Back at home, Meemaw Connie started thinking about what she should wear the next day.
As she headed to her room to raid her closet, she caught a glimpse of Mike sitting on the sofa, acting like he didn't have a care in the world.
"Mike, you're the star of the show tomorrow. Don't you need to get ready?" Meemaw Connie asked.
"What's there to prepare? My costume is just that Santa suit," Mike replied.
The Santa outfit he wore for the previous performance was perfect for a Christmas song. As it happened, he had worn that suit back home after hanging out with Regina and the others that day.
"True enough. Our little Mike looks handsome no matter what he wears," Connie said, recalling how good he looked in the Santa getup at the school talent show. She nodded in approval.
With that, Connie didn't linger in the living room. She went back to her bedroom to coordinate her outfit for the big day.
Meanwhile, similar scenes were playing out in the homes of Katie, Regina, and the other girls.
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The Next Day
At the crack of dawn, Meemaw Connie and the Cooper family were ready to roll.
You could tell everyone had put some serious effort into their appearance for the event.
Georgie, in particular, was trying to make a statement. Wrapped in a bright red scarf, he was braving the freezing morning air in nothing but a thin black suit and a pair of polished, pointy-toed dress shoes.
His "fashion over frostbite" approach definitely gave him a unique sort of swagger.
Compared to Georgie, everyone else's outfits were much more sensible—mostly heavy winter coats paired with hats and gloves to keep warm.
Mike had simply thrown a warm down jacket over his Santa costume.
By 7:00 AM, Meemaw Connie and George Sr. drove their cars to the intersection of the town of Medford, where they met up with the convoy of cars belonging to Regina, Katie, and the other girls' families.
Here, Mike finally met Regina's dad—a somewhat portly middle-aged man.
"Dad, this is Mike," Regina introduced him happily. "He wrote the song we're performing today all by himself..."
The well-dressed man listened to his daughter's introduction and looked Mike up and down with a scrutinizing gaze before giving a slight nod. It was his way of saying hello.
You could tell right away that this middle-aged man—who was also named George—wasn't exactly the easygoing type.
Mike stepped forward politely and wished him a "Merry Christmas."
Politeness never hurts, right?
After all, having snagged the man's precious daughter, Mike figured he'd gotten the better end of the deal, so he was more than willing to accommodate the guy's attitude.
After that, Mike went around to greet the other three girls in "The Bombshells" and their parents.
At the same time, the girls' parents, Meemaw Connie, and the Cooper couple all exchanged brief introductions. Since they all had something in common—their talented kids—they warmed up to each other pretty quickly.
---
The convoy then headed toward the local TV station.
After a drive of over two hours, they arrived safely at the Texas TV station.
At the entrance to the studio, the staff verified Mike and the group's identities before leading them into the main broadcasting hall.
"That's Alan Jackson! And Owen Wilson..." As soon as they entered the hall, Meemaw Connie spotted several celebrities she recognized.
Even though it was only 10:00 AM and the recording for the Holiday Joy Special wasn't for another two hours, plenty of stars and their families had already arrived.
Scattered around the semi-circular stage were round banquet tables, giving the venue a cozy, almost homey vibe.
The celebrities who had arrived early were sitting around these tables with their families, eating pastries and chatting. Seeing big stars in such a grounded setting was definitely a novel experience.
Meemaw Connie and the others, who rarely saw "wild" celebrities in person, were naturally a little wide-eyed at the scene.
Among the parents, Regina's dad was easily the calmest.
"Hey, look over there! It's the 'Golden Serpent'!" Georgie shouted in surprise, sounding like he'd just found buried treasure.
Following Georgie's gaze, they saw a woman in her twenties with a perfect athletic build and short hair.
It was Nina Buri, a famous contortionist. She had stunned audiences many times with her incredible flexibility in public performances, earning her the nickname "The Golden Serpent."
Seeming to hear Georgie's shout, Nina turned her head, glanced their way, and gave the group a friendly nod.
Once she looked away, Mary immediately whispered a warning: "Behave yourself, Georgie. Don't make a scene."
Georgie, still immersed in the joy of making eye contact with Nina, didn't really take his mother's warning to heart.
And really, considering the look of shock on Mary's face wasn't much better than her son's, her warning didn't carry much weight.
The staff member leading the way was used to these little interruptions. He led Mike and the others to a table labeled "The Bombshells & Mike" and then left the hall.
"Wow, the TV station is pretty thoughtful," Meemaw Connie laughed as she took a seat.
On the table in front of them, aside from two bottles of champagne, there was an assortment of desserts, nuts, and fruit. It was enough catering for a small party.
Meemaw Connie, making herself right at home, popped a bottle of champagne and poured a glass for each of the parents.
Mike grabbed a large bottle of juice from the table and poured some for the rest of the group.
The mothers gathered together and immediately started talking about their children. But very quickly, the conversation shifted from their kids to celebrity gossip.
The men, having less in common to talk about, were much quieter.
---
Around 11:00 AM, once most of the performing stars had arrived, several station staff members began going table to table to verify guest information.
"Your song fits the Christmas theme perfectly, so we've slotted you in right at the top," a staff member said after checking the details with The Bombshells and Mike. "Are you guys okay with that arrangement?"
In a relaxed studio atmosphere like this, getting everyone to focus on the very first act isn't easy.
Clearly, the first act's job was likely to warm up the crowd for the acts that followed—to help everyone get into the zone.
Of course, looking at it from another angle, going first had its advantages.
If the performance was spectacular enough, the opening act would leave a much deeper impression on the audience.
Facing the staff member's polite inquiry, Mike exchanged glances with the girls, then shook his head to indicate they had no objections.
"There's a dressing room over there. Before the show starts, feel free to head over to fix your makeup or get changed," the staff member said. Before leaving, he added a helpful reminder: "By the way, if you have any issues, just flag down one of our staff members anytime."
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