Chapter 6

There was singing outside of the dressing room, and I walked ahead of Piero, tugging him behind me, excited to reach the sound.

"That's Gianluca and Ignazio warming up," he explained, hurrying to catch up with me. "I'll introduce you."

He led me down the hallway to the stage, and received a microphone and some kind of earplugs from a stagehand.

He placed his hand gently around my waist and guided me to the middle of the stage, where Gianluca and Ignazio were singing, their rich voices echoing throughout the theatre. Ignazio noticed Piero and made a goofy face, and then smiled brightly when he noticed me and drew his song to a close. Gianluca turned to him and then to me.

"Ah, Piero!" he said, lowering his microphone.

"We thought you were skipping out on us," Ignazio teased, reaching up and adjusting his earplugs.

"Nope, I'm staying," Piero said, grinning. "And I brought a date."

He pulled me closer to him by my hip and smiled sweetly down at me.

"This is Julia."

"Hello," I said, lifting the bottom of my dress and giving a slight curtsy. "I know you two! You're Gianluca and Ignazio, right?"

"I hope so," Ignazio said, "If not, we need to find them quickly; they have a concert to do!"

Piero cuffed him gently and I laughed, and Gianluca made his way around both of them to hug me first and give me a quick kiss on the cheek. I blushed, and he stepped back to let Ignazio do the same.

"Go on and warm up," I encouraged, "Don't let me distract you."

I looked around at the empty theatre seats, but Piero took my hand in his.

"Stay up here with us until the crowd gets here," he said, then spoke with the other boys about musical stuff I didn't understand while I slipped out of his grasp and went to the edge of the stage. I looked around at all of the seats in quiet fascination.

The boys started to sing behind me, and I turned and caught Piero's eye.

He grinned and came to me, taking my hand and pulling me back to the other boys. As he began to sing, he put a hand around my waist to dance with me, and I put my arms around his neck.

He playfully danced around the stage with me, taking my hand and spinning me, and then pulling me swiftly back to him.

Some men came onto the stage to speak with them and check different things, and Piero left me momentarily to talk with them, leaving me to look around again at the vast theatre. Hundreds of empty seats faced the stage in an eager wait to hear the boys perform. The seats surrounded the stage in an elegant arc and ascended into a romantic balcony.

"We're ready to perform," Piero said to me when they left, "We just need the audience! They should be getting here soon, so we're going to hang out backstage. Stay with me until it's almost time to begin, alright?"

I nodded, and we went to a sort of lounge backstage, and I sat with the boys.

Piero told Gianluca and Ignazio the story of how we met, and then they asked me questions about my schooling and my job at the hospital. I told them funny stories about the children I cared for, and when I eventually got up to take my seat for the concert, they complained.

"Must you leave?" Piero asked, reaching out for my hand.

I bent down to him and tapped my nail on his watch.

"You have to sing, Piero, remember?"

He grinned up at me, his eyes shining.

"I love the way you speak about the children at the hospital," Ignazio said thoughtfully, and I turned to him. "It's as if they were your own."

I smiled at him and Piero stood up and kissed me on the cheek.

"We'll see you in a little while, okay?"

I nodded and slipped my hand out of his, waved to the other boys, then daintily held up the bottom of my gown up to walk out of the lounge and to my seat.

The theatre was getting crowded and noisy, and was filled with a wide variety of people. There were screaming young girls who couldn't wait to get a glimpse of the boys as well as old couples sitting patiently for the concert to start, and a nice mix of people in between. I was approached by some families who recognized me from the children's hospital, and I was hugged and kissed by some former patients.

When the lights dimmed and the music started, everyone hurried to their seats and stood, straining too see the boys.

Everyone applauded excitedly when Gianluca strolled onto the stage, and then again and again when Ignazio and then Piero followed. They sang something called "We Are Love," and the crowd adored it.

The people on the edge of the stage held up their hands to the boys whenever they passed, but I rested my elbow on the side of the stage and leaned my chin on it, watching Piero admiringly as he sang. His voice was sweet and powerful, and he looked very comfortable and happy on the stage.

When the song ended and they addressed the crowd, Piero could not resist playing around with Ignazio. I laughed at his antics and sat down with the rest of the crowd, stepping back from the side of the stage.

