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“Ellie helped me find a few guys who play instruments, and we’re going to start a band.”
I watch as her face lights up.
“Seriously?” She rushes to hug me. “Oh, sweetie. I’m so happy for you. I promise I won’t miss your next show.”
She still feels so guilty for missing the tree lighting one due to covering a shift for a coworker so they could take their young child. I have reassured her over and over again that it’s okay, but I know it still eats at her. Knowing that I might be performing again so she can come watch gives me so much hope.
“I told you, don’t worry about it.” I playfully shrug my shoulder at her as I turn to get a drink out of the fridge. “Who knows? I might be performing many more times coming up here soon.”
“I know you will! I always knew you had a great voice. I’m just glad everyone else gets to hear it now too. What did Matthew say? Is he just as excited?”
“I wanted to tell you first,” I say with a grin.
A soft smile builds on her face. “I love you so much.”
I walk over and give her a hug. “Love you too, Mom.”
I’ve always had a very special relationship with my mom. With it being just the two of us, we have much more than just a mother-daughter bond. She was my first best friend, is always the one person I can count on the most, and is truly someone I know who will always be there for me when I need her.
Just like always, thinking of how lucky I am to have her as a mom makes me feel so at ease and in peace with my life that any anxiety I had about the band completely washes away.
She places her palm on my face and looks into my eyes. “I know you’ll be great. Now, go call Matthew, but be quick. Dinner is in five minutes.”
“Okay!” I grab my phone and rush off to my room to tell him.
He answers on the second ring of my FaceTime call. “Hey, you.”
“Hi. Guess what.”
“What?” He brings the camera into his face quickly, then pulls it back to a normal distance.
“Did you know that Cole from school plays the drums?”
One thing about our school is, since there aren’t too many students, everyone is pretty much on a first-name basis, no matter what grade you’re in.
“Yeah, I actually did know that. I had math with him last year, and he was constantly playing pretend on his desk or lap.”
I chuckle at the thought. That must be out of pure habit for drummers.
“Yep, that’s him. Well, Ellie got him and Trent and Nate all together with me tonight to talk about starting a band.”
“Seriously?” he says more out of surprise as his eyebrows pinch together.
I try not to let it change my mood. “Yes! And since Cole already has his drums set up on his property, his mom said we can practice there.”
“Wow … very cool …” he says, but I can tell he’s saying it more because he feels like he has to and not because he does truly feel it.
“Very cool? I thought you’d be happy for me.” I slump down on my bed, trying not to let his lack of enthusiasm get to me, but having a hard time doing so.
“I’m sorry. I’m just surprised. You have to remember that I live with someone who plays in a band, so this isn’t something new to me. I just never thought you’d take that performance that serious. I thought it was just a one-time thing.”
“But you said I was good. And I thought you were proud of me for being up there.”
“Oh, Hannah. Please don’t take what I’m saying wrong. I wasveryproud of you.” His voice changes a little in an uptick of octave that seems genuine. “And I’ll be proud of you every time you sing. Do you guys really plan on performing at places? Is that what you’re trying to do?”
I pause and think about what my end goal is. I was just so excited to have a band that I haven’t really thought about what that band would actually do.
Would people want us to perform? Could we play at places like Pony Up with us being so young? Would our age be an issue?
