Epilogue
Three months later
STREET PERFORMER ED WINS TALENT COMPETITION
EYES WIDE I stare at the headline in the newspaper.
Val sets a steaming mug of coffee down in front of me and plants a kiss on the crown of my head.
He joins me at the table, sweeps a thick layer of peanut butter onto his bread, then tops it with a huge pile of chocolate sprinkles.
Yep, the love of my life has a ten-year-old’s taste in breakfast foods.
He takes a bite, then gives me an inquisitive look. Interesting news?
Definitely. I actually met him once upon a time, I reply, pointing at the picture of Ed, beaming as he holds up his trophy and prize cheque.
Eduard—but you can call me Ed—de Vries is the proud winner of one hundred thousand euros and a brand new record deal.
Ed managed to charm the entire nation with his vocal performances throughout the show.
Receiving a whopping 86% of audience votes, the smooth-voiced singer from Utrecht left his opponent Patricia far behind him in second place.
When asking him how he feels about his win, Ed shrugs modestly, giving me an almost apologetic look in reply.
I would have been just as happy for Patricia to get the win.
She’s incredibly talented and she worked really long and hard for this.
Me, I’m just making it all up as I go—and turns out people like it.
It’s obvious that Ed struggles to grasp his own talent. The entire panel of judges was moved by his rendition of Imagine during the auditions.
When I ask him what inspires the emotion he pours into his music, he shrugs again.
I’ve been through a lot in my life. I’ve lost loved ones, I lost my job and my home .
. . Those kinds of experiences change a person.
I always struggled to talk to people about that, but it was even harder to keep those emotions locked inside.
No matter how much of a cliché this might seem: that was when I discovered music.
Music is my creative outlet. My release.
Singing brings me a sense of relief. It’s like I can finally say what I need to say, without putting it into exact words.
If I’m being honest, I’m not even sure how I could put my feelings into words.
And I think that’s the crux of it all—you’re singing the feeling behind the song, more than the words themselves.
And I guess that’s what I managed to pull off.
Some major names in the music industry have already approached Ed to open for their live shows. If you ask me, Ed’s future looks pretty bright.
With a huge grin on my face, I close the paper. Now that’s the kind of news I like to read on a Monday morning.
Busy day today? Val says, curiosity in his silver eyes.
Before replying, I take a sip of coffee—Val added the correct two scoops of sugar and a splash of milk.
Yeah, Robin wants us to meet with that new client together.
I guess the last meeting wasn’t quite enough to convince him to hire us, but she thinks my Disney brainwaves might be able to get him on board.
I mean, the last time someone applied your Disney brainwaves to a situation, the results were pretty great, he chuckles.
Hey, how’s your new assistant working out?
Obviously, no one could ever compare to my previous assistant, he replies, brow furrowed, before leaning in for a kiss. But he’s trying.
When he pulls back a little, my eyes linger on his lips, my thoughts drifting back to all the tricks his mouth performed last night. I bite my lip. As if he can read what I’m thinking, the corner of his mouth quirks up and his pupils widen.
He leans in again for a long, intoxicating kiss and when he breaks away, he moves his lips up to my ear. I’m looking forward to tonight, he whispers, his hand trailing along the inside of my thigh as he gently teases my hair with an exhale.
A wide smile pulls across my lips.
That makes two of us.