Page 19 of Hope & Harmony

She gives my forearm a squeeze before she pulls her hand back to grab her drink. “The offer is always there, Lucca.”

Am I an idiot? She’s offering to teach me something that most likely will take a lot of time, which would give me an in with her. It’ll at least give me the ability to spend more time with Maddy, and there’s nothing I want more right now than that.

“Let’s tackle your lyrics, and we can talk about my voice another time.”

“Your speaking voice is dreamy. I can imagine your singing voice as something deep and soulful.”

“If deep and soulful sounds like a dying animal, then yes, that’s exactly how I sound.”

Maddy tips her head back and laughs. “Stop it,” she says through her laughter as she waves her hand between us. “It can’t be that bad.”

“Not even my mother likes my voice, and she loves everything about me. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body, but I’m forbidden from even singing ‘Happy Birthday’.”

Maddy gasps. “You’re lying.”

I chuckle. “My mother is the only person in the world who says I have a nice singing voice. She’s lying, of course, but she was never able to say anything negative to her children.”

“She sounds lovely,” Maddy breathes.

“What about your parents?”

“They don’t talk to me anymore. When I dropped out of college to follow my dream of becoming a musician, they said they washed their hands of me, and I haven’t heard from them since.”

I wonder if that’s where the heartbreak in most of her songs comes from. I can’t imagine my parents disowning me and never speaking to them again. They’re an important part of my life and have supported every stupid idea and decision I’ve ever made.

“I’m sorry.”

She waves me off. “I’ve come to terms with it. It’s fine.” She has a sadness on her face when she speaks.

But I don’t believe the words she’s saying. There’s no way a person can be okay with their parents forgetting they exist.

“What do you do at the holidays?” I ask her, genuinely interested.

“I usually work. All the bars are open, and since I don’t have a family, my availability is wide open, which makes most bar owners very happy.”

“You shouldn’t work on a holiday, especially Christmas.”

“It beats sitting at home alone, watching old Christmas movies about happy families.”

“That’s it. This Christmas, you’re going to come with me to my parents. I refuse to let you be alone, Maddy.”

“You don’t need to do that.”

“I thought we were friends, and as soon as I tell my mother, she’ll insist.”

“I’m sure the last thing she wants is one more mouth to feed.”

“You don’t know my mother.”

Maddy stares at me, a soft smile on her face. “Is your family as nice as you?”

“For the most part.”

“Who isn’t?”

“My brother can be intimidating.”

“I think I know who he is. I’ve seen you in here with him a few times. Heisintimidating.”

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