A Bigger Fire 🔥

Chap 10 "Coaching Zara"

Hailee's POV
Nick left and Rafael stepped in. I closed the door. "What's up?" I asked.
"Liv told me she took you off this case," Rafael nodded.
"Yeah," I sighed. "Look, I don't wanna sound rude or harsh but I really don't wanna talk about it." He looked at me. "I'll be fine, Rafael. It's okay. I'm glad you stopped by but I'll be fine." I opened the door. "I'll talk to you later." He nodded and left. I walked back into the living room just as Zara walked down the stairs rubbing her eyes. "Zara, it's about eight o'clock. Can you not sleep?"
"Not yet, Mommy," Zara sighed.
"Alright, come here," I nodded. "Sit." She sat on the couch and I handed her the remote. "I'll go make us some dinner." I walked into the kitchen. "Zara's up."
"I thought she was asleep," Nick replied.
"Oliver put her to sleep but she wasn't asleep," I smiled. "She doesn't sleep till ten." I made the three of us a sandwich. "Alright, come on. Let's go eat with our daughter." We walked to the living room. I sat to Zara's right and Nick to her left. I handed us each a sandwich and a water bottle. "Look, American Diva is on."
We turned it on and a fourteen year old girl was singing as we ate. "Daddy, how do I get on American Diva?" Zara asked.
"Well, same way you get to Carnegie Hall: Practice," Nick said and took a drink of his water. "Unless your like your mother, then you're born with it."
"What?" Zara asked as I smiled. "You're weird, Daddy."
"He's right," I smiled. "I was in front of a camera as soon as I was able to talk, Zara." She looked at me. "I didn't want you growing up in front of that so we moved to NYC and out of the spotlight. Maybe later in the future I'll coach you and get you on American Diva."
"Really?" Zara asked, happily.
"Yeah, and that's a promise," I smiled. "I will be your coach full time when the time is right."
"When I'm ten?" Zara asked.
"Maybe," I sighed. "The girl in the show is fourteen." I looked at Zara. "If we practice hard enough, we can maybe get you to sing a really hard song."
"What song would that be?" Nick asked.
"Dreaming Of You by Selena," I sighed. I looked at Zara and then at Nick. "Zara, repeat after me, okay?" She nodded. "I can't breathe easy."
"I can't breathe easy," Zara sang.
"Yeah, we're going to work on those high notes," I nodded.
"You think you can work with her till tomorrow?" Nick asked as he was looking at his phone. "I can get her an audition tomorrow night at eight."
"Well, it's only --" I looked at my watch. "Eight fifteen. Come on, Zara. We're going to start coaching you." We went to the practice room, which was also the extra room that wasn't needed for anything. "Alright, Zara. We're going to start practicing Dreaming Of You." We practiced until ten o'clock that night and Nick opened the door. "Hey."
"How's everything going?" Nick asked.
"Daddy," Zara ran up to Nick and he picked her up. "Mommy says I'm ready."
"You are?" Nick asked. Zara nodded. "Alright, let's get you to bed since you have a big day tomorrow."
"Okay," Zara smiled.
"You coming?" Nick asked.
"No, no," I smiled. "I gotta clean up in here. Go on." Nick nodded and left with Zara. I picked up the pieces of lyrics off the floor. After ten minutes, Nick walked back into the room. "Hey."
"You think our daughter has what it takes?" Nick asked.
"She kinda takes after her mother," I nodded. "Some things she was born with, some not. We have to work on the noting and movement of the song but other than that, everything was perfect."
"I'll call the school tomorrow morning to let them know to dismiss Zara from school," Nick nodded. "Come on, Hailee. You need some sleep too." Nick helped me up and we went to our room. I got in bed. 'We have a busy day tomorrow."
"Are you ready to watch Zara in the spotlight?" I asked.
"Yeah, Nick nodded. "I am. Now, let's get some sleep and get ready for tomorrow."
"Don't call the school," I looked at Nick. "I don't need her to miss school." Nick nodded. We turned off the light and went to bed. The audition time for Zara snuck up on us. I was fixing Zara's outfit and making sure she looks beautiful. "This is it, sweetheart. Make us proud, okay?" Zara nodded as Nick walked up to us. "Everyone in the squad is watching this at the precinct. You're going to go onto the next round."

