June knew the moment she stepped into that bar things would change for her. She just wasn’t sure how much. Memories of her old life rushed into her mind. She wasn’t prepared but she was sure of one thing. Nick wasn’t going to see her sweat. Shifting her way through the crowd of people, a haze of smoke smacking her in the face. Deliberately, she stood way back near the bar. She felt butterflies in her stomach.
There he was on stage. Hovered over the microphone. One hand wrapped around it while he sang. His eyes were mellow and voice confident as ever. It surprised her to see how much he’d changed in such a short time. He looked rested. Immediately, she was captivated by his soothing voice. He was talented she admitted. Had she tried to take that away from him? Not on purpose. The thought made her angry, but she couldn’t decide who she was angrier at, him or herself.
Her eyes swung over to Alice. Long blonde hair, slightly tan and dressed as if she was in her twenties again. How could she compete? She didn’t want to, and she knew deep down she shouldn’t have to. He vowed to love her.
Tom handed her a drink with a cherry on top. “You look like you could use this.”
She smiled gently. “This place smells just like I remember it, cigarette smoke and alcohol.”
“Yeah, these kind of places never change.”
June squirmed at the thought. She was thirty-six years old now and had Melody. The only thing she liked about the place was the stage. Everything else was superficial. But here she was chasing her husband down. And though everything told her to run away she wasn’t going to give in. She had come a long way. It was time to put her fears aside and face the demons.
After the set was over, she watched Nick leave the stage and mosey his way toward the bar. She wasn’t sure how she was going to let her presence known. She nearly stepped forward before she decided how foolish that would be.
“Excuse me.” Alice shimmied her way in between Tom and her.
June’s eyes flickered.
“I know you,” Alice said.
I know you too, you’re the slut that took my husband away from me, she thought to herself.
“You’re June Waters…I used to play your music in my car nonstop!”
“I’m June Sparrow now or at least I—”
“Can I—” She paused. It must have taken Alice a minute to realize the connection. “I’m sorry…What did you just say?”
It pained her to explain but she didn’t come here for the drink. “Nick’s wife…”
“Huh…Nick never told me he was married to a famous country singer.”
“Yeah, I bet he didn’t.”
“Look, I know this might sound crazy…but I have to ask…Will you sing ‘All I Want to be is Home’ for me on stage?”
“Oh no, I couldn’t.” June peered over Alice’s shoulder toward Nick. He hadn’t noticed her yet, which made her even more furious.
“You have no idea how much I idolized you when I was younger.” Alice’s eyes widened. “You just have to say yes. It would make me the happiest girl in the South.”
That was the last thing June wanted.
Tom pulled June to the side. “This is crazy…but I think you should. Why not? For old times’ sake.”
“Absolutely not. I didn’t come here for this.”
“It’ll be good for you.”
June shook her head no.
“It’s only one song,” Tom said. “And if you want, we can go after that.”
“I didn’t come all this way to make Alice’s night the best night of her life!”
“This isn’t about her. It’s about you. You can’t tell me that you don’t miss being up there on that stage.”
June shook her head again. “I hate you.”
“Does that mean you’ll do it?”
“What the hell.” June grabbed Tom’s shirt and dragged him up on stage with her. He picked up an acoustic guitar and sat on a stool next to her. June held her breath and looked out at the dark shadows in the crowd. The warm lights and crowd faded away as June introduced herself. “It’s been a long time.” She pauses. “But here I am, so let’s give this thing a whirl—shall we?”
The lyrics were inspired by her homestead in Franklin, Tennessee. Even now the lyrics still had a place in her heart.
I don’t want to be in the great unknown
All I want to be is home
So, take me there, and let me be
I’ll be fine, and we’ll be free
A place for us to grow together
A place for us to live forever
Suddenly, June stopped singing. But the crowd never wavered. They cheered her on which gave her the momentum to continue. It sparked an old feeling in her. One that she thought she had buried real deep within. But the more she sang, the more she forgot about her problems. She looked at Tom and smiled.
When she finished the song, Tom hugged her, and whispered, “I’m proud of you.”
She blushed. “I can’t believe I just did that.”
Tom squeezed her tight. “Why June Sparrow…I do believe you were born to do that.”
Grinning ear to ear, Tom and June walked back toward the bar area where Nick and Alice were.
“Is that lipstick you’re wearing?” Nick asked June.
“Is it a crime to wear lipstick?”
“You look pretty.” Nick leaned in closer. June realized why she was there and backed away.
June shook Alice’s hand. “Thank you for that. Can I buy you a drink?”
Alice rubbed her tummy. “No thank you. I’m four months pregnant.”
June glared at Nick. Her teeth clenched. Tension filled the moment. In a blur of fear and anger and so much uncertainty, she couldn’t remember how to breathe because that baby meant two things for her. A new beginning and an end.
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