She left the dressing room feeling like she’d just emerged from a cocoon, eager to see the color of her new wings.
When Brianna walked onto the stage, shock almost stopped her in her tracks. She’d expected the pavilion to be full, and it was. She’d expected to see Brock and maybe April if she could sneak away from the coffee shop for a few minutes, and yes, there they both were in the front row. But what she didn’t expect was to see the rest of her family sitting there with them.
Herentirefamily.
She didn’t think she’d ever seen them all together outside of a courtroom. And she was positive she’d never seen all of them smiling at the same time. But there they were, big as life, beaming up at her on the stage and clapping wildly.My God, Uncle Sonny is actually sitting next to my mom. They hadn’t spoken to each other in years, not since she and Brian turned eighteen and no longer needed a legal guardian.But look at them now, elbow to elbow, smiling and clapping as if they were kids again without any trouble looming in the years aheadshe thought.
And Brian was there. Her twin. Sitting between their parents and looking as close to sober as she’d seen him in years. He was clapping too, but there were shadows in his eyes.Is he regretting what he did in the coffee shop, or was that just the tip of the iceberg of his regrets?
Brock sat at the other end between Hannah and April, with Kevin on April’s lap.What must he be thinking, with everyone here?He could have sat anywhere—people were giving her parents, who were now chanting her name, disdainful looks—but there he was, right with them all.
Brianna stepped up to the mic and the audience quieted. She was the last to perform for the day, a tough slot to fill with people getting hungry and antsy for the headliners to play the main stage in the evening. It was an anchor position, and spoke to the confidence the instructors and judges had in her skill when they assigned it to her. Anthony stood off to the side and nodded as if to affirm this. She decided to start with the untitled song she’d been working on since she first stole away from her uncle’s attic with the fiddle.
Brianna took a deep breath. “I want to thank everyone for being here, especially when the food stalls smell really good right now.” People laughed and clapped. “But mostly, I want to thank my family for coming to see me. This first song I’m going to play tonight is one I finished composing during the course of the amazing week I just had, a week that’s been full of close calls and miracles both. I couldn’t think of a name for it until just now. It’s called, ‘Riversong for a Badger.’
As the song rose from the strings and filled the air, Brianna thought back over every moment she’d spent composing it. The trees shading her overhead, the red limestone, the sound of the river, the blue sky and the green grass, and the dreams of a young girl trying to find a better place for herself in the world. All the way up to this week, when that girl finally found her place as a woman who wouldn’t give up, who was helped along the way by a community she thought mistrusted her, a family she thought held her back, and a man she thought was a thief.
Brock made her see the truth. And the truth was as beautiful as the song of the river.
She ended the first song to silence, and then a swell of applause and cheering that sent her heart into the stratosphere.
Next came ‘Man of Constant Sorrow’ and she couldn’t help but think of the sorrow the men in her life carried—Brock losing his best friend; her uncle losing his sister to a different path; her father losing both his children whenever he went to jail; her brother losing himself. Yet, Brock, Uncle Sonny, even her father showed a great deal of strength and resiliency in the face of their losses. She hoped one day Brian would learn from them.
And finally, ‘Orphan Girl’ which she played quick and lively, wishing Twila were there to sing the lyrics about a girl who lost her family but takes joy in knowing one day she’ll be reunited with them in heaven.
When Brianna looked up, she saw that the entire pavilion was packed with people standing along the sides, and through the big open doorway in the back, she saw at least fifty more who couldn’t get in but listened from outside. Usually, only the professional acts drew crowds like that when they played the second stage. That was great, but the most important people were still in the front row. She looked at each one in turn, happy tears in her eyes.
Instead of going backstage after her bows, she walked to the edge and Brock lifted her down. She was immediately swamped by people, both strangers and locals, who wanted to tell her she had their vote. Brock stayed by her side and subtly kept a bubble of space around her until the crowd dispersed to grab dinner before the night got started on the main stage. Now, her family was free to mob her, and they did. First, April and Hannah gave her big hugs and Kevin handed her a picture he’d drawn of her on stage while she performed. “I’ll keep this forever, Kev,” she told him.
Next, her Aunt Claire hugged her. “We’re so very proud of you, sweetheart,” she said in her ear. “Now, your uncle, he means well, but don’t let him stop you.” Before she could question her aunt, Uncle Sonny grabbed her up in a big bear hug.
“What are you doing here?” she teased him. “Who’s watching the coffee shop, some random elk?”
His rumbly laugh filled his body. “’Bout time someone put those pests to work. Of course I’m here. Proud of you, Little B,” he said, his voice full of emotion. “Thought we lost you yesterday.”
Brianna braced herself. “Well, you didn’t. I’m not that easy to get rid of.”
Uncle Sonny pulled back and looked down at her. “I’m still worried about you.”
“Uncle, don’t be. Jerold is in jail and he’s staying there. And I have Brock. And you, of course.” She poked his belly. “You have always been here for me; you took me out of a bad situation time and again and gave me a safe place to live. I am forever grateful.”
“The world’s so big though, and you’re heading out into it now. I can’t always close the coffee shop.” His expression, so full of love and pain, broke her heart.
“Uncle Sonny. You’re always with me. You taught me how to love and be loved. You taught me how to be strong and make the right decisions through your example. I’ll always be safe because I’m taking you with me wherever I go. In here.” She tapped her heart.
Her uncle nodded solemnly. He looked at Brock, who was standing off to the side, watching her like a hawk. “You think you’ll have that man with you, too? He’s a good one.”
“Wow. That’s the first time you’ve ever said that about any guy I’ve dated.”
“You’ve only ever dated boys that needed watching. Never a man before. Someone who can take care of you.”
“Whether he’s with me or not, I’m going to be fine.”But I hope he will be. Though even if Brock wasn’t The One, Brianna knew at that moment that what she said was true. She had a clear path in front of her and she was ready to walk it. And she knew that even if she walked it solo, she’d never walk it alone.
“Excuse me.” Brianna’s mother tapped Uncle Sonny on the arm. “Can I have the next dance with my daughter?” She laughed at her own joke, her eyes red and watery and the unmistakable skunky smell of the grow house wafting off her jean jacket despite the patchouli cologne she wore.
“Hey, Luna,” Brianna said as she stepped away from her uncle.
“Oh, call me Mom tonight,” Luna said in a gravelly voice as she threw her skinny arms around Brianna. “I want everyone to know you’remydaughter.”