"You got everyone rooting for you, sweetheart," Nick smiled. "Knock 'me dead."
"Zara Amaro," Kenson, one of the judges, announced. Zara smiled and walked out on stage with a mic. "You're so cute. How old are you?"
"I'm seven years old," Zara smiled.
"Zara, who are your parents?" Lisa, another judge, asked.
"You all should know my mommy and maybe my daddy," Zara stated. "My mommy is Hailee and my daddy is Nick. My daddy is a New York police."
"Oh, I know Detective Nick Amaro," Lisa smiled. "Your mom, is she Hailee Monroe?"
"Her last name is the same as Daddy's," Zara replied.
"Right but your mommy Hailee Monroe married your daddy and changed her last name," Luke, the third judge, explained. "If it is the same Hailee we all know, you've got some pretty big shoes to fill."
"What are you doing to be singing for us?" Kenson asked.
"I'm going to be singing Dreaming Of You by Selena," Zara smiled.
"But you're seven," Kenson looked at her. "That's a pretty big song for a little girl."
"She's got this," I sighed. Nick put his arm around me. "We put her on here to face her dreams. I don't want her to break if she doesn't get in."
"She'll do fine," Nick nodded. "She's our daughter. We're strong."
"Kenson, give her a chance," Lisa nodded. "Zara, whenever you're ready."
The music started playing. "Late at night when all the world is sleeping, I stay up and think of you. And I wish on a star that somewhere you are thinking of me too," Zara sang. I saw the judges listen in shock. "'Cause I'm dreaming of you tonight. 'Til tomorrow, I'll be holding you tight. And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be, than here in my room dreaming about you and me." Nick squeezed me. "Wonder if you ever see me, and I wonder if you know I'm there. If you looked in my eyes, would you see what's inside? Would you even care?"
"She's got this already," Nick nodded.
"I just want to hold you close, but so far, all I have are dreams of you," Zara kept singing. "So I wait for the day, and the courage to say how much I love you. Yes, I do!" I smiled as she hit that note. "I'll dreaming of you tonight. 'Til tomorrow, I'll be holding you tight. And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be, than here in my room dreaming about you and me."
"Zara and I worked on that one note before the chorus," I smiled. "I didn't think she'll remember."
"Corazon, no puedo dejar de pensar en ti," Zara sang the spanish part. "Como te nesesito. Mi amor, como te extrano."
The music lightened up a little bit. "Late at night when all the world is sleeping, I stay up and think of you," Zara smiled as she sang. "And I still can't believe that you came up to me and said I love you. I love you too!" The tempo picked up. "Now, I'm dreaming with you tonight. 'Til tomorrow, and for all of my life. And there's nowhere in the world I'd rather be, than here in my room dreaming with you endlessly."
The song faded out and everyone clapped. "Does that mean she made it?" Nick asked.
The clapping died down. "Wow!" Lisa smiled. "You're moving on, Zara. Wow, I'm just -- wow!"
"You got Lisa speechless, kid," Luke smiled. "You have my vote. Kenson?"
"Where did that voice come from?" Kenson asked. "Just wow!"
"My mommy coached me," Zara smiled. She motioned me to come out. I did and everyone started cheering. I walked up to Zara and picked her up. "This is my mommy."
"Well, it's safe to say you were born with it," Kenson smiled. "Hailee, so this is your daughter?"
"Yeah," I smiled. "Seven years I've watched her grow. She saw the show last night and she wanted to be on." I looked at Zara. "So my husband booked an audition time with you guys and here we are." Zara hugged me. "I promise you, she'll continue to surprise you."