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Prologue
Present
As much as I hated to admit it, I missed Australia. The sights, the smells, the sounds, all brought back a warming sense of nostalgia that made me think of home. Everything seemed simpler out here. I would finally have a chance to think clearly and regain some semblance of control back into my life.
Once I left behind the city roads of Melbourne, I wound down the windows of my rented sports car and let my hair blow back in the breeze. The majestic scenery flew past my eyes and I breathed in the fresh spring air.
The sun formed a beautiful halo over the distant hills, but the darkness it left behind made me shiver. My hometown was a three-hour drive from the airport, full of precarious twists and turns, with unpredictable kangaroos and wombats navigating their way across foreign roads. It didn’t make for a relaxing drive.
I was heading to my family’s farm in the small town of Fairleigh. My brother and I were both born and raised there, and so were my parents before us. I hadn’t been home in a very long time, and they weren’t exactly expecting me now.
My dad, Gavin Rivers, is a cattle farmer and the most hardworking man I have ever known. I don’t remember a day when he slept in, succumbed to any illness, or took time off for a holiday. Work was his life and love, just like it was my grandfather’s. And soon, it would be my brother’s.
My parents gave up on me years ago. In the midst of milking cows and collecting eggs, I somehow unearthed a different passion. One my folks found hard to comprehend and couldn’t believe I made a career out of it. They thought, or hoped, it was just a phase I was going through. Maybe they were right after all.
Nine years ago, I left my home and loving family to follow my dreams. I risked everything. I had to get out of Fairleigh before it sucked all the life and passion out of me.
I had just turned eighteen before I left. I packed my bags, jumped into my car, and started driving. I figured out where I was going when I was halfway there. The home of country music in Australia: Tamworth, New South Wales. I was never going to be discovered in a place like Fairleigh. I had to make it happen for myself. And I guess I did.
Stefan discovered me in a dingy old pub, during a well-known country music festival. He took me under his wing and flew me over to Nashville to meet his father's record label. I proved myself again and again, and made them a ton of money along the way. But the better and more successful I got, the more they took from me. They wanted me to sing more, write more, tour more, record more, until I had no more left to give. I burnt out.
The songs I had prepared for my next album were handed over to other, younger, performers. They owned my music, and they could do whatever they wanted until my contract was up.
I lost myself and my passion for music, and I needed time to reassess what I really wanted in life. So, I was heading back to the place where it all started…and where it all fell apart.
