Love's Falling Star

by B. D. Grayson

  Moments later, Mia and Spencer started screaming when they heard the news. Ty screamed just as loud when they called him. It was nearly midnight when the parents were called, and everyone cried. Jamie was called next, and she and Eli offered wholehearted congratulations. It was a wonderful day that had become a monumental night.

  During the night, the official Lochlan Paige Twitter and Instagram pages would show a picture of a hand wearing the ring, and a caption that said, “She said yes.”

  Epilogue

  One year later…

  “Don’t be nervous.”

  “I’m not nervous.”

  Vanessa looked squarely at her wife. “You are, and it’s okay. An EGOT is a big deal.”

  After Lochlan had finished on Broadway last summer, to amazing reviews, she had added a Tony Award to her shelf. Once it wrapped, she had done a guest spot on one of the longest-running series on television, where she picked up an Emmy. Tonight, was the Oscars, where the rare grouping of awards could be completed. The nomination for Best Original Song had come from a song that she had written for a documentary that was filmed about her journey to come out. It had played in movie theaters around the country and had documented footage of Lochlan’s time on the road leading up to the accident that nearly cost the star her life. The documentary was also nominated for Best Documentary Feature. For the past year, the name Lochlan Paige had been gold.

  “It is a big deal,” Lochlan responded, “but we aren’t getting our hopes up.”

  Vanessa looked at her watch. “Okay, we gotta head that way. Mac is supposed to meet us there.”

  Vanessa and Mac had become good friends. Mac had been one of the bridesmaids at their wedding, and during the bachelorette party, it had been Mac who Vanessa had stood on a bar and danced with. Mac’s best friend, who had attended the wedding with her, had laughed at the display on the bar, and said to Lochlan, “Those two are all yours.”

  “Yay, me!” Lochlan had laughed as she joined in watching them dance.

  During the reception, it had been Mia and Mac who had given the toasts. Vanessa teased Lochlan about nerves now—the wedding was where she saw Lochlan’s nerves for the first time. The wedding was filmed during the documentary and they had laughed about Lochlan saying, “What if I cry! Like ugly cry! Like, makeup running down my face, ugly cry? Oh, sweet Jesus, what if I throw up? I may throw up.” Lochlan fanned herself. “I feel like I could throw up.”

  She was brought out of the memory by Vanessa kissing her softly. Lochlan took her in her arms. “If I win, I win. If not, okay. I’ve gotten the only thing that I’ve ever needed in life.”

  Vanessa placed a soft kiss on her lips again. “Good answer. I think you’re full of shit, but it was a lovely answer.” Lochlan chuckled as Vanessa swatted her ass as she passed her. “Come on, babe, let’s go get your EGOT.”

  Two hours later, they sat in their seats near the documentary crew. They had walked their third red carpet together, and the camera seemed to love Vanessa as much as it did Lochlan. People were starting to shout out Vanessa’s name more during the walk. She had her own group of followers and young girls. As a woman who continued her path in school and her career after marrying a very wealthy star, Lochlan was proud of her becoming someone that people could look up to.

  Lochlan watched as Mac and her Blue Line costar walked to the center of the stage. They made a few jokes, and Mac sobered. “Now, here are your nominees for Best Documentary Feature.” They played a clip from each of the films. When it came to Lochlan’s film, Love’s Falling Star: The Lochlan Paige Story, they had shown one of the most powerful moments in the film. The moment that Lochlan awaited a decision from one of the biggest institutions in country music on her status after coming out. The fear that she felt was evident on the screen, but her pride in the life that she now lived was just as apparent. She had been willing to give up that spot for what was right. They showed the clip where Lochlan had talked tearfully about being a fighter. A fighter for women. A fighter for the LGBTQ community. A fighter for equality in life as a member of the human race.

  Once the clip was done, the room filled with applause, followed by Mac’s voice. “And the winner is…” Mac stopped a moment. Her chin slightly quivered as she said, “The newest member of the EGOT club, Mrs. Lochlan Paige.”

