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32 - Surprises

We left the stage high on adrenalin.

"Holy hell, that was incredible! God, what a buzz!"

"Man, did you see them standing at the end? Cara, they loved you."

The guys were fist bumping, backslapping and man-hugging each other, loud and noisy and excited. I was being carried along by my euphoria, a grin stretching across my face so wide I could feel my cheeks begin to hurt already. Eleanor and her band were in the backstage lounge about to go on but greeted us warmly.

"How does that feel?" Eleanor asked me smilingly as the men swapped stories together.

I sighed. "I'm not sure I can put it into words. It was..." I searched for a description that came anywhere close to what I was feeling. "If I may be a little indelicate..." I lowered my voice so no one would overhear. "I think that...next to great sex, that was the most incredible experience of my life."

She burst out laughing and hugged me. "That's the most honest description I've heard yet." She added, winking, "And I think I'd have to agree with you!"

While Rick and Marcus took our instruments back to the hotel, I found a hidden spot off to the side where I could watch Eleanor on stage, sighing in awe at her rapport with her audience – she was so relaxed and chatty that it made the venue much more intimate than its size dictated.

"What's the sigh for?" Jake had come quietly up beside me.

"She's so laid back and talks to them as if they're friends visiting her home; I envy that. I hope I can be that like some day," I replied, talking softly.

"What are you talking about? You are exactly like that, you always have been."

To say I was astonished would be an understatement. "What? Don't be silly."

He shook his head. "Cara," his voice was low but carried conviction, "you have that same sense of ease and friendliness - you have it with the punters in the pubs and you had it here tonight. It's one of the reasons why I...well, anyway, don't sell yourself short." As he disappeared backstage I stared after him, mouth gaping open like a guppy.

---

"Right, are we off then?" Marcus rubbed his hands together, clearly keen to celebrate with that free drink I'd promised.

The show was over and we were heading to a local pub with Eleanor and her band. As we trundled out towards the exit I saw a theatre staff member coming towards us; catching sight of me, she veered towards me, asking, "Cara de Luca?"

"Yes." I stopped in my tracks.

"There are two people here asking to see you." She obviously read the surprised expression on my face as she added, "They said they're relatives." Relatives? Of mine? The woman murmured, "An elderly couple? Tall gentleman, short lady."

Oh my God! It can't be! Hearing what was happening, the others asked if I wanted them to wait for me while I saw my visitors but I demurred, not wanting to hold them up. Sean, the bass player, gave me detailed instructions on how to find the pub they were heading to. "Call us if there's a problem, okay?" Rick instructed. I nodded, thanked them, promised I would catch up and went with the theatre lady, who took me to a room near the booking office.

As soon as I walked in I was smothered in my grandmother's embrace, nonno standing behind her grinning like a Cheshire cat with his arms wrapped around both of us, the two of them jabbering words of congratulation and love rapidly in Italian.

"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy to see you - oh, it's wonderful to see you," I tightened my grip on them both, "but what are you doing here? How did you get here? When did you get here?" I was almost as incoherent as they were, all of us bubbling with excitement. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming?"