Rayna walked off the stage at the Grand Ole Opry and scanned the people in the wings of the stage.

Maddie and Daphne were with Teddy and Vince. It looked like Luke and Colt were gone. She scanned the faces again. Where was Deacon?

She waved to the girls and walked back toward the dressing rooms.

"Steve, did you see which way Deacon went?" she asked Steve Buchanan as he stood talking with Lorrie Morgan.

"Great job, tonight, Rayna," Lorrie said, reaching out to touch Rayna's arm.

"Thanks, honey, 'preciate you bein' here," Rayna replied.

"I saw him go back to his dressing room," Steve answered. "He was around the corner, third one down."

"Thanks," Rayna replied as she headed toward the hall of dressing rooms. She stopped outside the door with Deacon's name on it, tapped and then pushed the door open when no one answered.

It was empty. No guitars, no clothes, no Deacon.

Ten years earlier

Rayna looked down at the baby sleeping in the crib. This one was so different from her first. Maddie had been fussy but Daphne was such an easy baby.

Rayna tried to not think that it was because of personal circumstance, but she would have been the first to admit that she was much more relaxed with this baby than she had been with the first. Of course, Teddy was the only one who knew why exactly that was.

"She sleeping?"

Rayna looked over at Teddy at the door and nodded. She walked over to him and pulled the door to the nursery closed behind her.

"The child is just so easy," she said, smiling at her husband.

"Maybe we should have another one," Teddy suggested.

Rayna laughed and shook her head. "I don't know about that. I think two is a nice round number. Besides, Bucky's got me booked for the Opry this weekend and I'm just barely back into my boots and rhinestones. I never thought my feet were going to be a normal shape again after the last six weeks with this one."

Teddy smiled. "Okay. Well, we'll talk again in a couple of years. Two gorgeous daughters is a good start, but might be nice to have a little boy around here as well."

Rayna leaned in and kissed him. "We can talk about it."

"Mama," a small voice called down the hall from the kitchen.

"Yes, baby," Rayna said as she walked toward Maddie.

"Uncle Watty's on the phone. He has to talk to you," Maddie advised her.

"Well, you tell Uncle Watty that I'll be right there," Rayna replied.

She filled a glass of water and walked over to where Maddie waited patiently with the phone.

"Hey, Watty," she said as she sat down on the couch in the family room.

"Ray, I hear you're playing the Opry this weekend," Watty said.

"Yep, first step back to the road, I guess," Rayna replied. "Daphne's three months old and I think I'm back into fighting shape."

"I was wondering if I might ask for the honor of doing a duet with you," Watty inquired. "Something I've had around for a while, wrote for an old friend."

"Something I know?" Rayna asked as she put her feet up on the coffee table in front of her.

"Not sure," Watty replied. "It's called The Rivers Between Us."

"Well, I would never turn down the chance to share the stage with you. I hadn't really thought about what I was going to do. I've got a couple of new ones, but I really need some new material."

"Have you thought about writing with Deacon again?" Watty asked.

Rayna shook her head. "No, I mean, we wrote a lot of great stuff back in the day, but Watty, I haven't seen him or really talked to him for I don't know-maybe three years? It would be pretty hard to call him out of the blue and talk about writing again. And anyways…"

"It's complicated?" Watty offered.

"Yeah, that's a word for it," Rayna answered. "Plus, things are really good here now with the baby, Teddy, me. It's been good being off the road for a bit, having some real family time."

They made arrangements to meet at Watty's studio to practice the duet and then Rayna hung up.

Write with Deacon again? As tempting as it was, there was no way she was opening that can of worms back up again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, give a big Grand Ole Opry welcome to one of our favorite guests, Miss Rayna Jaymes!"

Rayna headed onto stage, lifting her arms in greeting to the audience.

"Aw, thanks y'all, you're so sweet!" she called out as she reached the mike at the center of stage.

She turned back to the band and nodded as her guitarist, Jimmy, began playing the opening chords of her new song, Already Gone.

It was amazing to be back out on the stage, in front of the cheering audience. She smiled as she looked back at the band. She was home.

They finished the song to cheers from the audience.

"Thanks y'all. Means so much to me. As you know, I've been away for a little while welcoming my amazing baby girl, Daphne. And this week I got the sweetest offer from a good friend of mine. Mr. Watty White asked if I would sing a duet with him. So, please give a big Opry welcome to my dear friend, Watty White!"

Watty walked onto stage and gave Rayna a big hug.

"What a night, Rayna! You are as lovely as ever," he began. "But before there's any more singing, I need to ask you a question."

"What's that, Watty?" Rayna replied, smiling at him.

"Well, I'm wondering if you'd like to spend a little more time around these parts."

"Well, I'm happy to come whenever y'all have me," Rayna answered.

Watty smiled back at her. "Well, that's mighty good to hear, because Rayna Jaymes...you're the newest member of the Grand Ole Opry!"

Rayna looked over to see Vince Gill and Little Jimmy Dickens standing there holding a small trophy signifying her membership.

"Oh gosh!" she exclaimed. "For real?"

The men each hugged her as tears began to fall down Rayna's face.

"And I'm real sorry, Ray, I can't sing tonight," Watty explained as he coughed. "But I found the best fill-in I could get on short notice."

Rayna turned to find Deacon next to her. Damn Watty. He had orchestrated this. Deacon came over to give her a hug, pulling her close.

"This gonna be okay, Ray?" he whispered in her ear.

She nodded slowly, pulling back from him, looking over to catch Teddy in the wings holding Daphne in his left arm, Maddie's little hand in his right. She quickly looked back at Deacon.

The opening chords on the piano brought her attention back. Deacon came in on the guitar. She took a deep breath and they began to sing.

The rivers between us are deep
And dark as the secrets we keep
We stand on the shores
Time running by at our feet
Oh, the rivers between us are deep

Our love is like the moon
Rising too fast and faded too soon
This night will soon be gone
Help me hold on

There are kingdoms to keep us apart
So we live out our lives in the dark
Love has a way of making you pay with your heart
There are kingdoms to keep us apart

Our love is like the moon
Rising too fast and faded too soon
This night will soon be gone
Help me hold on

She started into Deacon's eyes as he held the last note. Oh god, what had they gotten themselves into?

Rayna came off the stage and headed straight to Deacon's dressing room. What did this mean? She knocked. And knocked again. Finally she pushed the door open. It was empty. No guitars, no clothes, no Deacon.

TBC

This story might play a little fast and loose with Rayna and Deacon's timeline, so please forgive me if I'm a little elastic with what happened when and where...

The title is from a amazing song by Brandy Carlile and of course The Rivers Between Us is written by the fantastic JD Souther.