I peek out and see all the people. I gulp. “That’s a lot of people.”
“What did you expect for Madison Square Garden?” he asks. “Remember, you won’t be able to see too much when the lighting is on you, so pretend it’s only Lucy and Sera there, just like you practiced.”
“Good idea. I hope it works.”
“You’re saying that a lot. Have faith. This is going to be epic. The press and the fans are going to eat this up,” he assures me.
“That’s not helping to calm me down. What if I throw up out there?” I wonder aloud.
“You won’t be the first nor the last.”
“Great,” I reply wryly. Some help he is.
“Here we go,” Damian tells me. They announce Blush and the music starts. They play their first song then yell to the crowd.
“Oh God, oh God, oh God.”
“Go get ‘em, Tera,” Damian tells me with a smack on the ass. I’m wearing casual attire. Leggings, biker boots, a black and pink Blush tank. Spenser left my hair down stating it’d be better for the photos.
I walk out on shaky legs.
“We have a surprise for you all! A very special guest is joining us on stage tonight!” Lucy shouts.
I make my way out there, fiddling with the ear piece. Like I’m going to be able to work this thing.
The crowd cheers, but I can tell there’s confusion.
“You’re probably wondering who this is, am I right?” Meggie asks.
The crowd shouts a resounding “yes”.
“Well, my friends, this is our friend, part of our family, and famous painter Tera Ramirez Mackenzie!” Sera shouts. “She dropped the ‘Ramirez’ when she and Xander said their ‘I do’s’ over a decade ago!”
The crowd goes wild.
I wave and take a seat on the stool they put out for me. Lucy and Sera take seats on the stools on either side of me.
“Hi everyone!” I shout. “I’m a little nervous. It’s my first time on stage.”
“We popped her cherry Madison Square Garden!” Jace shouts.
The cheers are deafening.NowI understand the ear piece.
“I have a story to tell you and then we’d like to sing you a little song. How does that sound?” I ask.
I tell them mine and Xander’s story, how we met up until now, leaving out all the details. Glossing over the reasons we were apart by calling them “misunderstandings”. Then I explain why I wanted to be kept out of the spotlight.
“But now I’m ready to stand in the light right next to the man I love. My husband, Xander Mackenzie!” I shout.
Now’s about the time he’s supposed to be walking out here… but he’s not.
Damian talks in my ear. “He doesn’t want to go back out. Jesse’s dragging him down the hall now. Just go on and sing. He’ll hear it.”
“Looks like the Xan Man has a little stage fright,” Lucy mocks. “We don’t need him anyway. Sing for ‘em, Tera.”
They play the music and I sing. We use the melody to the song Xander wrote when we were apart: Forever Blue. I changed the lyrics to make it fit our situation, to make it happier.
Come out here, walk on stage, I want you to know
