Chapter 6

Vy

WHEN SHE OPENED HER EYES AGAIN, the room was bathed in light. If memory served her well, it was Sunday morning. Or not quite morning. On that time of the year, her room would be so bright only around noon.

In the bathroom, she used soap and water to clean her face. She rubbed at her skin diligently until she got rid of the stubborn mascara stains. She didn't have much choice in terms of clothing. She had taken all her favorite clothes when she moved out, so she had to settle for an old pair of jeans and a designer top, a gift from Leonie. She padded down the stairs partly anxious, partly happy to see her parents.

Her mother was lounging on the couch, with a book, and her father was in the armchair next to her, also reading a book. She watched them from the stairs, basking in the serene atmosphere. She smiled when her father placed his palm over his wife's hand after turning the page. Her mother instinctively rubbed her cheek against his forearm. She loved to see these small gestures, the Cesara trademark private displays of affection.

"Can anyone join the book club?" she asked.

They looked up from their books. Her mother sat up and patted the couch beside herself.

"You need a book if you want join," her father said.

The smile in his voice reached into his eyes.

"We saw your car. Did you drive all night? You need to eat something," her mother said.

Vy sat next to her mother and she was pulled into a sideway hug.

She snuggled there for a few moments, then pulled out of the embrace.

"Come on, let's have brunch."

"Do you want anything in particular?" her father asked.

"Espresso," she said. "In a bucket, if possible."

"Coming right up," he said.

She climbed on one of the tall bar stools and craned her neck to see what was going to come out of the fridge. In a few seconds, a scent of pastry wafted from the small oven at the other side of the kitchen. Before the espresso machine stopped buzzing, her mother already had toast, butter and jam in front of her, and she kept making trips between the fridge and the table bringing cheese, smoked meat and fruits.

Everything tasted delicious. She only then realized how much she'd been missing out in the past few months, living on milk and cereal for breakfast and dinner.

The front door open and Sebastian shouted.

"Mooom, Daaad, I'm hungry."

Her mother shook her head disapprovingly. Adeline St. Croix Cesara was not one to yell as if she was in the fields looking after cows.

"Excellent. I smell food already," her brother said from the living room.

He dropped the large travelling bag hanging on his shoulder in a corner and only then he saw Vy.

"Oh, you're up," he said sounding disappointed.

"You're horrible."

"Yeah? Well your car looks like shit."

"The mouth on you, little brother," she said and took a sip of the coffee. "Dad, this is so good. How did I live without it for so long?"

The sudden tension in his stance was subtle, but it warned Vy that she was on dangerous territory.

"Don't mention your other life. You know they don't approve."

Her brother didn't have the same hang-ups.

"Seriously, you should take better care of that car. It's not your beloved Romeo, but whose fault is that?"

"It's a rental. I'll buy him back."

"Are you already earning that well?" her mother asked.

She shrugged. "I worked a lot on the album so I didn't get many paid gigs this month, but until we start working on the next one, I might go on tour."

"You should let me take a look at your contracts," her father said.

That was as close to an open acceptance as she ever heard from him.

"Sure, dad. I'll call your office on Monday."

He nodded and squeezed her shoulder. Vy tried not to tear up at this overt display of affection.

"How about Salona?" her mother asked.

There was no trace of annoyance or even concern in her voice. She sounded politely curious, sipping her own expresso across the table from Vy.

"They said my application is ok if I submit it again. I don't know if I can earn enough for tuition until-"

Sebastian interrupted her.

"Are you considering giving up singing? Vy are you crazy?"

"I'm keeping my options open. Maybe I can do both. Like high school."

"You don't have to worry about tuition, Vy," her father said.

The warmth in his tone was like balm over an open wound. The relief she felt had nothing to do with the money. She knew she would always have their love, but he also needed their approval. Sebastian opened his mouth, but she silenced him with a look. He didn't look happy, but he shut up.

"We'll let you eat."

#

 

"Carter worked you to death so far. You really think he's going to be ok with you treating him as a part time job?" Sebastian said.

"I don't really care what makes Carter happy right now."

