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Later that evening, I heard the music before I reached the door to Haven, the bass line vibrating through Haven’s open windows into the evening air.My boots crunched on gravel as I completed my perimeter check, the compound quiet except for the joyful sounds of people singing.Karaoke night was in full swing, children’s voices occasionally rising above the recorded music in enthusiastic if off-key renditions of pop songs.I hadn’t planned to stop in, convincing myself my presence wasn’t needed with so many other residents and volunteers around.But somehow my feet carried me toward the entrance anyway, drawn by curiosity about how Lily and Eliza were faring in their new community.And because I found myself hungry for the sight of both of them.
The security guard nodded as I approached, recognizing me immediately.Inside, I found the common room transformed.Someone had strung lights across the industrial ceiling beams, casting a warm glow to soften the utilitarian space.Chairs were arranged in a semicircle facing a cleared area where a makeshift stage had been created.Children of various ages occupied the front row seats, their faces bright with excitement as they watched two little girls perform a princess song I vaguely recognized from commercials.
I slipped through the back door, keeping to the shadows near the supply closet.From this vantage point, I could see everything without drawing attention.Several Kiss of Death brothers and their old ladies lingered near the walls, some nodding along to the music while others chatted quietly.During fun events like this, Hannah liked to have the men with old ladies in the common room.That way the kids got to interact with the big men in a fun environment and learned to associate our brothers with something positive.Hannah stood near the refreshment table, serving juice in plastic cups to a line of eager kids.
The song ended to enthusiastic applause.The little performers bowed dramatically before skipping back to their seats, faces flushed with pride.Then I saw Lily step forward with Brynn, both girls giggling nervously as they approached the microphone stand, which Hannah adjusted to their height.
Lily wore a sparkly headband that caught the lights when she moved her head, throwing a constellation of tiny stars on the surfaces around her.Her pink cast had been decorated further for the occasion, with glitter glue creating swirling patterns across its surface.Even with her immobilized shoulder, she stood straighter and more carefree than I’d seen yet, confidence growing in her small frame as Brynn whispered something encouraging in her ear.I know Lavender liked seeing Brynn with the younger girl.Doing something like this would have seemed silly to Brynn, who was a brilliant girl.Since her kidney transplant, though, Brynn had changed somewhat.She could still cut a man to shreds with her sarcastic wit, but she seemed to have an affinity with the younger kids at Haven and seemed to love playing just as much as the younger kids.
The music started, a simple melody I recognized as “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.”Brynn began singing first, her voice surprisingly strong for her age.After the first line, Lily joined in, her small voice trembling slightly but gaining strength as they continued.The girls had choreographed simple hand movements to accompany the lyrics, Lily managing to perform them even with her injuries while Brynn mirrored her.
Something caught in my chest watching them.Just days ago, Lily had been sobbing in a hospital bed, her world collapsing around her.Now she stood singing before a room of strangers turned friends, her face alight with joy.By my way of thinking, that made Lily one tough cookie.
My gaze found Eliza in the crowd.She sat near the front, her phone held up to capture the performance, her face a mixture of pride and pure joy.The rigid tension defining her body language since I’d met her had softened, her shoulders relaxed as she watched her daughter shine.
When the song ended, the room erupted in applause.Lily beamed, taking an exaggerated bow that nearly toppled her over before Brynn steadied her with a gentle hand.They skipped back to their seats together, Lily immediately climbing onto Eliza’s lap to watch the next performers.
Several more children took their turns at the microphone, some confident, others barely audible as stage fright overtook them.Each received the same enthusiastic applause regardless of performance quality.The atmosphere reminded me of the small-town venues where I’d started my music career, before Nashville’s bright lights and larger stages.The feeling of community, of acceptance regardless of skill, was something I hadn’t experienced in years.
“Mom’s turn next,” I heard Brynn announce after the last child performed.“Mom always sings at our family nights.”
Lavender laughed but stood up good-naturedly, accepting the microphone from Hannah.She belted something called K-pop.When she finished, the children began clamoring for more adults to perform.
“What about Lily’s mom?”someone called out.“Lily said she used to sing in bars!”
All eyes turned to Eliza, who shrank back in her seat, shaking her head slightly.Lily tugged at her sleeve, looking up with pleading eyes.
“Please, Mommy?Just one song?”
Eliza hesitated, her gaze darting around the room at the expectant faces while they all cheered for her to take the stage.For a moment, I thought Eliza would refuse, retreat back into the protective shell she’d only just begun to emerge from.Then Lily whispered something in her ear, and her expression softened.
“All right,” she said finally, her voice barely carrying to where I stood.“Just one.”
She rose slowly, passing Lily to Lavender who sat beside her.As Eliza approached the microphone, I noticed how her hands trembled slightly.She whispered something to Hannah, who nodded and scrolled through the music selection on the laptop connected to the speakers.
The first notes filled the room, a peppy Dolly Parton song.Not what I expected from the quiet, reserved woman I’d come to know over the past days.The children all bounced and danced with the music and were having a great time.
I’m not sure I’d ever seen anyone ever have as much fun as Eliza had while she performed for the kids.She had them all dancing and singing right along with her.But the most extraordinary thing in the whole scene was Eliza’s voice.
Her voice spread like a wildfire catching the treetops, growing stronger and more confident with each note.The bright, fearless energy sprinkled deliberately with an energetic sass, making it impossible not to clap my hands along with everyone else.Her voice filled the room with a clear, playful warmth.And, just like Dolly, Eliza packed a big voice, the kind of voice I’d heard at auditions where producers leaned forward in their seats, suddenly alert to the presence of rare talent.
I felt the hairs on my arms rise as she hit the chorus, her voice taking flight above the recorded instruments.This wasn’t karaoke anymore.This was artistry, pure and unfiltered and so much fun no one could hear her singing and not be grinning from ear to ear.This Eliza radiated confidence and grace, commanding attention without effort.
I knew what it meant to lose yourself in music, to find freedom in melody when life offered none.Never had I seen someone so completely transformed as I witnessed with Eliza now.Watching her, I felt as though I was seeing the real Eliza for the first time, beyond the protective walls she’d built around herself and her daughter.
Everyone cheered and clapped, the kids jumping up and down while I’d noticed several of the brothers and their women dancing.Actually fuckingdancing!The guys whistled while the women whooped along with the kids.
Lily broke free from Lavender’s lap, running to her mother with obvious pride.“That’s my mommy!”she announced to everyone within earshot.“I told you she sings pretty!”
As the applause continued, Lily’s gaze swept the room and landed on me, still standing half-hidden near the supply closet.Her face lit up with recognition and she pointed in my direction, waving her good arm enthusiastically.
“Cash!”she called out, her voice carrying above the crowd.“Did you hear my mommy sing?”
Heads turned in my direction, including Eliza’s.Her eyes widened when she spotted me, something unreadable flashing across her face.For a moment, our gazes locked across the room, and I felt an almost physical pull toward her.
But this wasn’t my place.This moment of triumph belonged to her and Lily, to the community they were building here.Before Lily could make her way through the crowd toward me, I stepped back through the supply room door and out the back entrance, into the warm evening air.