CHAPTER Twenty Six
Erin
Standing on the podium that was meant for Alek, Nikolai glances up and across the stage at me. He bows and inhales deeply, his shoulders lifting with the exaggerated movement. Dressed in a black tuxedo that highlights his striking gold hair held back in a ponytail, he pulls off the image of a seasoned maestro with ease.
He’s also a beautiful man, both physically and emotionally, and his loyalty to Alek is touching. Glancing toward me, he nods and so do I. The time for me to sing the song I have waited a lifetime to perform has come.
I swallow hard and hope that the lemon and honey drink I gulped before I arrived does the trick for my voice. I’m wearing a long, yellow dress designed by Luca and Carla. It’s actually the dress Alek gave me, but it has been jazzed up to dazzle La Scala’s crowd tonight. My two co-workers spent the last twelve hours of their lives making sure I stepped into my new spotlight in style.
Katerina intends to sit by Alek’s bedside until I return to him. I made her promise to call me as soon as he wakes up. It doesn’t matter whether I’m on or off stage. And since the performance will be aired on live television, then Alek will also get the chance to hear what’s going on too. I don’t care that the doctors say he’s in a coma. In my heart, I know he can hear what’s going on around him.
Up on the platform above the one I stand on, Adriana and Mikhail stand in the places where they’ll wait until I leave the stage. Alek’s sister agreed to assist Nikolai’s dancers. All of us know what’s at stake if we don’t pull this production off. Frederico sits in the front row, watching me with a critical face.
At first, the theatre’s lush red and gold design swarms around me, overwhelming me. My breathing comes in rapid bursts. I’m starting to think I’ve made a mistake by taking on such a large responsibility. If I screw this up tonight then Alek’s career will be over. And what if the orchestra didn’t have enough time to learn the musical arrangement for my song? What if I forget the words?
I start to feel dizzy.
Control, Erin. Breathe.
Somewhere out there Alek can hear me. I know it. I can feel it. Closing my eyes, I surrender to the love in my heart, the one thing I never told him, even after I know how hard it was for him to tell me first. Now I may never have the chance say anything else. Emotion threatens to steal my voice as the pianist’s opening notes sail into the air. Rubbing Jada’s necklace, I inhale deeply and pray my asthma behaves for me tonight.
And then I feel something take over for me.
Alek’s spirit isn’t the only one here with me tonight.
“I believe in you, Erin. Always remember that. No matter where I am, or how far apart we are, you should never be afraid.” I remember Jada saying that the night we agreed to swap places at the audition that forever changed our lives.
Opening my eyes, I inhale deeply and lift the microphone to my lips. The voice of a Jaybird, no wait, I’m pretty sure the voice I’m using tonight belongs to an angel, sails out of my mouth. The lyrics to The Rose have never felt more right than the words do at this moment.
At the end of the song, Alek’s ensemble brings down the house with their lush arrangement of strings and percussion to accompany the last high note I sing, the one I hold for a full eight beats before I let the song fade away.
Everyone’s devotion to Alek’s hard work is too much for me to handle. Applause roars around us, and the audience stands. Someone takes my right hand. Nikolai. I didn’t even see him come up on stage. Adriana rushes to my left side, her eyes filled with tears.
“You nailed it, Erin.” Her face crumples, and she breaks down, her tears flowing. Seeing her face reminds me so much of Alek’s and rips me apart.
Shivers wrack my body, and I’m trembling. Tears race down my cheeks. The audience applauds even louder as they watch all three of us—the ones most affected by Alek’s absence—embrace on stage. From behind, Nikolai supports me while I hold on to Adriana. Through the tears, I manage to gather my thoughts. Turning around, I wave at the crowd and blow a kiss, imitating Alek.
I’ve now done what I was meant to do. I seized the chance to make things right. Both Jada’s spirit and mine can rest now.