They laughed and splashed in the stream, careful not to get their clothes wet. This property had always been Eden’s refuge. She’d come here to relax and unwind. She hadn’t come here for fun, but that’swhat she was having today. She and Anna had fun anywhere they went together, so of course they’d have fun here too. Eden’s heart felt light.
As she looked down at the water rushing over her feet, she thought of the song she’d been working on for the last few weeks, the song she’d titled “Turbulent” as she watched the churning rapids in Colorado. Now she was thinking about how rushing water could also bring peace and tranquility.
She waded toward the gazebo to jot down the thought before it evaporated.
“Too cold already?” Anna asked, flicking water at her.
“No. I just had a thought for the song I’m working on, and I need to write it down.”
Eden gripped a nearby tree branch to steady herself as she climbed cautiously over the slippery rocks at the edge of the stream. Her toes were semi-numb, not that she minded. She sat on the bench in the gazebo and pulled up the lyrics she’d stored on her phone. There, she added a few new lines to what she already had. It was still missing something, though.
“Will you sing it for me?” Anna asked as she sat beside her. She’d rolled up her green leggings above her knees, and her bare calves glistened with water.
“Yeah.” Eden didn’t always like to share unfinished songs with people, but she wanted to sing this one for Anna. “It’s called ‘Turbulent.’ It’s about the way I’ve been feeling the last few weeks.”
“I’m intrigued.” Anna wrapped her arms around her knees and gazed at Eden with an expectant expression.
Eden held her phone in front of herself and hummed a few notes of what she imagined the opening bars of the song would sound like. And then she began to sing. The first verse was about her raging emotions, feeling like she was out of control, culminating with the chorus, where she tied all the water imagery together with the title.
She stopped singing and looked at Anna. “The second verse will be about reclaiming control. That’s what just sparked for me in the stream, how the water can be calming and purposeful, even when it’s turbulent.”
“I love it,” Anna said. “I really do. The lyrics are so personal and meaningful, and the tune is so melodic, like water in a way.”
“Thank you.” Eden ducked her head with a smile.
“I mean it.” Anna’s voice was thick with emotion. “This is the kind of song that made me fall in love with your music way back when. You always pour so much passion into your music. It makes me feel things when I listen.”
“Really?” Eden looked up, surprised to see the tears shimmering in Anna’s eyes.
She nodded, taking one of Eden’s hands in hers. “Can I be brutally honest for a minute?”
“Of course.” Eden sat up a little straighter, unsure what Anna was about to say.
“I didn’t feel that passion in your last album, except for ‘Alone.’ That song brought me to tears the first time I listened, even though I wondered how someone like you could ever feel alone.” She held up a hand before Eden could speak. “Now that I know you, I totally get it. I do.”
Eden nodded, something uncomfortable twisting in her gut at Anna’s words.
“I guess the point I’m trying to make is that theAfter Midnightalbum kind of felt like you were trying too hard to write a hit, instead of writing from your heart. Like, we all know you don’t really turn into a wild woman after midnight, you know? I think that’s why it didn’t sell as well as your others. Your usual spark was missing.”
“It was missing from my life too.” Eden looked down at the phone in her hands.
“Exactly. You were in a weird place, and your music fell a little flat, butdamn, when I say you’re back ...” Anna squeezed her hand.“Watching you perform on this tour ... I’ve never seen you so passionate. Even the songs that felt lacking for me on the album come to life when you perform them every night. You’re back, Eden. All this to say, I think this is what your new song, ‘Turbulent,’ is about, and I’m just so happy to see you blossom like this and so honored to hear your new music and just ... a lot of emotions.”
Tears spilled over Anna’s cheeks, and for a moment, Eden just stared. She hadn’t seen Anna cry before, and to see her tears now, to know that Anna was so moved by her music, it made Eden’s own eyes well up.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice hoarse.
“I mean it,” Anna said. “Your talent is just so,sobeautiful.” She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Eden.
Eden’s tears fell as she hugged her back. “Look at us crying over pretty words.”
Anna laughed, pulling back to grin at Eden with tear-streaked cheeks. “But words are so pretty! And powerful. They can change lives. Actually, I was working on a song yesterday about looking for validation in the right places, wanting to be taken seriously and not just seen as a silly, bubbly girl.”
“Can I see?” Eden asked, her mind already drawing parallels between Anna’s idea and the song Eden had just sung for her.
“Sure.” Anna picked up her phone, tapped the screen a few times, and then held it out to her. “It doesn’t have a tune or anything, just a few random ideas.”
Eden looked at the lyrics. They were so earnest and hopeful, just like Anna. “What if we combined them? My song and yours?”