"A-ha! So, the moment with King wasn't arranged! I knew it! I'm calling her right now," he said, taking out his phone.

"What are you talking about?"

"We saw-" he interrupted what he was saying to speak in to the phone. "Hey, we were right. It wasn't arranged. Vy is here. "

"How the hell do you-"

He made annoyed shushing gestures.

"Get over here and ask her yourself," he said, putting the phone one the table. "Alice is coming over. But you can tell me the story before she gets here."

"Were you two there?"

"Nah. Someone streamed the whole show."

She took in a deep breath. Great! Everyone saw the thing. Just great. She knew that people film the concerts but she did a pretty good job of not thinking about it. Not just public humiliation. Worldwide humiliation. Maybe it wasn't going to go viral.

"Do you want to see it?" he asked and turned on his phone again.

"No," she said sharply.

He looked at her thoroughly amused. He could read her well enough to know it was a delicate issue. Which meant he was going to pester her mercilessly, so she had to go on the offensive.

"Fucking TC, man!" she said. "You have no idea how many times we rehearsed that song. You know me, I'm not backing down from hard work, but he drove me nuts with that one damn song for weeks."

"Don't bite my head off, but I can't imagine it sounds better with TC than it did with King. Holly fucking hell, Vy! Wou sang with Andrew King! It's just me here. Tell me the truth. Do you really believe that what you rehearsed with Carter was better than the version you sang last night?"

Again, with the choice between them. Same two men, yet completely different reasons to choose one or the other.

"With Carter, I was perfect in that song. It probably sounded ok-"

"It sounded awesome, not ok," he interrupted her.

"That song meant a lot to me. I thought it meant as much to him, too, if he was so OCD about it."

"What did it mean to you?" Alice asked.

Vy jumped off her bar stool and hugged her friend, who was wearing a leather jacket on top of her pajamas.

"Where you sleeping when he called? But it's noon!"

"It's the summer holiday. I'm still recovering from the sleepless nights during finals. Now, dish, what did the song mean?"

"It was... He made me feel like he was passing the torch to me. As if I was going to be a part of the Waves."

"You thought TC was going to retire and leave you as lead vocal to the Waves?" Sebastian asked.

"It sounds horrible, but yeah. Sometimes... when we work together, he's like... like he can't do it anymore. It's like he doesn't want to be TC as we all know him. I don't know. Maybe I'm imagining it."

"I hope you are," Alice said. "The Waves with you instead of TC, don't be offended, but no. Just no."

"I know," Vy said. "That's why I keep taking gigs without him, but whenever I get back, he calls me to the studio and he works me to death."

"You poor thing," Sebastian said. "You found someone who works more than you."

"Actually, yes, he does."

"And you think you'll be able to handle that and Salona. Right," he said sarcastically.

"Are you coming to Salona this year?" Alice asked excited. "Oh my God that would be awesome!"

"It's not decided yet. I do actually have to talk to him before I do this. I am under contract with his label and I'd rather talk to him nicely and not get dad involved."

"Shit, Vy, don't even joke about that," Sebastian said, chocking on his toast. "I would not want to see a confrontation between dad and TC. No one can come out well from that. Especially not you."

"Well, next week is going to be a bundle of fun," Vy said sipping at her coffee. It was so delicious. Maybe she could move back home, have coffee with her father in the morning and then both of them could go into the City.

"So how was working with Andrew?" Alice asked.

Vy took a long time swallowing the coffee. Somehow thinking of her father and TC locked in a contractual dispute was less disturbing than thinking about King.

"He's a really nice guy."

"We know that. How did it feel to share the stage? Like an equal."

She shrugged. "I was too pissed off to enjoy it. I guess I cared more than I thought, and it felt like Carter abandoned me."

"You never sang like that before," Alice said. "I cried when I listened to it."

"If you sang like that, you would have won Sing by a landslide," Sebastian said.

She tried to look insulted, but her brother's voice was too strangled with emotion. These people knew her better than anyone else. If it moved them so deeply, she dreaded listening to the song even worse. She remembered looking at Andrew on stage. She remembered how she hid nothing from him.

"Carter hadn't tortured me enough by the final," she said.