Page 134 of August Lane
Emma:
Do you talk often? I know you attended her wedding.
Jojo:
We’re trying. You haven’t asked me why I canceled the show, but I’m going to tell you anyway, because I know there’s all kinds of rumors floating around. It wasn’t death threats that made me cancel. It was the press about me being a good mother. I’m not. I never was. That was forced on me, by Theo and Birdie. August knew that, which made it hard to get close to her. I could never relax with that girl because she was always working so hard to prove she wasn’t a mistake. But all she did was drag me back to that time where I had no control over my life. I didn’t want the same thing to happen in front of a million people. I couldn’t do it.Yes, we’re better now. She’s happy and I’m happy for her, even though I’m keeping an eye on that husband of hers. That independent publishing company she founded, Firefly? That’s all hers. Their group is called August Lane because she’s the star of that band. I’ll make sure he never forgets that.
Emma:
After everything that happened, I’m sure he won’t.
Jojo:
[laughs] He’s got a good heart, though. And they’re making music out of love, regardless of what anyone calls it. I envy them. I wish I still loved it as much as I did when I started. I miss making music for the sake of it. Doesn’t matter if people like it. They don’t want to play you on redneck radio, that’s fine. The music is still there. You sang it. You recorded it. This vision in your mind is something you can feel and hear, and that should be enough. That’s what real love is. An act of worship. Something worthy of sacrifice because the mere doing sustains you. We all become foolish when we love, but that’s what makes it special. Can you imagine life without it? No foolishness. Only a string of good choices and easy straight roads until the end.There’d be nothing to look back on. No evidence of who you are.
“Another Love Song”
Lyrics by August Lane, Music by Luke Randall
Verse
I’m frozen in place
My heart’s gone numb
But you keep breaking the part that still feels something
It’s clear on my face
Can’t lie while I strum
And folks always cry when I sing this one
Pre-Chorus
Tired of talking
Tired of standing still
Want the tempo to take me
