"She'll still need you. They all still do." I knew what this was really about. This past year was Leo's last year of 'high school' in Italy and he is going off to University in the fall- in London of all places. So, that just leaves Penelope at home. She tried to convince her to move to London and finish school there, so she could be close to more of our children, but Penelope has no interest in changing her plans or leaving her friends. I honestly don't have any interest in being back in the craziness of London either. I haven't put music out in nearly a decade, but I am still hounded when I'm there, which is why our home base is Italy.
We realized over our time in Italy that people are more welcoming of my family in their midst and see us as fellow humans instead of something to follow or photograph. Yes, I still get that a little, but not nearly as much as I did when I was in the states, or in London. Paris is a whole other thing entirely, which is why we have a hired car instead of just driving ourselves.
"I know she does. I just can't give another one away. If anyone comes to ask for Penny's hand, you are saying a very loud 'no'."
"Obviously! She's sixteen," I reply, surprised. She rolls her eyes, but also gives a little smile, so I feel like the high stakes emotions have come down a notch at the perfect time, seeing as we are pulling up outside the venue. "Take a deep breath, my love. You've got to walk in and pretend like you were born to be fashionably late."
"I WAS born to be fashionably late," she says, as she leans over to kiss me just before the back car door is opened for us. This woman, I swear to god.
We enter the dinner space and a tiny little red-headed force of nature runs from across the room and jumps up into my arms, yelling "PAPA!!!" 
"Benny," I respond while reaching down to pick up our eldest grandson. Yes, we have two- both Lottie and Owen's boys. He is wearing the most dashing ensemble with some sort of reddish colored juice spilled all down his front.
"You're late," he scolds
"Talk to nana," I say, passing him off to Nol. His mom comes across the room, handing his little brother Grant over to me and taking Benny back from Nola while chastising her mother for being so late.
"We have to start the rehearsal. Mia is going crazy out back."
"What? No 'hi, dad'?"
"Hi dad," she concedes, leaning over to kiss my cheek before taking both Nola and Benny by the hand, leaving me standing there with Grant.
"Well, buddy. It looks like it's just you and me." I tell the playful 8-month old who is intent on getting the glasses off my face and busting them in half before the night is over. I only wish I didn't need them to see so I could let him have them. Instead, I go to find his dad to get something else more unneeded for him to chew on. He tells me that everyone just went outside.
Once I'm outside in the drizzle, I see that everyone is lined up and they are waiting on me. "DAD! I need you to come over here," Mia demands, taking Grant from me and passing him off to someone else. She walks with purpose, dragging me behind her until we are paused at the end of where the aisle will be tomorrow.  "We have to wait until everyone else is at the end. We had to wait for mom because she has to go first. Please tell me that you will get her on time for the actual day." Her words are frantic, matching the way the light must is making her curl and frizz around her face. She is a high-strung young woman on an average day, so today she is extra high strung. 
"I promise I will. Just relax. I've done this a few times."
"Well, I haven't!" I squeeze her hand tightly as it wraps around my elbow from behind and cover it gently with my other hand. I see her take a few deep breaths as the couples start to move down the aisle under the direction of a very loud wedding coordinator with not one, but TWO clipboards. "You have to wait until we hear the next song," she says, holding me back from starting to walk forward after Lottie and Nathan left. The music changes to an instrumental version of whatever the quartet will be playing tomorrow. It's apparently from a piece that she and Nathan danced to when they first met in class. "Now, daddy," she says and it's my turn to tear up. Daddy. It's been a long time since she's called me that. I was a mess for both Lottie and Hattie's actual wedding days, but the rehearsal never got me. Not like this.