Singer - 22. Family Reunion

The following night, Chipper’s assessment of his fellow contestants proved accurate. He and Bliss would both be in the finals; Jordan Black would be Team Kelly’s representative, and Angie Jennings would be Team Blake’s.

Each of them would perform live three times in the span of two hours; rehearsal schedules were brutal. In addition, each time a contestant left the show, video time for the remaining ones increased. They felt like a camera was constantly stuck in their faces.

“Dude! Really? You gonna follow me to the bathroom? If you wanna see my dick just ask!” The pressure had risen sufficiently Chipper lost it. He went on a rampage, screaming at anyone he could as he stomped his way to the restroom. Alone in a stall, breathing exercises helped restore his calm. He returned feeling embarrassed and profusely apologized. The cameraman was a good sport. He claimed it was not the first time an artist lost his cool around him.

Wardrobe preparations took more time. Chipper wanted three different outfits, plus a reserve in case of an emergency. After an initial meeting to determine what he would wear, there was a fitting. Alterations followed until everything was right. As usual, shoes part of his athletic footwear collection were in the mix.

With cameras following his every move, Chipper imagined this was what reality show participants felt like. He wore a microphone almost every waking hour. Although an occasional cuss word could be edited out, he worked hard to clean up his language. He was thinking ahead to the type of image he wanted to portray as an artist. Edginess was fine but sounding like a gangsta-wannabe was not.

In the middle of the madness, his family began arriving in Los Angeles. Cristina landed at LAX Friday night, and Chipper met her for dinner.

“You’re not getting enough sleep, little brother.” Cristina alternated perusing the menu with glances at Chipper. “Those are some nasty dark circles under your eyes.”

“No time for sleep until this thing’s over. Makeup will cover those up.”

Cristina giggled and shook her head. “Who would have thought my macho brother would be discussing concealer with me?”

“Hey!” Chipper rolled his eyes and smiled. “I’ve learned a lot over the past few months. You have any idea how much shit they put on my face and in my hair every time I go on? Hell, they even touch me up”—the air quotes made Cristina giggle again—“several times a day because of the cameras following me around.”

“Now you know what women go through. I’m hoping by the time Carolina’s our age looks won’t be as important.”

“Speaking of my niece, I’m surprised you left her with Damien.” Some six months after her ex-husband forced himself on her, their marriage was finally dissolved.

“Well, he is her father. We have joint custody, and he’s good to her. He agreed to the quick divorce to avoid bad publicity.”

“I’m glad he did. That man was always too status conscious for my taste. Anyway, how’s the new job?”

“Better than the last one. I’m actually handling a couple of investment portfolios on my own. The boss keeps an eye on me since I’m still learning.”

“Good. Next time I’m in New York, we’ll talk business. I told my attorney here I would find my own moneymen. I didn’t mention one would be a woman.” Chipper’s smile and wink again elicited giggles from his sister.

The following night, they were back at the same hole-in-the wall Mexican restaurant Chipper had come to love. Cristina raving about the margaritas and mole sauce drew their mother’s interest.

“You look thinner.” Susana Pereira had flown in from Buenos Aires earlier and spent the day with her daughter while Chipper rehearsed and exercised. “How much have you lost?”

“Mom! I haven’t lost weight. Heck, I’ve put on over five pounds.”

“Your face looks so thin.” Susana reached out and stroked Chipper’s scruffy cheeks.

“Maybe because I’ve been working out like a madman? I’ve lost fat and gained muscle.”

“Why are you working out so much?”

“Stress. Between the competition and some other stuff, time at the gym’s when I can relax and forget about everything else.”

“Well, don’t overdo it. You’re borderline gaunt.” Susana reached into her purse and retrieved a small jewelry box. “I really hate I’m so far away from the two of you.” Her sadness was evident when she looked at her son and daughter. “I’ve missed so much. Anyway, this is a graduation present even if you didn’t go through the ceremony. Maybe you can wear them during the finale.” She pushed the black-velvet box towards him. “Go ahead, look inside.”

Chipper’s wide-open eyes displayed his surprise and delight. Without saying a word, he removed the small gold hoops he usually wore. “They’re gorgeous, Mom. I love them. Thank you!” He inserted the diamond studs and used his phone to look at himself and snap a selfie. “I’m posting the picture right now, telling everyone they’re a present from you, and that I’ll be wearing them on the show on Monday.”

He had ignored his phone alerts during dinner and noticed he had texts from his father and Matt Calhoun. He sent both the same message: At dinner with Mom. Will call when done.

Headed in a different direction than his mother and sister, Chipper slid into his own Uber. He contacted his father first. “Hey, Dad. What’s going on?”

“Hi, Chipper. Everything’s good. You’re not going to believe this, but I ran into Matt at LAX.”

Chipper had worried about the former lovers coming together but assumed it would happen with him in the mix. “Yeah? He texted me he was in town.”

“Don’t bother replying. We’re at the hotel’s bar, having a drink together. Let me pass the phone to him.”

The two men he thought of as his fathers being on cordial terms elicited a smile. He slept at peace that night.