As the bus pulls into the hotel parking lot, I look out the window. At least I'll be in one place for over a week.

"What time is it?" I ask Tony who is sitting next to me.

He looks at his watch. "It's three a.m. Look, there they are," he says pointing toward the front door of the hotel.

I smile when I see my mama and daddy waiting for my bus to arrive. I walk to the door and wait for the bus to stop. The driver opens the door and I run off the bus and into my mama's arms.

"There's my baby," she whispers in my hair as she rocks me back and forth. I feel daddy's hand on my back. "Let me look at you," she says pulling my face away in her hands and looking over my face. Her eyes search up and down and then she pushes me a little further away from her and looks up and down my body.

"I still have all my body parts," I say looking me up and down with her.

"I think you've gotten taller," she says to me.

Daddy laughs softly and leans down to kiss my cheek. "Nah, I think she's just gotten more beautiful," he says winking at me.

I turn and walk into his awaiting arms…the arms I always feel so safe and secure in. I breathe in his scent and smile contently. I'm home…no matter what city we're in, I'm home because I'm with my family.

"I've missed you guys," I whisper so softly I can barely hear it myself.

Daddy lifts my face and then kisses me on the tip of my nose. "We've missed you too."

"Are we staying here or going to the house?" I ask.

"It's up to you. It might be easier if we stay here…it's closer to the studio."

"I was really looking forward to going home," I say, almost in a pout.

Daddy rubs my back a little bit before he turns us toward the entrance.

"Well, whatever we decide, this is where we're staying tonight."

"Are Cody and Ashleigh upstairs already?" I ask as we walk through the lobby.

Mama nods as she wraps her arm through mine. "Yeah, they're sleeping."

"Which is where you guys should have been. How long were you waiting down here?"

We stepped onto the elevator. Before the doors shut, I see Tony walking into the lobby. He waves at us and we wave back as the doors close.

"Tony called us about ten minutes ago and said you were near so we decided to meet you."

"We couldn't wait to see you," daddy says, squeezing my shoulder and kissing the top of my head. "You know what? I think you're right…she did get a little taller."

I roll my eyes. "It's the shoes," I say kicking up one foot.

"Remember the days when we'd pull into this driveway in a Porsche?" mama asked daddy as the mini-van pulled into the driveway of our home in LA.

I loved this place. We spent a lot of time here when I was younger when mama would do movies or she or daddy were recording. I think we lived here more than our Orlando home at the time.

"Mama says you had a date," Ashleigh says to me.

My eyes grow wide for a second as I look up at mama and daddy.

"It wasn't a date."

"Oh," Ashleigh says looking disappointed.

"Yes it was," Cody says, starting to make kissing noises.

I reach over and push his face with the palm of my hand. "Grow up."

"Ana and Marcus sitting in a tree…" he starts.

"Cody," mama warns.

He chuckles to himself and makes one more smacking sound before he opens the door and hops out when daddy parks the van.

We all pile out of the van and start grabbing luggage. Mama carries in a couple of garment bags.

"What are those?" I ask, walking in behind her.

"These are our dresses."

"Really? I want to see," I say, starting to unzip the bag.

"Let's bring the rest of the luggage in first and then we'll look at them upstairs. You and Ashleigh need to try yours on anyway."

"Awww, Ashleigh gets a little evening gown too?"

"Yes she does," mama says, tapping Ash's nose as she drags in a suitcase probably as big as she is.

"I got to pick the color," she says, excitedly.

"Really and what color is that?" I ask as we walk back outside.

"Pink."

"I'm sure you'll look so pretty."

"What color is your dress?"

We take the remaining bags inside and head upstairs with them. Mama's already in her room, laying the garment bags on the bed.

"Uhhh I'm not sure," I say. "I have a couple of dresses for the event but I can't remember which is which.

After we get everyone's suitcases in the correct rooms Ashleigh and I walk back into mama and daddy's room.

