Chapter 51
Maya
I watch with emotion as Josh's father wraps his arms around his son. They have made peace with each other, just as I have with my own father.
Josh's mother can no longer hold back her tears. I can only imagine how long she has been waiting for this day.
In the darkness of the hallway behind her, two figures appear. I immediately recognize one of them.
"Sophia!" I exclaim.
I observe her expression closely. She must have seen Josh and me kissing on stage. Perhaps she is confused or even disturbed. But I don't see any of that on her face as she hops along the hallway in her pretty summer dress. Behind her, I now notice Jasmin, quietly observing the scene from a distance.
I crouch down, and Sophia is already by my side. "Are you in love with Daddy?" she asks, wrinkling her nose.
My gaze flickers to Josh, who has just released himself from his father's embrace. He looks so carefree and happy, just like I feel.
"Quite in love, actually," I confess, with a tone of longing. Then I reach for Sophia's hand. "What do you think about that?"
"Daddy missed you so much in Paris," she says instead of answering me. "I wanted to comfort him, but I couldn't. Only you can do that."
Filled with pride, I look at her. "Thank you for taking care of him."
She grins with satisfaction, but then Sophia's expression becomes thoughtful. Her index finger moves to her chin. "Are you going to be my new mommy?"
"Nothing will change between us. And nothing will change between you, your daddy, and your mommy either." I lovingly stroke her upper arm. "Maybe you'll be with your daddy more often in the future than before. That would be great, wouldn't it?"
She turns up the corners of her mouth and nods. "Yep. That sounds super," she quickly says, then skips off to her father. I shake my head, watching her go. That little one is always full of surprises.
The area around us becomes hectic. Stage crew members rush past, other performers populate the hallway, and the host sounds like he's about to announce a sensation. The audience’s cheers and whistles are deafening.
Within seconds, I realize what is happening.
The time has come. The music award is being presented.