  Mac jumped with excitement and Lochlan took Vanessa in her arms.

  “You did it,” Vanessa said into her ear. “I am so proud of you.”

  “I couldn’t have done this without you,” Lochlan replied and kissed Vanessa on the cheek as she stood.

  She walked to the stage as she wiped a tear from her cheek. Mac met her before she even got to the microphone. They hugged for a moment as Mac congratulated her. Lochlan took the statue from her and looked out over the standing ovation.

  Lochlan looked out over the crowd. “As you all know, I’ve been in the news a lot lately,” Lochlan started, and the crowd laughed. “After years of hiding who I was, I decided that it was time to be me.” Again, the crowd applauded. “I didn’t do anything that I deserve a pat on the back for or something that I should be admired for. I did what I did for one reason—one very selfish reason. I fell in love with someone I refused to do without because of what I do for a living.” The crowd applauded again. “I have spent my career looking at people who have come out and said, ‘I am so proud of them’ or ‘They are what makes our community more acceptable.’ It was never about me coming out. Then when you fall in love with someone, you change. When you love someone, you want to be the best person you can for them. I wanted to be that for someone. I want to be that person that people can look at and say ‘If Lochlan Paige can do it, so can I.’ I want people to look at me and say, ‘I am proud of her,’ but more than anything I want the woman that I love to look at me and be proud. My career or my money hasn’t impressed her.” The crowd laughed. “My being brave enough to be me makes her look at me with not just love, but pride. Every person in this room has that potential to be the person that someone looks at and says, ‘If they can, I can.’ It’s our responsibility, each and every one of us, not just celebrities, but every person, to say ‘This is me. This is who I am.’ It’s up to writers to write parts that not only represent us but represent us well. For actors to take roles that depict their, our, lives. It’s up to LGBTQ network and studio heads to demand those writers and actors get equal chances to tell our story. For the everyday amazing person to help us take on this fight. A fight for the future of the young kid walking the halls of a high school thinking that today is the day they will end their life because they’re different. It’s time that we all stop allowing people to think we are in such small numbers. We aren’t. We have merely allowed them to think that as we hide in our closets and pretend, even to ourselves, that we are invisible. We are not invisible. We are real.” The crowd stood in applause. “We are artists. We are actors. We are sports figures. WE. ARE. AMAZING. We deserve love. We are here, and we aren’t going away. And we WILL stand for the kids who don’t have a voice. We will stand for the ones who are taken to camps, and treated like animals, in the hope that they will change. We must stand together. We must make a better world to leave for these children. I can live with being the person that some look at with disdain in their eyes, because that means someone else is looking at me with hope in theirs. To that teenager in school: You are perfect the way you are. You are wanted, and you are loved. You are valuable, and you are irreplaceable. We, the world, need you just the way you are. You are the one who someday will be someone else’s strength. Stay with us and help us fight. We need you for who you are.” The crowd’s cheering was shaking the cameras at this point. “Thank you for this award.” Lochlan saw Vanessa wipe a tear off her cheek. “Vanessa, I love you more than I ever thought imaginable. Thank you for giving me the reason and strength to be the person that I always wanted to be. You are my invisible fighter. Thank you.” To the sounds of deafening applause from her peers, Lochlan Paige walked off that stage a ne
w, improved, and passionate fighter. She would continue to work for equality and be a voice for the unheard even when, three years later, she would take on her most treasured role: mom.

  About the Author

  A longtime writer of fan fiction, B.D. Grayson decided that it was time to start writing for more than just fun. She wanted to tell her own stories with characters she had created. Diagnosed with dyslexia as a young child, B.D. found reading more of a chore than a hobby. But she has always been an avid audiobook listener, and she has written fiction since she was a teenager. B.D. developed tools to help with her learning disability, but she still enjoys the ease of listening to a good book.

  She married her longtime partner in August 2016. They call Tennessee home.

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