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I rubbed his back. “You won’t. Close your mouth—”
“Is that your way of telling me to shut up?”
I glared at him and in a harder voice repeated my instructions. “Close your mouth and breathe in through your nose. Fill your lungs with air, until it feels like they’re going to burst.”
As his chest expanded outwards, I continued. “Hold your breath for three seconds and then push it back out through your nose.”
He did it.
“Good, do it again.”
After repeating it a few more times, he seemed more relaxed and there was a little more color back in his cheeks.
“Now how do you feel?” I asked.
“Like I won’t throw up.”
I grinned. “You won’t. You’re going to kill it.”
“I wish you’d stay backstage after your performance.”
“I already spotted the others. They took over the front row and saved us seats. So once I’m done, I’ll be right there, close enough practically to touch you.”
Toby grinned big. “That’s perfect.”
“You aren’t alone.”
Toby grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Neither are you. I’m here. So are they.”
His gentleness warmed my heart and I blinked back emotions that wanted to bubble up out of nowhere.
“Thank you.”
“Cadence Wiles, you’re up next,” the coordinator called out softly.
Toby gave me a big tight hug before releasing me. I gave him a wavering smile and went to stand at the entrance.
It wasn’t long until I walked out on the stage with some people clapping. There was a cheer from the front row and I grinned at them, shaking my head at Micah and Paxon, the two noisiest ones.
The microphone was already set up, so I grabbed on to it and waited for my soundtrack to start.
The silence was intense, some light muttering and coughs echoing through the space. The normal sounds of a quiet audience patiently waiting.
I glanced to the side, expecting to see Toby there, ready to cheer me on, but instead I froze in complete shock.
My dad stood there, holding a bouquet of flowers—stargazer lilies. He was in a black sweater, dark pants. His smile widened when our gazes met, but it also wavered. He even gave me a wave.
I blinked in disbelief. For a moment, I thought I was a little girl all over, transported to the past. Maybe I was still in bed, dreaming nostalgic moments of my childhood. But this wasn’t the past or a dream. This wasn’t a figment of my hopeful imagination. This was reality.
My dad really was standing there, holding a bouquet of stargazer lilies, a wide smile on his face. I met his eyes again and this time he made a funny face at me, breaking my initial shock. All the stress about performing flew away, and I smiled.
It was a genuine one, my cheeks actually hurting as it truly felt like we were back to the time when his support meant everything to me.
Renewed hope whirled through me. He was here, at my performance. Something he hadn’t done in so long. Instead of fighting against the pre-performance nausea, I had to fight against the tears, and the feeling of my throat closing. The emotions threatened to overwhelm me and it was so hard to push past them when the music began.
Only years of experience and practice allowed me to get through the song. I channeled those emotions into the lyrics, feeling renewed freedom. Drawing strength from my dad as I showed the world what I had to offer as a musician.
‘Hey, fucker, who do you think you are?
