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He could nod and allow the kids to believe he’d written the songs without help, or he could do something he’d never done. Something worthy of a double-dog dare. He could cast his fears aside and allow these teens to see the real Landon Paige.
He was a gifted musician.
And he was a neurodivergent learner.
For the first time, he understood that these truths could exist in tandem.
It didn’t have to be one or the other.
What would the music world say?
He didn’t care.
As long as he had the love and support of two feisty, spirited gals, he could claim musical victory.
This was the way to honor Trey and Leighton.
He glanced at the piano and pictured Harper.
If he wanted her to believe in him, he had to embrace the truth about who he was at his core and accept—no, embrace—how his mind worked.
He thought of Aria. The child was gifted beyond measure.
And she was like him.
If he wanted the kid to believe in herself, he had to lead by example.
And that started here with these teens.
“I didn’t write the lyrics and music for Heartthrob Warfare on my own. My sister and my best friend were a huge part of the process. Like you, it’s a struggle for me to read and write. That extends to penning musical notation.”
“No way,” Kai breathed, sharing a shocked look with the girls.
“You have a learning disability?” DeeDee asked.
“Someone much smarter than me doesn’t call it a learning disability. She calls it neurodiversity. Our brains work a little differently than most people’s minds,” he answered.
“Are you talking about your wife?” May asked.
“I am.”
DeeDee twisted the end of her braid. “Bonbon Barbie—well, Harper—never said you were like her.”
Here it was. The moment of truth.
“I’ve never spoken about it because—up until about ten minutes ago—I thought it made me look weak. But being here with you, with other neurodiverse musicians, I see that neurodiversity isn’t a weakness. It’s a strength. Look at the music you made. That’s a gift. What we have is a gift. And we have to see the value in ourselves. Otherwise, we’re stuck. Creativity can’t flow when we’re worried about what others will think of us. We don’t have to go it alone. We don’t have to hide, and there’s no shame in asking for help.”
Faint applause echoed in the concert hall.
Who was here?
Besides the kids on the stage, the place had been empty when he’d entered.
Clearly, that had changed.
He shielded his eyes and watched Mitzi, Donna, and Damien clap as they made their way to the stage.
“That was quite a performance,” Mitzi said and gifted him with a wide grin.
