Christmas Connection

by Daria White

  “Because he realized what was...” Her mother choked at her words. Her chin quivered.

  “Was what? Would it be so wrong if I went for it? I never thought I could do it, but when I'm on stage, it's a different world.”

  “Bailey...” Her mother then clasped her hands together and stared at the floor. “I'd rather not talk about this. You have a client, and I have a few items left in inventory before mine shows up.”

  “I didn't mean to upset you,” Bailey said.

  Her mother stood and walked over to her. She placed her hands on her daughter's shoulders. “There's so much I...”

  Bailey raised her eyebrows. Did her mother want to say more? “What Mom?”

  Her mother shook her head. “Not now.” She walked to the supply room without another word.

  Bailey lips parted as her cell pinged inside her pocket. She read the text from her client. She was on her way.

  ****

  Bailey eyed the neon exit sign at Mac's Nightclub and Lounge. Despite the empty feeling in the pit of her stomach, she wouldn't run. Closing her eyes, she took a calming breath. She could sing the songs in her sleep, and the band practiced enough times for her to feel confident.

  She watched as Alex, Tommy, and Jackson finished setting up for their performance. Bailey stood in place off stage praying her hands would stop sweating. Grabbing her phone from her pocket, she checked the time. It had changed little in only five minutes. Bailey stuffed it back inside her back pocket.

  Closing her eyes, she ran through the lyrics once more. She hummed to herself. She was ready. There was no doubt in her mind. She wouldn't be alone. Jackson was with her. She swallowed as her muscles quivered.

  Reminiscing their kiss, the corners of her mouth raised. Her mouth moistened as she recalled how his strong arms embraced her. She smiled at nothing. When her phone buzzed inside her pocket, Bailey jerked. She looked around, grateful no one was paying attention to her. She smiled at the screenshot of her best friend.

  “Tell me you're here,” she said.

  “Not quite, but I'm close. How are you? Nervous?” Noelle asked.

  “I'm five seconds away from running outside this building.” Bailey ran her fingers through her curls.

  “I won't let you. You'll do great.”

  “Thanks, Noelle.”

  “So... how's Jackson?”

  “I knew you couldn't resist.” Bailey grinned.

  “Well, after you spilled your guts about that kiss what am I supposed to ask?”

  “Can we talk about that later? I need to focus.”

  “Okay, I won't bother you about it now. We will discuss it though. I'm almost there so I'll see you soon.”

  Bailey hung up but her phone rang with a FaceTime call.

  “Hey,” she said to Mia.

  “I'm sorry we can't be there tonight,” Kenya said with a wave to her cousin.

  “I know you'd be here,” Bailey said. She appreciated their support.

  “With signs, T-shirts, and glow sticks,” Mia said.

  Bailey laughed. Family. One of the best parts of her life. She could always count on them. All except… she couldn’t think that now. Her head needed to be clear. “Don't do that, please.”

  “We'll be at the next one. I promise,” Kenya said. “We need another sister spa day.”

  Bailey rolled her eyes. “Always wanting a massage.”

  “How’s Jackson?” Kenya asked.

  “Please don’t,” Bailey said.

  “We’re going to get to know him sooner or later,” Mia said.

  She checked the clock on the wall. “True, but not now. I have to go. Love you.”

  “Love you,” Mia said. Kenya blew a kiss.

  Bailey returned her phone to her pocket after hanging up.

  “You ready?” Jackson asked.

  She looked around. The seats were about full, and Bailey's heart palpitated. “I think so.”

  Jackson took her hand. “Don't think about them.”

  “Like that‘ll be easy. What should I think about then?” He planted a soft kiss on her lips, and Bailey forgot about the faces in the crowd.

  Jackson then pressed his forehead to hers. “Sing for me, Bailey.”

  She exhaled. “Okay.”

  With his hand still gripping hers, he guided her on stage. Mac introduced them, but Bailey's brain was still fuzzy from Jackson's kiss. She walked up to the microphone and greeted the audience. Jackson then played, and the group performed the first song of their segment.