Piero was silly and excited at having the attention of hundreds of people. His happy-go-lucky nature was evident as he showed off his dance moves on stage and constantly joked around with Ignazio. But despite all the silliness, he poured his whole heart into every song, stunning the audience and me along with them.

When they sang "Little Things," the boys came and sat at the edge of the stage, and Piero came and purposefully sat right in front of me. I shared a smile with him from my seat, and the girls beside me squealed and took pictures of him.

Later on, when the boys sang "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," Piero hopped down from the stage and came to me, taking my hand and tugging it, inviting me to go onstage with him. I blushed, but clung to his arm when he offered it to me. He led me down the aisle and up the steps to the stage. Gianluca and Ignazio smiled at Piero, and he led me to the piano and gently lifted me up to sit on it. He took my hand in his and came up close to me, his middle pressing against my legs. He sang sweetly just to me, and I gazed at him, my eyes never leaving his handsome face.

When the song ended and he lifted me back down, he kissed my cheek and led me back to my seat amid the admiration of the crowd.

"Thank you, Piero," I said softly to him, smiling, my heart racing, and he smiled back and squeezed my hand affectionately before jogging back up to the stage.

When they had finished the final song and told the audience good-night, Piero came to the edge of the stage and jumped down to speak with me.

"Will you stay with me for a while longer?"

"I want to stay."

"Great! We're going to make our dramatic exit, and then come find me at the meet-and-greet."

He went back up and the boys took a last bow and received their standing ovation.

I followed the crowd to the meet-and-greet, and when Piero glimpsed me in the crowd, he fought his way to me and led me to his signing table, bringing me behind it to separate me from the swarm of people.

He signed papers, took pictures, and spoke with everyone who approached him. I sat beside him and watched him interact with the fans. I began to get sleepy after a while, as time passed and the evening grew late. When I leaned my head on my hand, he pulled me up and danced with me for a minute before all the fans, and when I was laughing and breathless he sat me back down and returned to them, resting his hand on my knee underneath the table.

When everyone had greeted the boys, they said their last good-nights to the lingering crowd and retreated to their cars, going back through private hallways to escape the fans.

Piero rested his hand around my waist and led me to his car.

"What did you think?" he asked as he unlocked the door and we got in.

I smiled and leaned over the seat to kiss his cheek.

"Wonderful, Piero! It was wonderful!"

He smiled brilliantly at me and didn't stop smiling. I laughed at the sweet expression and then stopped when he leaned toward me. He pressed his lips softly against mine, and when he pulled back and smiled at me, I got quiet and then smiled in excitement at him. He laughed and then backed out of the parking lot.

He was in a joyful mood, and he sang and made faces at me and snapped his fingers to make me laugh.

But as we approached my house, his expression went from joyful to reflective, and I watched him quietly.

I didn't comment, hoping he wouldn't say what he was thinking, but he did.

"I'm worried about you, Julia. I'm scared to bring you to your house if there's a chance that it's not safe."

"It'll be okay, Piero. It's late. He should be asleep by now."

"Why do you stay?"

I was quiet.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me."

I sighed.

"This again?"

"Yes."

I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, Piero. Don't worry about it."

He pulled into my driveway and looked concernedly at me. I smiled weakly back and leaned over to him to kiss him one last time before climbing out.

"Good-night, Piero. Tonight was amazing."

I got out of the car and began to walk to the house before he could protest. I had to go through the front door because I couldn't possibly get through my window in a gown. But when I reached for the doorknob, Piero called me. I turned, and he climbed out of the car and jogged up to me. The bow tie was crooked again, and I reached out and straightened it for him.

"Julia, I'm coming over first thing tomorrow morning to see you, and there better not be a scratch on you."

I was surprised, and nodded at him.

He reached out and hugged me tightly, and then turned and hopped down the porch steps. He stopped at the bottom and paused, waiting for me to go inside. I smiled and then turned and quietly opened the door.

Ray was asleep on the floor, surrounded by empty bottles. The stench of the alcohol was strong, and I shut the front door and hurried away to my bedroom. I stopped in the hallway and entered the bathroom, where my mother was kneeling by the toilet, heaving and holding a bottle in her hand.

I sighed and stepped forward, placing a hand gently on her back and taking the bottle with the other.

In many ways, she was no different than the children I cared for at the hospital.