where to move, but he had spent so much time acting, writing, and working on movies that he rarely had time to sit down and play anymore. Holding the guitar again felt strangely familiar, like picking up something he had forgotten he missed.
Alex noticed him smiling slightly as he tested the sound.
"Uncle Cam, can you please stop hitting the drums while we're trying to practice?" Alex asked while looking over her cello toward him. "We haven't even started the song yet, and you've already played three different beats."
Cam looked genuinely confused as he rested his drumsticks on his lap. "I was warming up."
Alex glanced at the clock before looking back at him. "You were warming up for twenty minutes."
Cam nodded proudly. "Exactly. A proper warm-up prevents mistakes. And I want this music event to be perfect."
Jack looked over at him while adjusting one of the guitar strings. "I think most musicians warm up before the song, not instead of the song."
Cam considered that for a second before picking up one drumstick again. "That's a fair criticism, although I would argue that I was creating an emotional foundation for the performance."
Alex gave Jack a tired look.
Jack smiled because he already understood what she was thinking. "He's going to do this the whole time, isn't he?"
Alex nodded while carefully placing the cello bow against the strings. "Unfortunately, yes. Once Uncle Cam starts playing the drums, he doesn't know how to stop."
Cam looked offended by the accusation. "I know how to stop."
Everyone looked at him.
Cam paused.
Then he slowly lowered the drumstick. "Eventually."
..
//Cam's commentary//
Cam sat on the couch with his drumsticks resting across his knees, looking completely confident as if he were about to explain something extremely important.
"I think people forget that before I became a father, a husband, and a person who occasionally gets told I'm being too dramatic, I was a performer."
Cam nodded to himself.
"And this is my chance to remind everyone that I have musical talent."
He held up the drumsticks.
"Everyone knows I can sing and dance. But drumming? That's a different kind of expression. Drumming is about passion, energy, and knowing exactly when to stop."
A pause.
"I also know when to keep going, which is a skill most people don't appreciate enough."
Cam smiled.
"For the surprise, I've planned something special. After the song finishes, I'm going to have a small solo. Nothing crazy. Just enough to show everyone what I can do."
He looked slightly offended by the idea that anyone might disagree.
"Some people might call it unnecessary. Those people probably don't understand art."
..
Back in the living room, Jack and Alex finished another practice run while Cam immediately lifted his drumsticks.
"Okay, now that was good," Cam said. "Let's do it again, but this time with a little more emotion."
Alex looked at him. "Uncle Cam, the song is already four minutes long."
"Exactly. We have established the foundation. Now we build the experience."
Jack glanced at Alex, who was already shaking her head.
...
[Back to Commentary]
"The thing about musicians is that we need freedom. You can't put limits on creativity."
He leaned forward.
"That's why I haven't told them about the solo yet. Because if they knew, they might try to stop me."
A small smile crossed his face.
"And I don't think any of us want that."
//Cam's commentary End//
..
Alex sighed and started the count for the song. "Alright, from the beginning. Please try to remember that the song has an ending."
Jack began playing the opening chords while Alex joined with the cello. The combination sounded better than they expected. The guitar gave the song a warm rhythm, the cello added a deeper emotional sound, and Cam's drumming actually worked once he followed the arrangement.
For the first few minutes, everything went smoothly.
Jack focused on keeping the timing steady while Alex watched the music sheets and adjusted her playing whenever needed. Cam managed to control himself and only added the parts they had practiced.
Then they reached the final section.
Jack played the last chord, and Alex finished the final note.
The song ended.
Everyone looked toward Cam.
Cam looked back at them. Then he lifted both drumsticks.
Alex immediately pointed at him. "No."
Cam froze. "What?"
"The song is over."
"I know."
"Then why are you holding the drumsticks like you're about to start another song?"
Cam slowly lowered his hands. "I was just going to add a small ending."
Jack laughed quietly. "How small?"
Cam looked toward the drum set with complete seriousness. "Maybe thirty seconds."
Alex narrowed her eyes. "Your last thirty seconds lasted seven minutes."
"That was because the music inspired me."
"The music inspired you to ignore everyone else."
Cam smiled. "That is sometimes how art works."
Alex looked toward Jack for support.
Jack shook his head while trying not to laugh. "I think we're going to need a stronger ending cue."
They restarted the song several more times.
Each attempt improved.
Jack became more comfortable with the guitar, and Alex stopped worrying about whether every note was perfect. Cam also managed to keep his drum solos shorter, although nobody trusted him completely after the first few attempts.
..
The front door opened, and Haley walked inside with Claire carrying a large garment bag behind her through the front hallway. Everyone looked over as Haley kicked off her shoes and dropped her bag near the couch, clearly exhausted after spending the night finishing Gloria's dress.
Claire carefully took the garment bag from her daughter and headed toward the master bedroom while Haley collapsed onto the couch beside Alex with a heavy sigh.
Jack walked over from the single couch and looked at her tired expression before asking, "So, you did it, huh?"
Haley rested her head against the couch cushion and closed her eyes for a moment while answering, "Pretty much. I finished the final stitching, fixed the sleeves twice, changed the decorations three times, and then I realized the zipper looked wrong at four in the morning."
Jack sat beside her and smiled sympathetically as he reached for her hand. "You know you could have asked for help instead of trying to personally fight an entire dress project by yourself during the night."
Haley opened one eye and looked at him while squeezing his hand. "I know, but I wanted it to be perfect because Gloria does so much for everyone, and I wanted her to have something that actually came from me."
Alex looked over from her cello and smiled at Haley while placing the bow down carefully. "For someone who used to avoid any responsibility that required effort, this is a pretty impressive change."
Haley gave her a tired look while leaning deeper into the couch. "Thank you, Alex. I think that was almost a compliment from you, and I'm going to treasure this rare family moment."
Alex nodded seriously while adjusting the music sheets. "It was a compliment, although I reserve the right to remind you about your previous behavior whenever it becomes historically relevant."
Jack chuckled while looking between them and noticed how much Haley had changed over the last few years. "I think the old Haley would have bought a dress and told everyone she designed it herself."
Haley pointed at him while still looking exhausted. "First of all, rude. Second of all, accurate. Third of all, I would have chosen something expensive and pretended that was the same thing as effort."
Jack smiled as he squeezed her hand. "I like this version of you a lot more."
"Ohh, thanks," Haley smiled and leaned toward him and kissed.
"Arg! Get a room you two," Alex made a disgusted face.
Haley pulled back and smiled.
--
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