  Bailey glanced at Jackson who winked at her. When Noelle walked into the building, she breathed that much easier. Her mother was home with a cold, but she wouldn't have showed up. She made that clear in their last conversation.

  Swaying back and forth, Bailey’s voice overwhelmed the room. She looked out into the crowd. Noelle wasn't the only one recording her. Other audience members held up their devices as they rocked to the music.

  Bailey couldn't believe her eyes. This brought so much more satisfaction than her job. Tonight, she did what she loved. Pressing a hand to her chest, the band moved to the next song. Her duet with Jackson. A new original song, “Signs of Forever.” Bailey loved it the moment Jackson played it for her over the phone.

  She flashed a smile at him. Taking the cordless mic off the stand, she walked over, and stood next to him as he played the keyboard. The lyrics carried her away.

  Signs of forever are in your eyes

  The sound of your heartbeat matches mine

  You leave me breathless...

  Bailey placed one hand on his shoulder as their voices blended together, rich and vibrant. She never heard such sweet music, like thoughts in a dream. Was it the music, or the burgeoning feeling between them? Could it be both?

  ****

  He could have kissed her again. Bailey's voice made his pulse flutter. Once they finished their last song, the audience cheered. Infinity Signs received a standing ovation. Bailey returned her microphone to the stand and then hurried off stage to hug a woman at a nearby table.

  Jackson snapped at attention when Tommy slapped his back.

  “That was awesome!” His friend grinned from ear to ear.

  Alex wiped his brow with a towel. “That was incredible. I almost feel bad for not missing Piper. Where did you find this woman again?”

  Jackson didn't answer but stared at the woman who was sweet as the music she sung.

  Tommy snapped his fingers. “Jack!”

  “Yeah, what's up?” Jackson asked. He couldn't fall for her. Not this soon.

  “I asked a question,” Alex said. Then he looked over at Bailey. “I guess I got my answer.” A slow smile built on his lips, and then he walked offstage.

  Tommy raised an eyebrow. “You alright?”

  “She's amazing,” Jackson said.

  “She is, but I think you mean more than her voice.”

  Jackson swallowed the increased saliva in his mouth. “I don’t know her.”

  “What do you know?”

  “I like her.”

  “Stick with that. I wouldn't walk away if that's what you're thinking,” Tommy said.

  Jackson nodded as he wrung his hands together.

  “Think you can introduce me to her friend?”

  Jackson watched his friend steal furtive gazes at the woman talking to Bailey.

  “If she knows what's good for her, she'll stay away.” He walked ahead of Tommy and stood behind Bailey. “Excuse us, ladies.”

  Bailey pivoted and hugged Jackson tight. “That was awesome!”

  “I'm Tommy. You are?” Tommy extended his hand to Bailey's friend.

  “Noelle Johnson.” Noelle accepted his handshake, but Jackson noticed her left hand. The woman was married or engaged.

  Bailey broke their embrace but kept a hand on Jackson's shoulder. “This is my best friend.” She turned to Noelle. “This is Jackson and you've met Tommy.”

  “Nice to meet you both,” Noelle said. “You guys are incredible.” She
focused her attention on her friend. “You did amazing!”

  “Thank you,” Bailey said.

  Jackson snaked an arm around her waist. “You were perfect.”

  She smiled.

  “How about we celebrate,” Tommy said. “We can order some food.”

  “I have to meet my fiancé.” Noelle adjusted her purse on her shoulder.

  Jackson watched Tommy’s face fall. While his friend tried to mask his disappointment with a faint smile, he knew Tommy didn't like the sound of Noelle being engaged.

  “Congratulations.” Tommy extended his hand to her once more. Noelle accepted the gesture with a bright smile.

  “You can join us,” Jackson said. Tommy would probably refuse but he offered, anyway.

  His friend shook his head. “No thanks. You two have fun. I’m going to order some food to go. Nice to meet you, Noelle.”

  “You too.” Noelle gave a final hug to Bailey and waved to the group. Tommy didn't stick around, but went to the bar.

  Jackson pulled Bailey to his chest. “I meant what I said.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “You really liked it?”

