He, Taylor, Zac, Babsie, Rita, Diana and Walker were sitting around the dinner table after dinner one night, a few days before they were due to go to LA to record their new album.
"Yes. Your mother and I have been talking, and we've decided not to go on tour with you this time." Walker replied.
"Why's that?" Taylor asked.
"Well, you're all perfectly capable of taking care of yourselves. You've finished school, started families, there's no longer a need for us to go with you."
"Besides," Diana continued. "Look at Zoe. She's seven and she's grown up touring. You probably wouldn't have noticed - living elsewhere now - but she hasn't really made any good, close friends her own age. Mackie is little better off, and what of Sarah?"
"I can understand." Isaac nodded, but before he could continue, Zac cut in.
"But Mackie and Zoe want to tour."
"We know they do. But they also need some good friends their own age who aren't relatives."
"Ok, ok. Point taken."
"So, what will you do?" Babsie asked.
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe I can get my old job at the oil company back." Walker joked.
"After eight years?" Taylor asked. "Whoa, eight years, that's scary."
"I could always retire."
"At fifty? Oh really, that's way too young to retire. Especially with baby number nine on the way." Babsie replied with a slight grin.
"Well, Avies' in Australia. We could always live down there for as long as she had the job." Diana looked a little wistful. "But I suppose it comes back to what are we gonna do down there."
"Yeah, I would say so." Zac agreed.
"Well..." Babsie said thoughtfully. "You have been totally involved in the music industry -"
"For eight years." Interrupted Taylor. "Well, actually, it would be more than that, counting the years before we were signed."
"So, it would be a shame to waste all that experience."
"Babs, what are you plotting this time?" Isaac asked suspiciously.
She gave him an innocent smile.
"Well, it's just an idea. I'm not actually plotting anything."
Everyone else looked at each other.
"She's plotting something." They said together.
Babsie laughed.
"That's what you think. When I say it's just an idea, it's just an idea."
"So, what is it?" Rita asked.