Velvet Lullabies

After a week of mourning, Gemma came back to school. Her brothers wanted her to drop out and take a break this semester, but she said she hated being there without their mom. She said she felt more comfortable in their dorm room, but her tears at night made Adelina feel differently.

Gemma was there every day after Adelina’s dad died, so Adelina did the same. She bought more ice cream and cookies then they needed, keep a steady stream of movies playing, and almost every night they spent cuddled into each other.

She was going to make sure Gemma got through this.

It was the least she could do.

“Hey,” Max barged through their door.

Currently Adelina was at her desk and Gemma was curled up in a sweatshirt and fleece blanket watching Gilmore Girls, again.

“Hey, what’s up.”

Max invited himself in, and jumped up on Adelina’s bed to get comfortable. “So, I was thinking we go to open mic tonight, get out of here.”

Gemma didn’t redirect her focus from the t.v.

“Gem,” Adelina prodded, want to get out for a minute?

She looked at them like they were aliens, but ultimately muttered sure.

???

The Blue Door Café was possibly one of Adelina’s favorite places. She loved the atmosphere and listening to all the different artist. Not everyone sang. Sometime there were comedians, poetry readings, skits. There were tons of people with different instruments and every genre of music was played there.

She couldn’t get enough.

This place was like home to her.

This was where she let it all out. Everything that had every built up in her came out when she stepped on to that stage.

The Blue Door was home.

Gemma came out with them, still in her baggy Brown University sweatshirt, leggings, and brown boots. She nursed a margarita, but her head bobbed to the music which Adelina noted as improvement.

“Sing with me tonight, Addy?” Max asked, sipping his beer. “We haven’t done a duet in ages.”

That was true, they hadn’t. Lucian tended to arrive in the city on Thursdays night and though he didn’t say anything, Adelina coul

d tell he wasn’t a fan of Max. His eyes sent daggers every time he saw him.

“Sure.” Adelina sipped her own Long Island Ice Tea.

“That one with Camilla Cabello?” he asked, referencing the new Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello duet they had been playing with.

“Yeah.” She smiled. They hadn’t sung that one in a while.

The thought of singing to a bunch of people had always made Adelina sick, but actually singing on stage had always felt right. Once she got up there she was able to block everyone out, and in her mind, it was just her and Max.

They sang to each other. Max sat strumming the guitar, and Adelina stood both hands wrapped around the microphone. She hit the last note and her music high began to fade, slowly showing her all the faces in the crowd until her eyes landed on Lucian.

He stood there in a sleek black suit, with a black dress shirt and tie. Matching that much shouldn’t have been so hot, but on him, it was.

The scowl on his face, however, that made her shudder.

His eyes were locked on Max and he looked like he wanted to rip him apart.

Max stepped down from the stage smiling, not even paying attention to the monster who was quickly approaching.