  “I loved it.” He inhaled her sweet perfume. He needed time to think. Was what he felt real?

  Chapter 9

  What was Mia's Ford Accord doing parked in her mother's driveway? Was her mother worse? Bailey locked her car, carrying groceries filled with more medicine and soup. She unlocked the door to her mother’s mid-century modern home.

  She rolled her shoulders back as she entered the foyer. “It's me, Mom.”

  “I'm in the living room,” her mother called out. A cough followed.

  Bailey walked to the living room. She spotted Mia sitting on the sofa and smiled. Her cousin stood to hug her.

  Bailey then greeted her mother with a kiss to her forehead. “Feeling better?”

  A cell phone rang. Mia dug inside her purse. “I'll be back.”

  Bailey nodded and sat the bag on her mother's coffee table. “I got you more sinus and cold medicine.”

  Her mother reached for the box. “Thank you, sweetie. I should have this beat by the weekend.”

  “I can't stay long, but I wanted to stop by.”

  “I appreciate you taking care of the shop while I'm out,” her mother said.

  Bailey couldn't abandon her, despite how she felt about her singing. Perhaps there was some truth to her words. What if singing was only a dream? She was only filling in for someone else. Would Jackson dump her when a better voice came along?

  “I have to get back to work.” Bailey stood to her feet. “I'll call you after my last client. I can have Amanda close up the salon again.”

  “How’s your young man?” Her mother asked.

  “His name is Jackson.”

  “Strong name. Last or first?”

  “First,” Bailey said.

  “When do I get to meet him?”

  “Soon.” Would she like Jackson?

  “I love you,” her mother said.

  Bailey pivoted and smiled. “I love you too.” She then continued to the front door. Mia held her cell phone to her ear, with her back turned to her.

  “Yeah, I saw it. She did great,” Mia said, distracted by her conversation.

  Bailey looked inside her purse for her keys.

  “How did the meeting go?” Mia said.

  She raised an eyebrow. What was Mia talking about? Then Bailey blinked. She wouldn’t be nosy.

  “Those poor kids. I wish you could adopt them all.” She sighed. “I guess not everybody is lucky like Bailey to find a family...” Mia turned, facing her. Her mouth fell open and her body went still.

  Bailey clutched her keys. “Excuse me?”

  “I have to call you back, Kenya.” Mia hung up the phone. Then her hands trembled. “Oh no. How much did you hear?”

  “Enough. What about me finding a family?”

  Mia's eyebrows gathered in. “Bailey I—”

  “What did you mean, Mia?”

  Did she hear right? Her cousin didn't utter a word. This had to be a joke. Bailey didn't wait for her answer. She hurried back to the living room.

  Her mother sat up on the couch. “I thought you left, sweetie.”

  “What's this about me finding a family?” Bailey asked. A sudden feeling of heaviness expanded inside her core.

  Her mother's lips parted. Her eyes looked sorrowful. “Bailey sit down, please.”

  “I'm sorry, Aunt Helen,” Mia said. “I was talking to Kenya and it... I didn't mean to...”

  Her mother was quiet. No one moved in the silence. Bailey didn't sit down.

  “Mia, leave us. I'll talk to you later,” her mother said. She didn't look in her niece's direction. Her eyes dwelt on Bailey.

  Feeling the weakness in her limbs, Bailey reached for a nearby chair and sat down. “Mom?”

  “You know I love you more than anything else in the world.”

  Bailey didn't answer. What was she hiding?

  “You're... adopted, Bailey,” her mother said.

  Bailey sat still as a stone. Adopted? It couldn't be true. The woman sitting across from her wasn't her biological mother? Pang inside her chest increased. The father she grew up with and loved wasn't hers?

  She felt the tears well inside. Her vision blurred. Her throat clogged, but she spoke despite her shaky voice. “Adopted?”

  Her mother wiped a tear from her own face. “Yes.”

  Bailey released a breath she didn't know she was holding. “Why didn't you tell me?” She was almost thirty. Why wait until now?

  “The moment I held you in my arms, you were mine. I wanted to tell you, but it never was the right time,” her mother said.

