Page 29 of The Song We Lost

“Okay,” I say, surprising myself.

Noah grabs his guitar without being asked, the one he’s had since he was a teenager. Cole joins him easily. I step onto the small stage, the hum of conversation fading as people realize what’s happening. I wrap my hands around the mic stand to stop them from shaking.

One of the band members hands me his guitar, I take it with a smile and put the strap over my shoulder, it settles against my body like an anchor in the storm.

"Think you boys can keep up with me?" I ask, shooting a wink at Noah.

The crowd bursts out laughing, and I look out to see Sadie sandwiched in a hug between Rose and Thomas.

We play a few favourites and the dance floor is packed. Eventually, I look over my shoulder at Cole and whisper, "Go grab Sadie."

“This one’s old,” I say into the mic. “I wrote it a long time ago. It's never been released, but it means a lot to me.”

The first chord rings out, and Noah stays on stage, but doesn't join in. He knows what this song is and what it means that I am singing it tonight. The song is a love song. One I wrote for Luke years ago, back when forever felt simple. Back when promises didn’t feel conditional. When love wasn’t something I had to beg for.

I pour everything into it, every hope, every promise, every dream I ever believed in. But it isn’t about him anymore. It’s about the life I built. About Sadie and Cole, the family they are already growing. The people standing in front of me, who actually showed up.

This is about the future that I refuse to let die just because one man couldn’t show up for it.

Sadie sways with Cole on the dance floor, his hand firm at her back, her head tipped up toward him and she is radiating such an unguarded love.

That’s my why.

I feel a tear slip past, just one. But I keep singing.

When the song ends, there’s silence first, the good kind, the kind that means people felt it.

Then applause breaks over me. I step down from the stage, heart pounding, and let myself be pulled into hugs, laughter and warmth. I don’t think about tomorrow. For tonight, I focus on my family.

chapter 13

bailey

. . .

Thomas and Rose’s place smells like coffee, cinnamon and fresh bread. The curtains are pulled back, sunlight spilling across the kitchen table, catching dust in the air. Everything looks normal, like the world didn’t tilt off its axis a few days ago.

I sit at the table with my hands wrapped around a coffee mug, fingers laced so tightly my knuckles ache. Rachel is beside me, phone face down, posture calm and professional. She looks like she’s waiting for a meeting to start.

In a way, she is.

Sadie sits across from me, legs tucked under her chair, arms folded loosely over her stomach like she’s already practicing. Cole stands behind her, one hand resting at her shoulder. Noah leans against the counter, arms crossed, jaw tight. He hasn’t sat down since we got here. He is the only one who knows why I asked everyone to meet me today. I don’t know what story he told his parents about why Luke never showed up. I managed to keep to myself since the wedding, telling them I was exhausted and just needed to catch up on my rest.

Rose moves around the kitchen, refilling mugs that don’t need refilling. Thomas stands near the sink, quiet, watching me like he already knows.

I clear my throat, trying to steady the riot of emotions fighting for dominance in me

“There’s no easy way to say this,” I begin, my voice steadier than I feel. “So I’m just going to say it.”

The room stills.

“Luke and I are getting divorced.”

The words land softly, the room quiet except for the whoosh of breath leaving bodies all at once.

Rose freezes mid-step, one hand gripping the edge of the counter. “No,” she says, shaking her head before I can even continue. “No, that’s… I don't understand.”

I catch the way Sadie’s eyes snap to my left hand, my bare ring finger, and the way her face changes like she’s watching a door close.