Page 42 of Lyric & the Heartbeats

“Is she gone?” Lyric whispered, hugging her friend tight.

Andi squeezed her arms around Lyric and shook her head. “Not yet. But the doctor’s say it could be days.”

Lyric’s heart cracked in half for her. While her own relationship with her mother hadn’t been great, Lyric knew Andi’s mom was like her best friend.

“Andi, you need to be with her,” Lyric said.

Her friend froze against her and pulled back with watery eyes. “But, Lyric, it’s your first—”

“No. At the end of the day, it’s just a job, but she is your mom. Find a temporary replacement for manager and join us when you can. If you can. There’s no pressure to return too soon.”

“But there’s—”

Lyric cut off her words again. “I know you’re a perfectionist, but I promise I’ll be okay. You cannot miss out on these last few days with your mom because of me. Because of a job.”

“But—”

“No. My calendar is synced with yours, I’ll just look at it more closely. I can keep up with appointments, and once we’re on tour, it’s just a matter of getting to the next city.”

“The photoshoots—”

“And going to the photoshoots. Which, again, are on the calendar, right?”

Andi operated her entire life by a calendar on her phone, and each appointment was filled in with contact details and important information. Even if the replacement they found was a complete idiot, Lyric would be able to handle the important stuff by herself.

Andi nodded slowly, eyes wide and watering so much that the tears finally spilled over. Unable to handle it, Lyric pulled her in for another hug and held her best friend tight.

“I love you, okay? Everything’s gonna be okay. You just take care of yourself, and if you need me, I’ll fly out, no matter what time it is or whether we have a show or not. Do not go through this alone, okay?”

Andi nodded against her shoulder. She had no other brothers or sisters, which was why her and Lyric were so close. They were each other’s family, and Andi’s mom was as much Lyric’s family as she was.

“Give her a hug for me, okay?”

“She’ll wanna see you,” Andi murmured. “You know she loves you too.”

“Okay, just tell me when.”

“I’ll find out. And I’ll find a replacement.”

Andi pulled back and wiped at her eyes. “All that matters today is testing the stage and getting your monitors fitted. Don’t miss the appointment.”

Lyric frowned at her and grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the exit. “Actually, all that matters is you going home to be with your mom. Don’t worry about me, I’ve got it covered.”

“Lyric,” Andi whispered as she pulled her to a stop just outside the doors. The late morning sunshine beamed down on them, but all it did was shine bright light on the dark circles beneath Andi’s eyes. “Thanks.”

Instead of answering her, Lyric just pulled her in for another hug and squeezed tight. “I love you. Go get some sleep.”

Andi released another shaky breath as she pulled away. “Okay. I love you too. Good luck with practice.”

Lyric tightened her hand around the case of monitors as Andi walked away, and any nerves she’d felt over the stage, over rehearsing, was overshadowed by worry for her friend.

One thing at a time.

For now, rehearsal. Then the fitting. Then she could worry.

But when she returned to the stage, Desi, Emerson, Adra, and Nohen were all gathered by the stairs, their expressions pinched as they exchanged hushed words.

Nohen spotted her first, and he stepped forward. “Is everything okay?”