  “The right time? How do you think I feel now? What happened? Did my real parents not want me?” she asked. She had to know, even if she didn't feel ready to hear the news.

  “There was... an accident. Your parents were in a car wreck when your mother was pregnant with you. You were an emergency C-section. They didn't make it.”

  “And how did you and Dad get me?”

  Her mother touched a hand to her chest. “I couldn't have kids. I found out around the same time your father's band was taking off.”

  Bailey's muscles felt frozen. “Is that why he quit?”

  Her mother nodded. “I wasn't that supportive of his career. I tried, but he traveled all the time. It was coming between us.” Her mother wiped her nose with a tissue. “I... when I found out I couldn't carry a baby, I called your father. He came home. He quit music and got a job.”

  Bailey ignored the sense of vertigo. She had to hear the rest of this story. “What about... the adoption?”

  Her mother continued. “We were all set to adopt a little boy, but the birth mother changed her mind at the last minute. So... when we got word a baby girl needed a home, we didn't hesitate.”

  Time seemed to slow down for Bailey. Everything she knew was a lie. Sure, she felt loved, but she couldn't pinpoint the sense of being different growing up. Even with her love of music, no one related to her passion for it as her father. In the past, she ignored the feelings. It made little sense to feel out of place with loving parents and cousins she saw as siblings. Her family.

  Now she knew. Her world shattered. She swallowed despite the lingering ache in her throat. Everything she'd been told her whole life fell apart in one day like a speck in space. Her life would never be the same. Her real parents… gone. Why did it feel as if she lost two families in one day?

  Bailey shook her head and closed her eyes. “I... I think I need to go.”

  “Bailey, talk to me,” her mother said.

  She stood to her feet. “I have to get back to work.” She scurried for the door.

  The drive to work was a blur. Her thoughts were blank, as if her brain had stopped working. She blinked slowly as she pulled into the parking lot of Helen's Salon and Nails. Bailey didn't even respond when Noelle called her name. Instead, she walked to the break room and
opened her locker.

  Noelle followed. “Bailey?”

  She stopped mid-action, dropping her coat to the linoleum floor. What was she doing?

  “You're scaring me. What's wrong?” Noelle's forehead wrinkled.

  Bailey only heard muffled sounds, as if she were wearing earplugs. She saw spots as light-headedness took over.

  “Bailey, say something!”

  The next color Bailey saw was black.

  ****

  “What?” Jackson kicked off the covers from his bed and rushed to get his laptop.

  “Half a million views on YouTube! I can't believe it,” Tommy said over the phone.

  Jackson watched the video showing their latest performance with Bailey. She lit up the stage. Her presence radiant as a rose. “I can't believe it either.”

  “That's not all. I got a call from Lee Records in New York.”

  Jackson fumbled his phone but got it back in his hands. “What?”

  “They saw our video and they want to meet with us. All of us.”

  “Does Alex know?” Jackson rubbed at his forehead. Lee Records was a big deal. What if they signed a deal before the New Year holiday? He hurried to his feet and paced his carpeted floor.

  “I just got off the phone with him. This could be our big break, Jack!

  Jackson tapped his fist against his chest. “This is great. I need to call Bailey.”

  “I'll call Piper too. I've tried to keep her in the loop as best I can but...”

  “But what?”

  “I don't think Piper has it in her anymore. She didn't come to our last rehearsal and I know she wasn't sick then.”

  “How's that?”

  “Facebook, Jack. People tell their business all the time on social media.”

  “I wouldn't know. I don't care about that stuff.”

  Tommy laughed. “Get used to it. Our fan page is growing.”

  “Let me know the dates.”

  “You got it,” Tommy said.

  Jackson hung up with his friend. He would have run a victory lap outside, but fresh snow fell last night. Plus, it was less than thirty degrees. Instead, he called Bailey. He couldn't wait to tell her the news. They wouldn't have gotten this opportunity without her.

  No answer. That was odd. She didn't return his call from the night before either. Was she okay? He tried again, this time getting her voicemail.