"Can I put mine on now?" Ashleigh asks, jumping up and down.

"Let me see your hands," mama says.

She looks over our hands and decides they're clean enough. She unzips the bags and pulls out Ashleigh's first. Ashleigh's already out of her clothes, waiting to put the dress on.

I look over and realize the door is wide open so I chuckle and walk over and close it. When I turn around, Ashleigh's already slipping the dress on. Mama zips up the back and pulls her hair out from under the straps.

"How do I look?" she asks, twirling around.

I walk over and stand next to mama. We're both beaming.

"Like a little princess," I say.

And she does. The bodice is form fitting and poofs out at the waist and is made of a shiny taffeta material that's almost iridescent.

"Do I get to wear makeup with it?" she asks, taking mama's hand and twirling around some more.

Mama helps her to twirl. "Yes and we'll all get our hair done too."

"Yay," she says, jumping up and down.

"Careful, you don't want to rip it."

Mama starts tugging on the dress to make sure it fits well so I take the opportunity to shed my clothes and pull out the dress I'll be wearing that night.

I smile as I look at it. I forgot, I had asked for baby blue…mama's favorite color.

I pull it on and turn around for mama to zip it up for me. She turns my shoulders around and stares at me. She brushes the hair from my shoulders and tips her head to the side.

"That color is so beautiful on you."

She takes a step back and Ashleigh says, "You are so pretty…like a movie star."

"Gorgeous," mama says. "I can only imagine how you'll look without the windblown hair and the smudge on your face….you'll be breathtaking."

I giggle and there's a soft knock at the door.

"Come in," mama says.

"Can't a man get to his own room?" daddy jokes as he walks in. He stops halfway across the room and looks at his two daughters.

I can see that his eyes are getting watery. He always was a sentimental fool…and I love him even more for that.

"There are no words," he says, continuing to walk toward us. He kisses both of our cheeks.

"Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe it," he says, taking mama in his arms. "Now, where's yours?" he asks as he peels back the edge of the garment bag.

Mama slaps his hand. "No, I want mine to be a surprise."

He acts like he's pouting. "I don't get a sneak peak?"

He looks over at me and I shrug. "That's not fair," he says.

"You'll live," I tell him as I wrap my arm around his.

"How does this fit, Adriana?" mama asks tugging and pulling just like she did to Ashleigh.

She pulls a little too hard on the top and I grab the straps. "Mama, you'll tug it right off. It feels fine. The straps might need to be shortened a little but otherwise I can move well in it," I say wiggling around.

"Okay, scoot Justin, they need to get out of these so they don't get dirty."

"Oh all right. JC just called and he and Aunt Kristen and Pete are coming over in a little bit. I'm going to run to the store to get something to bar-b-cue. I'll take Cody with me."

He leans over and gives mama a kiss.

"Okay…drive safe," she says. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Bye girls."

He waves.

"Bye," we both say.

"Yay, Pete's coming over," Ashleigh says, jumping up and down.

"Ash…honey, stop," mama says, trying to unzip her dress as she's bouncing up and down.

When daddy gets back with the food we all pile into the kitchen and help him prepare what we need to for the bar-b-cue.

"Daddy, I think you got too much food," I say, looking at how many steaks and potatoes he bought.

"You never know when more people will just stop by," he shrugged.

I give him a weird look just as the doorbell rings.

"I'll get it," Ashleigh says running through the house to the front door.

Within seconds, Pete and Ashleigh come flying through the kitchen and go outside.

"Hi Uncle Justin…hi Aunt Britney," Pete says on his way out.

Both mama and daddy's heads' zoom from right to left.

"Uh hi, Pete," mama says.

Aunt Kristen laughs as she sees this.

"Those two are lethal when they're together," she says walking over to us.

We all exchange hellos and hugs.

"Anything we can do to help?" Uncle JC says clapping his hands together.

"Just carry yourself and your glass outside," mama says, opening up the door to the patio.

