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After that was the article I’d been expecting to see on page one Lorenzo said, “Wow, look at you” For soth photo of es The other actors’ pictures were iven

As Lorenzo read the article, I turned to ood news is, you’ll finally have so I can get n with my nah memorabilia, maybe the album won’t be so empty anymore”

Lorie said, “Um, Will? This album isn’t empty at all In fact, it’s almost full”

My breath caught as he began to turn the pages After the article was a six-page layout of the action h I only had a couple of lines before dying There was a copy of theI’d sent her fro behind-the-scenes photos and the script page with my lines on it There were also six ticket stubs froone to see it in the local theater—three ti the part I realized shepictures of the TV after she bought the movie on DVD

It didn’t stop there, either Page after page had beenpatterned papers and stickers and cute captions, and they included every single thing I’d done as an actor For each of my commercials, my mom had either taken photos of the TV or found pictures soe layouts Whenever possible, she’d even included so, like the front of a box of crackers

The album went on and on Every head shot and resume I’d ever sent her was included The playbill and a bunch of ephemera froes She’d even included postcards and letters I’d sent her, where I talked about taking classes and going on auditions

When we finally reached the last page, my mom said, “Now, don’t you worry That cover I ot a special kit to add twenty es to this scrapbook I knoe’ll still end up overflowing it, and that’s fine too, because I’ve already started working on the cover for volume two” She paused for a ?”

“No”

“Yeah, you are,” she insisted “What’s wrong?”

“I just always thought this album was empty,” I said, as I wipedhere all these years with blank pages, and I felt so awful for letting you down”

“Lettin’ us down? Why, you’ve neverbut proud, son,” Dad said

“We would’ve been proud even if you’d never gotten a single part,” ? Now, I certainly enjoy the fact that you’re a huge success, because I kno hard you worked for it But I’d be braggin’ about you no matter what you did That’s just what you do when you’re the parent of an awesome kid like you”

“Come on now, no more tears,” my dad said, as he threw his ar” My mom tried to stretch her arms around all of us, and Dad exclaimed, “Get on in here, Lorenzo! You’re a et to sit this one out” I orried about howhimself in a Smith sandwich, but he just chuckled and ith it

Chapter 17

It was always hard to say goodbye to s, and pros even started howling when they sa emotional we all were I loved the fact that Lorenzo and I both got the same treat to us from the middle of the road

I was quiet and introspective as I stared out theof the half-eeles We were somewhere over Texas when Lorenzo murmured, “Those teeks really flew by, didn’t they?”

“It always goes by way too fast, noI’m there”

“Have you ever tried to get your parents to move closer?”

“Many times,” I said “Maybe someday, I’ll convince them But for now, their life is in Louisiana, and mine is in California”