We grabbed breakfast the following morning at the House of Flavors, lounging in a round booth in the corner. Henrietta and Cynthia slept in. It was the original trio, plus Deacon, Meredith, and me. Malcolm had left around dawn with his recorder and a Thermos of coffee tucked under his arm.

Smiles On Tired Faces was the name of our album. 

“Hey,” I said. “I’ve been meaning to ask. If you could build a band with any members who have ever lived, who would you have in it? Guitar, bass, singer, keyboard, drums.” 

            “Oh,” Paul gulped.

            “Imagine that coming to you in a dream,” Larry said. “Nearly shit my pants.”

            “I’m taking Glenn Frey on keyboards,” Paul said.

            Meredith was deep in thought. “Stevie on back-up, like she did for Petty. Or even leading. The boy can back her.”

            “I’d have Freddie Mercury, maybe,” Dad said. “Or Bowie. It’d have to be Bowie.”

            “Elvis,” Paul said. “Or Johnny Cash.”

            I watched them riff while I pondered. “Or just have Janis Joplin or Tina or Whitney Houston lead a rock band, with Eddie Van Halen and John Bonham.”

            “Karen Carpenter,” Larry crowed. “Best drummer ever.”

            “I want Victor Wooten on bass,” Meredith said. 

            “I’m taking Les Claypool,” Deacon said, mostly in the background eating strips of crisp bacon. 

            I bet Amanda would’ve dug the conversation. I pulled out my phone and texted her a photo of the beach with the message, “It’s not a sunset, but I’m sure we can find one.” Larry saw me and smiled an affirmative before launching into why Glenn Frey on the keyboards.

            Dad said, “The answer is probably Frank Zappa, him and his entire band.” 

            “Or the Allman Brothers,” Paul said.

“Can it be us?” Larry asked innocently.

“There are no rules,” I said. “It’s just old friends talking.” 

            “Then I want Paul Newman on bass, Larry on drums, Brett Carradine on lead vocals and guitar, and Meredith singing back-up.” 

            No one said anything. I remembered the tour bus, and Dad and Paul coming up with another lyrical gem, “Silence was her name, and her face shined like a heart full of diamonds/climb on, be still, and baby, one last time, let’s live longer than a cheap thrill.”

            “Silence,” I whispered, and nobody heard except James.

            “But seriously,” Paul said, “Imagine this: Steve Perry singing lead, Geddy Lee slapping the bass, Clapton on lead guitar, and Phil Collins on drums. I don’t know what they’d sound like, but I’d like to listen to them figure it out.”

            “Or,” Dad said, “And hear me out…”

            So we did, soaking in every lyric, enjoying the time we had left together. 

THE END

Started: April 18th, 2023

Finished: June 18th, 2023

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