“I just wanted to wish you luck for tonight,” he says, grasping my hand.“You’ve done such a great job promoting this town; I wish I had time to see it.”
“Thanks,” I reply.“It was a wonderful place to grow up in.”
“I heard about your Nashville gig—congratulations!You’ll be touring again soon enough.”
I return his smile.“Thank you for the encouragement.And best of luck to you as well in your future endeavors.”
“Thanks.That means a lot coming from you.Have a good night.”He turns and disappears into the darkness.
“It must be almost time,” the stylist chimes in as she fusses with my hair again.“You’re going to do amazing.”
I can’t help but smile at her words.“I hope so.”
As I prepare to take the stage, it occurs to me that this will be the first time in a long while that I won’t need a drink beforehand.The desire for one isn’t even present.Tonight, I’ll perform sober and clear-headed, doing what I do best: putting on a show.
Nothing fills me with life and energy, like being on stage with the strum of a guitar and the thumping of the bass drum.Music is my therapy, my outlet, and I am ready to pour my heart into every note.
Kelly rounds us up backstage when it’s time, and we all form a circle.Each of us takes a deep breath, and I mentally prepare myself for the next few hours, where I’ll push my body to the limit.As I look at each member of our group, I know they will give their all tonight.From here, I can hear the audience buzzing with excitement and anticipation as the emcee hypes them up for our entrance.After our performance, Matthew will take the stage, but even if only half of the crowd came to see us specifically, we’re determined to leave a lasting impression.
“I’m so grateful to all of you,” I say, making eye contact with everyone.“I couldn’t do this without you.”My eyes land on Chase and he winks at me, causing my stomach to flip-flop.
“Have a good show,” Kelly says a second after we are announced, and she waves us up the stairs.
The band file ahead.and I find Chase and touch his arm.When he pauses to turn to me, I raise up on my tiptoes and kiss his lips.“This is how it’s supposed to be,” I whisper into his ear.He presses another kiss to my lips and leads me out.
The crowd roars as I walk across the stage, waving and taking it all in.Lights flash in front of me.People yell out and clap.I get to the center and take the silver mic from the stand and raise a hand.“Thank y’all for being here!”I look out as far as I can see into the darkness where I know the bleachers are.“We’re here for a cause which is close to my heart, and that is to raise money for drought relief here in Sweetgum Valley.Who wants to raise some money?”
As the applause and cheers continue, I can’t help but marvel at how loud the noise is in this small venue.“You guys are amazing!Your energy is infectious!”
I strut around the stage, making eye contact with members of the audience in the front row.I want each and every one of them to know that I see them and appreciate their support.
“It’s been a while since I’ve performed, but I’m back now and ready to give it my all tonight.And so is my band.”I introduce them one by one.“And many of you may already know Chase Tutton on guitar, our newest member.We’re thrilled to have him join us for this show.”
Someone in the crowd hoots and calls out, “Yeah, Chase!”
Then, I signal to Cassie to count us in, and the crowd roars as we start our set with my most famous song.
Being on stage feels like home; music is where I come alive.And judging by the way the audience is singing along and dancing, they feel it too.Each song we play has a different tone—some are about forgiveness, others about finding inner peace, and of course there are plenty about love.With every note and lyric, I pour my heart into the performance, losing myself in the music.This is where I belong, under the spotlight, sharing my passion with the world.There’s no doubt in my mind that this is where I’m meant to be.
When we get to our song, I look at Chase and he joins me at the front of the stage.The lights shine brightly on us.The crowd is quiet with anticipation.
I lower my mic and look at him.“Are you ready?”
He looks at me with a smile.“Are you?”
I nod and watch as he sets the guitar low on his hip and begins to play, strumming each individual chord over and over again.I keep my eye on the crowd, encouraging him to continue to play while I prepare them.
“This is a new song,” I address the audience.“I started writing it many years ago when I lived here, and with Chase’s help, I finally finished it this week.It’s a very special song that means a lot to both of us.”I lower the mic and glance up at the dark sky above us.“Harper, this is for you.”I whisper into the night.
Closing my eyes, I can feel her presence beside us as Chase’s chords blend seamlessly with my voice.The lyrics flow from me effortlessly, almost as if they’d been ingrained in my mind all along.As I sing, I envision my sweet, innocent, beautiful little sister standing onstage beside us, just like she had been when we performed at our last show together.
Every chord Chase plays and every breath I take, it feels like Harper is right here with us.A tear runs down my cheek, but I embrace the emotion and pour it into the music.
I unleash all the feelings I’ve held back for years and channel them into my performance.I hold the last note and let it linger.Then there’s a brief moment of silence before the audience erupts in applause, snapping me back to reality.I jump slightly when Chase places his hand on my back, but then I melt into his touch as I see every emotion I feel mirrored in his eyes.Without hesitation, I wrap my arms around him and hold on tight.In that moment, I know he is my anchor, my safe haven, my rock.As much as I need to spread my wings and fly, I also need a place to come back to when I get tired.He is that place for me—my home, my love.
* * *
“That was incredible!You killed it tonight!”Kelly exclaims, giving me a tight hug as I step off the stage.We didn’t even bother finishing the last two songs in our set—nothing could top the standing ovation we received after our duet.
