25. AVA
AVA
Working with Daisy and her classmates, teaching them music while having fun at the same time, has proven to be so therapeutic for me.
Besides the scare with my family that was sorted weeks ago by Zane agreeing to watch over me, the rest of it has been amazing.
I love interacting with them, coaching different vocal ranges, and getting taken back to where I started.
I didn’t realize it at first, but I was slowly losing my passion for the arts.
However, these fifteen kids have brought back my love of music.
They have reminded me just how fun it can be when you do what you love without the constraints that come with working for a label that controls all the music you put out there.
Currently, we’re working on a specific piece because the kids have a recital coming up in three weeks, and we’ve been working hard toward it. It coincides perfectly with my last weekend here, so I’m doing my best to conclude my time with them in a splendid way.
“Okay, guys, a fifteen-minute break, then we get back to the second half,” I announce when we hit the one-and-a-half-hour mark.
They’re amazing kids, but asking them to sit still for three hours doing the same thing is pushing them too hard, so I learned early on to give them constant breaks. That way, I ensure that they stay engaged when it’s time to get down to business.
My eyes wander to Zane, who is watching us from the corner he has been perching himself on every Saturday he has been accompanying us here. I hold up my empty water bottle and he gives me a thumbs up, getting up and walking out of the class.
Daisy chooses to sit with me during the break instead of interacting with her classmates.
“Ava, can I ask you something?”
“Of course, sweetheart, anything.”
“Are you Uncle Zane’s girlfriend?” she inquires, catching me off-guard.
I thought she was going to ask me something related to the class or the upcoming recital. Isn’t that too mature of a question for a six-year-old? Nonetheless, I’ve told her that she can ask me anything, so I have no choice but to try.
I’m about to answer when I realize that I don’t have a yes or no answer to that question. Am I Zane’s girlfriend? I can’t say yes, but I can’t say no either since we haven’t defined our relationship. We confessed our feelings, but I’m not exactly sure what we are.
I end up taking too long to answer because Daisy keeps on talking.
“Daddy says that you are. Does that mean you’ll marry Uncle Zane and become my auntie?” she prods further.
Slow down, girl. I don’t even know what we are, and now you’re talking about marriage.
But she looks so expectant, and to be honest, it is a future I have let myself consider when it comes to Zane and me, so I indulge her.
“I hope so. Would you like that?”
She nods enthusiastically. “Yes, then you can teach me how to sing forever. I want to be a big star like you.”
Aww.
“Then you’re on the right track—I started exactly where you are,” I inspire her.
Daisy is lucky to have a dad like Jace who encourages her gently instead of shoving his own dreams down her throat like my mother did with me.
I know all the Morgans are really into rodeo, so Daisy might go down that path, but she’s also being allowed to explore other options like her love for music.
For my mother, it was her way or her way—no in-between.
Just thinking about her makes me shiver as a chill runs through my body.
I really did suffer at the hands of that woman, but I’m so glad that I no longer have to deal with her thanks to the Morgans.
Maybe if my father was still alive, my life would have taken a different direction, but that’s just wishful thinking.
Daisy requests to be excused so she can go to the bathroom, and when I spot Ella going in the same direction, I wave at her to wait for her niece. Left alone, I walk around the room, chatting up a few students as I wait for the break to be over so class can resume.
A commotion at the door draws my attention away from a little girl who is telling me all about her dreams to become an opera singer.
Blood drains from my face when I look up to find my mother headed my way, like a predator toward unsuspecting prey. My stepfather and stepbrother are by the door, no doubt keeping an eye out for Zane and Ella.
My eyes dart around in fear, looking for help, but I quickly realize that I’m all alone here with a bunch of kids who might now be in danger because of me. Everything in me is telling me to run for my life just like I did last time, but for some reason, my feet are frozen in place.
“Didn’t I tell you that this demeaning job was beneath you?” she screeches as soon as she gets to me.
She looks livid to see me teaching this class as if I didn’t have teachers once upon a time.
Since my body has decided we’re not going anywhere, I might as well stand up for myself. I’ve never had the chance to do that before—I’ve always run from them—but now I don’t want to anymore. Plus, now that I know the whole truth about what happened with Zane, it’s easier to confront her.
