Summer of Stars 🌟 [complete - Under Editing]

Stiff Upper Lip!

Over the next few days, Connor and I either texted or called each other to check-in. We never discussed dating, but we did talk a whole lot about his solo album. He was planning an all-acoustic sound with guest collaborators to round out the vocals, and I was one of them.

James didn't call me or even try to reach out, which hurt my feelings. I tried to keep my mind off of him by throwing myself into being a mom and practicing my set whenever I had time to myself (which wasn't often.) 

Maddy was getting better incrementally, but it would be months before she was one hundred percent again. Her breathing was still labored at best and she was a lethargic shadow of her former sparky self. It took nearly all of my time, emotions and sanity to not worry when she had a coughing fit that racked her entire body into tiny convulsions. 

Mrs. Yow re-arranged everyone's work schedule to give me another full week off. Missing my shifts was going to really hurt my budget, but this was the big week of the concert, and things were getting complicated.

By the time Monday rolled around, I was a walking exposed nerve. 

Lindsey had been calling me non-stop since Saturday because Briana had suddenly quit. With each ring of my phone, Lindsey's lucidity and patience seemed to dwindle while she rattled off information at top speed. I tried to keep track of all the directions she was throwing at me by taking notes, but her accent was obstructive. 

At one point I'd written down: 'Pack for a coma, cats will be there.' The first part of that note was referring to the five nights I would have to stay in Tacoma for the concerts. The second half was a mystery.

Starting on Tuesday, I was to work with a coach to stage my opening set. I was only supposed to perform two songs originally, but the fan-frenzy that Miles and I had stirred up, changed that. Now, I was going to sing three songs (minimum), with the possibility of a special collaboration with Ninja Bear. By Wednesday, we were going to be in all-day rehearsals up until our Thursday night concert, the first of three.

My mom magnanimously volunteered to take six whole days off while I stayed overnight in Tacoma to rehearse and perform. The last time my mom took that much time off work was for her honeymoon, and caring for an ailing three-year-old wasn't exactly a vacation. The only compensation my mom told me that she would accept, was a groveling apology to James after the craziness had died down.

"Where're you going?" Maddy asked me over and over as she watched me throw random clothes into a bag.

"Mommy's going on a trip," I told her while scrounging for clean socks and underwear. "It's only for a little while."

"Can I go?" Was the heartbreaking question to inevitably follow.

By the time a fancy looking black car had pulled into our driveway, I was having anxiety attacks over being separated from my daughter for so long. I'd never spent a night away from Maddy, and six whole days seemed like a lifetime. Even her raspberry kisses and darling goodbyes weren't enough to calm me down.

As soon as Katz (my driver) shut the door behind me, I fell apart. Thankfully, the patrician was up, so I was alone to blubber and snort until I was all cried out. Four hours later, I was dumped in front of Lindsey's devastating Louis Vuitton shoes.

"Good lord!" She exclaimed as soon as she saw my puffy cry-face. "What happened to you?!"

"Bad morning," I mumbled into my chest as I hefted my duffel bag out of the back of the car.

"Well, stiff upper lip!" She told me, breezing ahead into the double glass doors of one of the most incredible hotels I'd ever seen. "Rehearsals start in two hours and Nikki will not tolerate a hangover."