familial

adjective

1. relating to or occurring in a family or its members.

Rehearsals went really well last night. After the fake show, we sorted out the last minute details, like Jackson's placement on the catwalk, and had all the model's clothing hung up, bagged and named with their accessories in boxes under their hangers. The models went home after we fed them and the technical team a late supper and I was ready to crash. One more sleep to go.

I was sitting in the lounge with Eyva and Grant. Patricia had left with last minute things to sort out. One of the girl's dresses ended up with a lipstick mark on it due to the Jackson Effect, so she had to go find a late night dry cleaner to get it sorted.

Eyva had a DSLR camera and was flicking through photos. I don't know who took the actual pics, but they contained professional quality show images of the models in each of their ensemble for the show. Each model in their complete set of clothing, in robes, out of robes, wearing nighties or pyjamas, or cami and pyjama pants. Half the girls wore kimono robes while the others wore dresses or kaftans. I made sure to mix it up. All of the sets also included their robes so that after the show they could mix and mingle and do the promotional work while wear something decent.

The photos looked really amazing, like my whole art and design had come together in one amazing fashion show. I felt like crying all of a sudden. This was my own project, my own blood, sweat and tears.

"This is really real." I commented as we finished the last of the show photos.

"Yep, and you did this." Grant smiled at me.

"You and the rest of us." Eyva smacked my thigh.

"Ow!" I tried to get her back but she dodged. I was too tired to get up off the couch. "Grant. Carry me to bed?" I asked in a little voice as I laid my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, nearly falling asleep right there and then.

"Tired..." I murmured.

"I've got her." Wallace's voice spoke over top of us.

"Sure thing, Mr O." Grant responded and helped sit me up so Wallace could pick me up. I don't remember much after that.

I woke up the day of my show in my own bed, still wearing last night's casual clothing. When I realised what day it was, I jolted upright then quickly checked the time.

Someone had let me sleep in. It was already eleven in the morning, almost lunch time. The venue opens at 6pm with invitation only guests arriving after that. The show would start at 8pm, finish shortly after 9pm, mingling and sales until ten, kick everyone out and pack down just before midnight. It was going to be a long day and I'd already slept half of it away.

"Who let me sleep in?" I screamed as I opened my bedroom door and ran to the sun room at the end of the hallway for a coffee and pastry that are always available until after lunch.

"Lily, I asked that no one wake you, you needed the sleep." Mum was sitting at the breakfast table with JacJac on the seat next to her.

"Morning, Liwly." JacJac climbed down and ran towards me. I caught him, swung him up into my arms and kissed his forehead.

"How's my Little Cherub this morning?" I asked him then turned to Mum with my brow raised. "No work today?" I asked her. JacJac kissed me back and wiggled to be let down so I placed him down carefully. He ran back to his seat and patted the one next to his. I wasn't planning on sitting, but dashing back for a quick shower and change, but had to change plans.

I ate a quick breakfast with my mum and half brother. We chatted about JacJac's kindy classes and he outlined which friend was doing what.

After that, I had a quick shower and change, then checked my phone for messages and email. Patricia had the lipsticked robe cleaned and back on its hanger backstage. Grant was helping his mum in the catering kitchen but planned to join his dad in helping with the motor pool for the latter part of the afternoon. They had a bunch of cars to move about and relocate off the property.

Mum was picking up Grandma – I don't know why she was going to collect Grandma Overmeyer, but that is what they had arranged. By early afternoon we had almost everything sorted anyway. It was like the calm before the storm. Obviously, this did not include the catering kitchen nor the extra catering staff hired for the day, but for me and my posse, there wasn't much left to do until about three in the afternoon when the models arrived.

Ms Claire arrived in time for a late lunch at one. I invited her to sit down with us at the family dining table. Mum, Wallace, Eyva and Grant were also there. Wallace asked a few questions of Ms Godfrey, who answered him very honestly and professionally, considering who he was. Wallace was satisfied with her answers. It was mostly about safety protocols for the back stage staff and the programme for the night and his part in it. He then left the lunch table to go and have a chat with Mr Denault to go over the whole venue site safety and security.

