A Song for the Season

The Road Home

The drive home takes over three hours, but Tenney barely notices. Knowing that Logan will soon be reunited with his mom and brother, Jude, and that she and Dad are only hours from their own family, keeps her buzzing with anticipation. When the Nashville skyline finally rises out of the smoky distance, Zane whoops that they’ve made it to Music City, U.S.A., and the whole van cheers.

Their first stop is Logan’s house. As the van rolls up to his white cottage, Zane and Dad hop out to unload his drums and guitar while Logan gathers his coat and backpack, then pauses. He admits that now that the tour is over, they probably won’t rehearse together as often, and a flicker of sadness crosses his face.

Tenney feels the same pang and jokes that maybe they should just start another tour. Logan laughs, insisting there’s no way anytime soon, though maybe someday. He tells her touring was harder than he expected, but he can see the good moments that made it worth it. He adds that going through it together helped him understand his dad better, even feel closer to him. He thanks her for pushing him to go in the first place. When he sticks out his hand to shake, Tenney eyes it dubiously and pulls him into a hug instead, drawing a surprised “oof!” out of him before he squeezes her back just as hard.

Then he slides open the van door and hops out. As the van pulls away, Tenney watches him sweep his little brother into a long-awaited hug on the porch, his mom right there to welcome him home, too.

It takes only eight minutes to reach Tenney’s own house, though every second feels like forever. The moment the van rolls to a stop, she throws open the door and races up the porch steps. The front door swings open before she’s even all the way there. Mom and Aubrey are waiting, Mason just behind them. Aubrey shrieks and bounces on her toes, and Tenney is swept into Mom’s arms, fighting back tears, while Waylon barks and leaps and licks her face until she scoops him up, too.

After settling back in, the family gathers in the living room to open presents. Aubrey tears into her wrapping paper and shrieks again, clutching her prize, a brand-new concertina, to her heart. Tenney unwraps a fresh songwriting journal and flips through its blank pages with a smile.

Tenney suggests Aubrey debut the concertina by playing their holiday duet with Mom, and Aubrey lights up, fiddling eagerly with its buttons and asking if they can play it right now. Mom reaches for her Autoharp but hesitates, asking if Tenney is really up for a jam session after the past few days. Tenney’s fingers are callused and sore, and she’s more exhausted than she’s ever been. But nothing could keep her from her family’s favorite Christmas tradition. And she has a brand-new song of her own to share.

Mom asks Aubrey if she’s ready, and as their song fills the room, Tenney listens, her heart feeling like it’s bursting with joy. She has never been so happy to be home.