Page 104 of Two Hit Wonder

"We didn't die."

"I gathered that from the fact that you're calling me and not a paramedic." Glinna's voice was warm and dry. "I watched it online, you know. The whole thing. The kids too. Even Neil, despite the lack of tractors. I’d have had Eejit in, but she poos on the rug."

"You watched it?"

"Of course I watched it. I've been watching you hide from the world for fifteen years. I wasn't going to miss you finally stopping." There was a pause. "Was it worth it?"

Maeve looked across the backstage area, through the chaos and the noise and the crying and the celebrating. Iona was standing by the water station, talking to Cam, laughing at something. Her face was flushed. Her eyes were bright. She looked up and caught Maeve's gaze and smiled, just for her.

"I don't know yet," Maeve said honestly. "But I think so."

"Then you know what you have to do."

Maeve did. She'd known for a while now, really. She just hadn't been brave enough to do it. "Yeah," she said. "I do."

"Good. Now go. Stop calling me and go be happy, you ridiculous woman."

"I love you too, Glinna."

"Pfft." But she could hear the smile in Glinna's voice. "Call me tomorrow. I want details."

Maeve hung up and made her way through the crowd until she reached Iona. Then she stopped, unsure.

"Hey," Iona said.

"Hey." Maeve took a breath. "Can we talk? Somewhere slightly less…"

"Insane?"

"I was going to say loud, but insane works."

They found a spot behind a stack of equipment cases, slightly removed from the worst of the chaos. It wasn't private, exactly, but it was close enough.

"I need to say something," Maeve started.

"You don't have to…"

"I do." Maeve held up a hand. "I know you've forgiven me for the punch. For running away, for all of it. But I need to say this anyway." She met Iona's eyes. "I'm sorry. For everything. For who I was back then, for the way I hurt you, for the fifteen years I wasted being too afraid to come back. I'm not that person anymore. I don't want to be that person anymore."

Iona reached out and took her hand. "I know. That's why I renamed the band."

"What?"

"The Stage Women." Iona smiled. "We're not who we used to be. We're all different. But better, somehow. Don't you think?"

Maeve thought about it. About Cam, who had somehow turned her chaos into cunning. About Ellie, who was facing something terrifying and refusing to face it alone. About Iona, who had spent fifteen years carrying a torch and had finally set it down.

About herself.

"Yeah," she said. "Better."

"So." Iona squeezed her hand. "What now?"

"Don't you know?"

Iona laughed. "I have no idea. I only know one thing."

"What's that?"