“Can you take my phone and film my performance for me?”
“Are you sure? Patrick hired a videographer for the show tonight.”
He did? Wow, he’s really excited to introduce Becca as his daughter.
“Yeah, please. Our friends back home want to see a video as soon as possible.”
“Can do, babe. I’ll leave your phone with the bartender if I can’t get to you after.”
“Thank you so much,” I say, giving her my phone.
“Get going, you’re running out of time. Break a leg,” she smacks my ass as I turn to walk away and gives me a wink and a laugh when I turn back to look at her. I just shake my head and smile.
“And now, ladies and gentlemen, as we come to the end of the evening, we have a special announcement for you tonight here at the Dara Mia Two Revue.” Patrick has the audience wrapped around his manicured finger. They’re hanging on Dara’s every word. “I’m pregnant.”
The crowd roars with laughter.
“Alright, alright. I’m not pregnant,” he says, walking toward the opposite side of the stage. “I’m much too old for that.”
The crowd roars again, Patrick laughing right along with them. As I wait, a stage hand comes and mics me up and hooks up my guitar to a small bluetooth amplifier. He waits with me so he can switch me on just before I head out.
“Okay, enough jokes. I do have a real announcement, a very special one. Come out here, darling.” He holds his hand out.
Becca walks out from the shadows on the other side of the stage and she takes my breath away. She’s dress in a short, shimmery, white dress, and she looks like an understated drag queen in all the best ways. She has her signature red lipstick on, and her hair is wavy, hanging just below her chin with her bangs dusting her eyebrows. She’s a vision. I swallow hard. She is much too good for me. But I love her. And I need to make her mine.
“This is Becca,” Patrick says. “And Becca is my daughter.” The crowd responds with a mixture of gasps and chuckles. “No, no. It’s true. A long time ago, I was married. And then I was gay.” A laugh from the crowd. “Well, I was always gay, but then I told my wife about it. And then… then I was divorced.” He looks down at the crowd with his eyebrows raised and his lips pursed.
The crowd’s laughter swells again. Patrick takes the applause, then shushes them with his hands.
“I didn’t have my daughter in my life for far too many years. But now she’s agreed to give me a second chance and I couldn’t be happier.” He pulls her in for a hug and it’s met with whoops and cheers from the crowd. They love him, and they love her.
Patrick turns to shush the crowd again. “But I’m not the only one who would like forgiveness. I have a young man waiting backstage,” he makes a face at the audience and they laugh again. “Not for me, you heathens. There is a young man here who has travelled a long way to ask for my daughter’s forgiveness. And guess what? He’s a performer, too. And since this is my show, I’ve decided to give him a shot. Both at asking forgiveness and at performing. Let’s see if he’s any good, shall we?”
Becca’s head is swiveling left and right, looking for me, I’m sure. She has to know that I’m here. Who else could it be?
“Let me introduce to you, a very nice young man, despite the way he looks, Johnny Donovan.” Patrick turns to face me and does a little golf clap to invite me on stage.
The stagehand who’s been waiting with me turns on my mic and amp. I start playing before I even get all the way on stage. Becca looks stunned, but she’s smiling, so I take that as a good sign. I stride directly to her, the nervousness fading away, the crow disappearing, and I sing just for her.
Finally, I found you
You showed me the way
I loved you when I met you
I’m finally awake
Finally, I found you
I got lost so many times
But everything I needed
Is here, and now it’s mine
True love is real,
I found it in you
