“Now it’s time to get back to work.” Before I could agree, Max raised his voice. “Okay, kids. Playtime is over.”
Liam snorted. “Yes, sir.”
What surprised me was the flinch Max barely concealed.
I stood in the middle of the studio, waiting for the others to gather around in their usual places. When they were all assembled, I closed my eyes.
“Give me a second.”
I felt the stillness settle on them like a soft blanket.
This used to make me nervous, asking for space without filling it with instructions.
Now, I trusted the silence.
I inhaled and let my shoulders drop, allowing all my tension to drain away. When I opened my eyes, I addressed them in a calm voice.
“We’re overthinking the blend. Stop trying to impress each other. Listen.” Julian opened his mouth, but I raised my hand, not sharply but decisively. “Julian, sing less. Trust the harmony.”
Julian blinked, then nodded. “Okay.”
I turned to Finnley. “You’re pushing because you’re nervous. You don’t need to.”
He swallowed. “Right.”
After that, I didn’t micromanage—I guided, letting the group breathe, settle, find each other. And when we sang again, it clicked, not perfectly, but with raw honesty.
I felt something ripple through the room: a change in focus, a connection, trust.
Max caught my eye from across the room, his eyebrows raised in impressed disbelief.
Cameron stood near the back, his arms crossed, watching me with open admiration.
In a rush of insight, I understood, and the realisation was both quiet and profound.
Letting go in private has taught me how to hold space in public.
Submission hadn’t diminished me. It had taught me restraint, taught me how to listen, how to lead without panic.
I lifted my hand, guiding the final chord to a close, and afterward, silence fell for a few seconds.
“That felt different,” Sebastian observed.
I smiled. “Yeah, it did.”
He glanced at Cameron.
With him, I can be a leaderanda lover.
I can be whole.
“We’re all going to Balan’s,” Cameron said as he stuffed his ever-present sketchbook into his bag. “Are you and Max coming?”
“Give us a minute.” I wanted a word with Max but not within earshot of everyone.
“There’ll be a beer with your name on it.” Cameron kissed me, amid whoops and calls from the others. He rolled his eyes. “Better get used to it, boys, because there’s a lot more where that came from.”
Julian cackled. “As long as you stick to kissing, we’re gold.”