“It’s not up to you what I can and can’t do. You don’t call the shots in my life anymore, remember,” I decree, trying to sound more confident than I feel.
“When will you stop being so insolent and come back home? This rebellious phase of yours has gone on long enough,” she scolds.
I scoff and nearly break out in laughter, but I hold back, not wanting to escalate the situation.
“Please leave, Mother. You and I have no business together, and you’re scaring the kids,” I request as politely as I can.
“I am not leaving this place unless you are coming with me. I made you—you are Ava freaking Noa because I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into building your career, and I will be damned if you cut me off because you’re throwing a tantrum,” she yells, her voice getting louder and louder.
The more she speaks, the more I realize that it’s impossible to have a rational conversation with her. She wants to do this here and now? Fine, we might as well get it over and done with.
“A tantrum? You think I cut you off because I’m throwing a tantrum? Estevan tried to r— take advantage of me, and you took his side!” I scream back, filtering my words since we have kids in the room.
My eyes dart to the door, and I find Estevan’s eyes on me, staring at me with a wolfish grin that leaves me feeling disgustingly dirty. I need to take a bleach shower after this.
“You’re still on that? He said you misread the situation,” she defends, using the same words she did then.
“Misread? Are you fu— freaking kidding me? Why do you keep taking his side?! I am your child, not him.”
Before she can reply, I keep at it. “That aside, how could you do that to me, Mom?”
She rolls her eyes, looking fed up with me, but I’m just getting started. “Do what?”
“Fuel my guilt to keep me away from Zane. He tried to reach out after the accident, but you barred him and made me think that he hated me and was going to sue us. You took advantage of my guilt.”
“I did that to protect you.”
I can’t stop the snicker that leaves my lips from her fake words. “Oh please, your intention wasn’t to protect me. You just wanted to imprison me and take advantage of me.”
“That man was never right for you. He didn’t even let me see you on your birthday,” she shrieks.
“What are you talking about?”
“I came to Iron Stallion on your birthday, and they didn’t let us in,” she informs me.
This is new information to me, but it makes sense now that I think about it. So that’s why Zane looked so pissed after disappearing that day?
“That was upon my request—I asked them to keep you away from me,” I defend.
She looks even more offended by my admission, but I don’t care. Thanks to Zane’s efforts, I was able to enjoy my birthday for the first time. He stood up for me, and now I’m going to follow his lead and not let my mother bully me ever again.
“This is the last time I’m going to ask this of you—stay away from me before I’m forced to file a restraining order against you,” I warn her.
“You’d do that to your own mother?” she gasps, looking hurt, clasping her hand over her chest.
“No, but I’d do it to the woman who keeps trying to ruin my life at every turn,” I retort.
She’s about to say more when the noise at the door gets louder.
I turn just in time to see Zane putting Estevan in a headlock and dragging him away, his father chasing after them.
Upon seeing this, my mother takes off as well, screaming at Zane to let go of her precious son.
I roll my eyes, not even bothering to go see what Zane does with them.
He can kill Estevan for all I care—one less vermin in the world.
Ella rushes into the room and pulls me in for a hug. “Are you okay?” she asks, pulling back briefly to examine me for any injuries.
“I’m fine. What about you guys?” I inquire, checking in on Daisy as well.
She looks rattled, as do the rest of the kids.
“We’re okay,” she assures me.
Frida, who had been locked out as well, joins us, and together we’re able to calm the kids down. Not much teaching goes on after, so we just play singing games until it’s time for pickup.
Zane comes back a few minutes before class ends, and he looks livid. His knuckles are bruised and he’s wearing a different shirt. I don’t even want to know why he changed.
He pulls me aside and hugs me tight. “I am so sorry.”
“Why are you sorry?”
“I was too late.”
I cup his face and make him look at me, shaking my head at him. “I’m okay. You arrived just in time,” I assure him.
He still doesn’t believe me, so I wrap my arms around him and use my body language to calm him down.
“They will never hurt you again,” he promises.
The conviction in his words leaves no room for doubt. Unknowingly, Zane gave me the strength to stand up for myself, and more than ever I’m grateful to him for always protecting me.