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“Y – You’re… You’re the girl that this dummy was inspired by during his second album! You were the one who got away!” Jackson finally pieced together. “And this little girl… She’s Thalia’s daughter and –”
“Good job, buddy. You figured it out,” Damian cut him off before Jackson could say it out loud. He simply shook his head toward his best friend, and it seemed like they were communicating telepathically because Jackson immediately understood. It was valuable insight into the depths of their friendship.
“Why did you call him a dummy?” Luna said with a giggle, almost immediately earning a hearty laugh from Jackson.
“Is there something else I should call him?" Jackson replied.
"I call him Sir Laze-a-lot," Luna cheekily answered.
"Oh, my God, Sir Laze-a-lot! Hey Daim, she's got you pegged about right!” Jackson’s voice boomed in the studio, and he and Luna continued to laugh at Damian’s nickname. I could already tell that these two were going to get along.
Despite being mocked in his own studio, Damian’s smile was as wide as ever.
“Alright, alright, you jokesters,” he tried to calm both of them down, then he shot me a meaningful look. “Since Luna traveled all the way here for bring-your-child-to-work-day, then maybe she should see her mommy at work, wouldn’t you think so?”
I cocked my head, not really seeing what was interesting about my job to show to a four-year-old.
“You want Luna to watch me tune a piano?” I asked, utterly perplexed.
This time, Damian was the one to let out a chuckle.
“No, silly, I thought that maybe you could… you know, sing one of your iconic songs,” he elaborated, and Luna’s ears immediately perked up at the thought of me singing.
“Ooh, Mommy, please! Can you sing for me? Please, please, please, please, please?” Luna begged, shaking me lightly with her round and beady eyes. How could I say no to a face like that?
“I mean, I dug up a copy of your instrumental from the record label’s archives,” Jackson contributed, and I rolled my eyes.
“Of course you did,” I muttered, stifling a small chuckle. “Okay, okay, I’ll sing for you, Luna.” My acquiescence earned cheers from the father-daughter duo as I walked into the recording booth. It was kind of weird to be the one wearing the headphones and to stand in front of the microphone. I was so used to Damian being where I was standing that I had completely forgotten what it felt like to record a song. This certainly wasn’t helping that small spark I still had that wanted to continue making music.
But this was long-ago territory. Despite me wanting to continue making music, I couldn't still the butterflies in my stomach as I faced the microphone. After a deep breath, I gave Jackson a thumbs up, and the all-too familiar instrumentation of the one and only song I officially put out filled the entire studio. I hadn’t sung for god-knows-how-long, but I could never ever forget the lyrics for it even if I tried.
“Little girl, young and brave. Why is there sadness across your face?” I began to sing, closing my eyes as I remembered all the small gigs I performed this song in. “Have you ever seen the stars dim out? Don’t worry, that’s not what you’re about,”I continued, and my heart always started to beat faster at this part because the chorus was next.
“Oh, so young, yet so worried. The world is yours if you just take it.”I sounded vastly different from how I did in the original recording of this song. Back then, I was younger and softer, and I sang in a way that was manufactured in a way to appeal to the general public. Now, I was just singing from my heart, not really trying to put up an act anymore. After all, I had nothing to hide.
“No, this isn’t something to misread. You’re that girl who’s gonna make it.”
I finished the song, and they clapped and cheered. I smiled and shook my head as I left, almost not believing what I just did.
“You sounded so nice, Mommy!” Luna told me as she hugged my thighs.
“Aw, thank you, sweetie,” I replied, hugging her back. There was a sudden intense rush burning on my cheeks as I came back to reality. At first, I thought it was just the lights on my face, but no, I knew for a fact it was the exhilarating feeling of performing in front of people.Oh, how I missed it so badly.
“Okay, okay, I think we spent enough time here. You still need to meet Sadie,” I declared, trying to clear my thoughts about wanting to perform again and again and again.
Without skipping a beat, Damian led the way out of the studio, and we all filed out one by one.
“Race you to the hallway, Luna!” he blurted, and he pretended to run as fast as he could, but really, he was just matching Luna’s speed.
“I’m gonna win!” my daughter confidently replied, and my heart almost melted into a puddle when I watched them race down the hallway. They both cheered or booed in agony and ecstasy as Damian purposefully lost.
“Yeah! I’m the winner!” Luna celebrated, jumping around in glee.
“Oh, man, you WON!" Damian dropped his head in mock shame between his arms resting on his knees as he pretended to catch his breath again. "I think this calls for a victory march!” Damian hoisted Luna up onto his shoulders as they walked through the double doors.
My smile could light up the entire city seeing such a wholesome moment, but it was immediately killed when I saw Kurt walk in from the same door they ran out of. He had a confused look on his face, but when he spotted me and Jackson at the other end of the hallway, his usual snarky expression returned.
“Well, hello there, studio gremlins,” he greeted rudely, and while I was used to his antics, I wasn’t really happy with how he disrespected Jackson. Wasn’t he aware that Jackson was a big reason why Damian won award after award for his albums? Did he really just not respect anyone’s work at all?