The models arrived just before three, all male and female, and they were sent backstage with snacks and make up and hair artists and most of Ms Claire's team. I went into the catering kitchen with Ms Claire to sort out any last minute things. Everything looked on track with Mrs H and her hired catering team doing what they are best at. I didn't have to do anything, just stood there and watched as Ms Claire went over all the little details with the team. I was happy with how everything looked.

When we left the kitchen, Mrs H handed me a little snack box and told me to keep my energy levels up. On our way through the house, we bumped into Mum. She was in the lounge trying JacJac in his show clothes. He was really happy to be wearing his pyjamas for the show and asked if he could carry his bunny rabbit. This is a real live bunny, which I felt wouldn't mix well with the show, especially as they will be over the lake water. If he dropped the little bunny rabbit, it might fall overboard and drown. I explained this to JacJac and he frowned.

"How about this. I'll get you a bunny night light for you to carry so you have something to play with as you walk the cat walk? What do you think, Pumpkin?" I asked him.

"Yup, yup! I like dis idea. You make for me?" He asked. I had to shake my head.

"I can't, I don't have any time. How about I buy the lamp and paint your bunny on it?" I figured that was the least I could do.

"Yes! Bunny lamp. You paint fowr me, Liwly?" I nodded to my cute little brother, then called Patricia who was out and about collecting other things for the show. I asked her to buy me a couple of white hand held paper lamps with LED lights inside. She confirmed the order and brought them back to me within half an hour.

Making sure there was nothing for me to do, either in the house or backstage on the venue, I went back up to my room and pulled my paints and brushes out. For a moment there, I was stumped. What kind of bunny do I paint for JacJac? Something cute with a flower crown? Something in grass? Just the face or the whole body?

I had a think about JacJac's pyjamas that he'll be wearing tonight. It is a small child sized kimono robe that gradients from light blue grey with rivers and plains to dark cobalt charcoal with mountains at the top. Over the whole back of the piece is a shadow hawk in a very Japanese style. The left wing spreads down to the bottom of the back of the robe whereas the right wing becomes apart of the right sleeve around the front. It contrasts against the greys on the robe. The shadow hawk is moving over the mountains and rivers, in action of flight.

I had an idea. What if I draw a cute little bunny running around the lamp, like it is running away from the shadow hawk? It took me a few tries, but within an hour I had a lamp with three bunnies in various forms of running or jumping. It looked like one whole bunny running around the lamp in motion. I was really pleased.

"JacJac! Where are you?" I called out from my bedroom door as I held the mostly dried lamp with the running bunny on it. "JacJac?"

I heard a thump, then a running of little foot steps.

"Hewr!" JacJac ran out of Mum and Wallace's room with a maid following closely behind. I waved the maid away and pulled JacJac into the upstairs lounge area near the stairsway.

"What do you think, Honey?" I asked my cute little brother.

"Oh..." He took a hold of the lamp by the little stick and held it up to look at the running little bunny. "Wow." He whispered. "It looks just like Bunbun." I am assuming that is the name of his bunny. He smiled up at me and then jumped onto me, carefully holding his lamp.

"This is for the show. I can't give it to you right now but when you came down after dinner it will be waiting for you with your hawk robe, OK?" I asked.

"Iwt wiwl be at da show back of da stage?" Mum had taken him to see everything after lunch. She showed him his robe and pyjamas hanging up and where everything was. He was going to hold Sunny's hand as she lead him out onto the catwalk. He will be holding the lamp in his other hand. I didn't want to risk him falling off the walkway and into the lake so I had asked Sunny to do this for us.

"Yes, so you have to look after it carefully, OK?" I asked and smiled. Then I received a call that the models had arrived and it was time for me to go.

"See you later, Little Hawk." I kissed him goodbye and left him with his nurse maid.