Mama looks down and sees Ashleigh's clothes on the side of the pool.

"Don't worry, she put her suit on under her outfit," I tell her.

Ashleigh climbs out of the pool, runs and jumps back in.

"Good Lord, Ashleigh Rose," mama yells.

I laugh.

Daddy puts the steaks down on the grill as we all find a spot to sit.

"So, when are your rehearsals?" Uncle JC asks as he sits down in the chair next to me.

"I start tomorrow. There's a show Wednesday night but I'll have to rehearse in the morning. The same with Thursday and then Friday is the dress rehearsal."

"We'll be at the concert, Thursday," Aunt Kristen said.

"You will?"

She nods.

"Will we make you nervous?" Uncle JC asks.

"Noooo. I'm so excited you'll get to see the show. Marcus is really good."

"So's his opening act," daddy says, flipping a steak.

"You mean there's another act besides Ana? I heard she steals the show," Uncle JC kids.

I blush. "I do not," I say, waving my hand.

"So I hear you got the best to choreograph you?" he asks leaning back in the chair.

I nod. "I think so. I figured who would know more about choreographing mama's earlier stuff than Wade?"

"No one," mama chimes in.

"Be prepared to be exhausted," Uncle JC says. "God, remember the Pop Odyssey rehearsals Justin? They were worse than the No Strings Attached rehearsals. I literally thought my legs were going to just cramp up into tiny little stumps every night."

"Yeah but we put on one hell of a show because of it," daddy mumbled, never looking up from the grill.

"That we did. You have to have the discipline to work with him…you'll be fine," he winked at me.

"I'm not worried. I can't wait to see what he has in mind for this. Uncle JC, have you heard the remix daddy did for me?"

He nodded. "I heard a little snip he played over the phone for me a couple of weeks ago."

The doorbell rang again. I look over at mama and she shrugs. She stands up and goes inside to answer the door. Within a couple of minutes she comes back on the patio with George, his wife and Brad behind her.

"Look what the cat drug in," Uncle JC says standing up to give George a hug. "Man, it's been so long," he said, slapping him on the back.

"Yes, it has. I've been keeping up with your work…good stuff," George says nodding.

I catch Brad's eye so I smile and wave. He smiles and then looks back down at the ground.

"Now, I remember your lovely wife," Uncle JC says, shaking her hand, "but I'm not quite sure who this young guy is."

"This is my nephew," George says, putting his hand on Brad's shoulder and easing him to move closer to Uncle JC.

"He's in my band too," I say.

"What do you play?" Uncle JC asks shaking his hand.

"Keyboard, sir."

Daddy walks over and shakes George's hand and then kisses his wife's cheek.

"Well, if George picked you for the band then I know you're one of the best."

Brad smiled. "Thank you."

"Come on in and have a seat. Can I get you anything to drink?" mama asks them.

Brad sits down on the other side of the patio…away from me, so I stand up and leave the adults to reminisce. I sit down on the cushion next to Brad.

"Why are you sitting over here?" I ask.

He shrugs and then looks around. "Where's Marcus?"

I blink for a second. "Marcus? Uh, I don't know. What makes you think I'd know?" I chuckle.

"I just thought he'd be here as your date or something."

I was trying to pick up on any trace of jealousy, but I couldn't find any. He only sounded…curious.

"No…this is for family. It's not like I'm dating Marcus anyway," I say, looking back over at Ashleigh and Pete.

"You're not?"

I look back at him. "One date…I mean, one time hanging out does not mean I'm dating him. We had fun," I shrug.

"That's nice," he said nodding.

"Brad," George yells from across the patio.

We both look over at them.

"What was that one JC song your girlfriend asked you to play at prom?"

I turn my head so quickly and glare at him.

"Uh…April's Fool," he spits out.

"Girlfriend, huh?" I ask…using the same tone he used with me earlier. Curious…but not jealous.