"Then I'll cover for you. But you won't freeze." Raven looked down at him, this quiet, anxious kid who reminded her so much of herself at that age. "You've got this, Jamie."
He looked up at her, and some of the fear in his eyes eased. "Okay."
Lily's speech was winding down. Any second now, Nina would run over and whisper to her, and then…
There. Nina was moving, practically bouncing across the room to Lily's side, whispering frantically in her ear. Lily's eyebrows rose, and she glanced toward the doorway just as Raven pushed the door open.
Raven gave a single nod.
Lily cleared her throat, that knowing smile spreading across her face. "Before we officially cut the ribbon, I've been informedthat our very special guest would like to say a few words. Well, not words exactly. Please welcome back… Raven."
The room went completely silent.
Then someone gasped. Then someone else. And then everyone was turning, craning their necks to see, and Raven stepped forward into the library with Jamie following close behind.
She found Annabelle in the crowd immediately. Their eyes locked, and Raven watched the color drain from Annabelle's face, watched her mouth fall open slightly, watched her hand come up to press against her chest like she couldn't quite breathe.
Raven forced herself to look away before she lost her nerve entirely.
"Hi," she said to the room at large, her voice rough. She hadn't planned a speech. Speeches weren't her thing. But everyone was staring at her, waiting, and she supposed she owed them something. "I, uh. I wrote a new song. It's about… making mistakes. Running away when things get hard. Being too scared to stay and see things through."
She could feel Annabelle's gaze burning into her, but she still didn't look. Not yet.
"I wanted to play it for you. For all of you, because you welcomed me here when I didn't deserve it, and you let me be part of something that actually mattered." She swallowed hard. "But mostly, I wanted to play it for someone who taught me that maybe I don't always have to run."
Now she looked at Annabelle, whose eyes were bright with unshed tears.
"This is 'Why Make it Right?'" Raven said quietly. "And I've got a very talented backing guitarist. Everyone, this is Jamie Long."
Jamie stepped forward, and a ripple of surprised delight went through the crowd, particularly from the children, who started whispering excitedly. Even Kayley Long, standing near the back, looked torn between pride and complete bafflement.
Raven positioned her guitar, gave Jamie a nod, and began to play.
The opening chords were simple, melancholic, building slowly. Jamie came in right on time, his four chords steady and sure beneath her melody. The kid really was pretty good. He just needed someone to believe in him.
Then Raven started to sing.
"I packed my bags at midnight / Told myself I had to go / Said it was for the best / But that's a lie I think you know / I'm good at running, always have been / Good at doors that close behind / But I never stopped to wonder / What I left for you to find."
Her voice filled the library, raw and honest in a way she'd never quite managed with Krimson Kisses. This wasn't performance. This was confession.
She could see people swaying, nodding along. Arty had his arms crossed, but he was smiling, the bastard. Gloria had a hand pressed to her chest, looking thoroughly moved. Blossom and Daisy were holding hands, both of them misty-eyed.
And Annabelle… Annabelle was crying properly now, tears streaming down her face, not even trying to hide them.
Jamie was fully into it, playing with more confidence, even adding a little flourish between chord changes. Raven caught his eye and grinned, just slightly, and he grinned back.
"Why make it right when you can run? / Why stay and face what you've become? / Why risk your heart when you can hide? / Why choose the truth when you've perfected lies? / I don't know the answer yet / But I'm done running, I can promise you that."
The bridge stripped down to just her voice and Jamie's gentle strumming, quiet and vulnerable.
"Maybe I'm terrified / Maybe I don't know how / Maybe I'll screw this up / But I'm here now / I'm here now."
Then the final chorus, building, swelling, her voice cracking slightly on the last line because she was looking directly at Annabelle and every word was for her, only her.
"Why make it right when you can run? / Why stay and face what you've become? / Why risk your heart when you can hide? / Why choose the truth when you've perfected lies? / I found the answer, here it is: / Because running's how you lose everything / Because staying's how you live."
The last chord rang out into silence. For a moment, nobody moved.
