'Maddie- Maddie where are you?'

'Down here Uncle Liam.' Maddie shouted back as she pulled another box down from the shelf. A moment later Liam appeared at the top of the staircase leading down into the cellar. 'What's up?'

'I've got to head into town, something's come up. You'll be okay here by yourself?'

'I'll be fine. Will you be back in time to take me to the Side Step before my shift?'

'Damn… I forgot about that.' He remarked as he looked down at his watch. 'Probably not-'

'That's okay.' The box, not being the one she was looking for, was placed back onto the shelf and she turned to him. 'I'll get Colton to drive me in. I'll see you later tonight.'

'Alright. Bye kiddo.'

'Bye.'

Liam disappeared again, Maddie left alone once more in the damp and silence of the cellar as she kept searching through her mothers things. As she went over another shelf she took her phone from her pocket and after having a quick chat with Colton, had arranged with him to pick her up a little later in the afternoon before he headed into Austin himself to the bar. When she'd gotten off the call she went over to the other side of the cellar and finally, hidden away in a dark corner behind some of Mawline's crates of preserves, she located the box she had been looking for.

Her eyes misted slightly as she placed the lid aside and ran her fingers gently over the dress and jacket that lay inside. It was the outfit her mother used to wear when she'd perform at concerts; her favorite outfit. It had been special to Macey for it had been her mother who had sewn it from scratch. A gift for her when she'd gotten her first big performance and though her mother had plenty of outfits she'd worn over the years, this had been her favorite of all.

Maddie could remember a time when she had been little, being at a concert and watching her mother on stage wearing this very outfit. If she closed her eyes and concentrated real hard, she could still envision in her mind how her mother had looked that day. Golden blond hair in loose curls cascading down her back, her blue eyes searching through the crowd to where she sat. In her four year old mind, there had been no one as beautiful as her mother. She looked like an angel seated there in front of the microphone with her guitar rested on her knee as she sang.

As Maddie took the dress and denim jacket out of the box a notebook tucked away below them caught her eye. Opening the notebook she flipped through a couple pages. It was another of her mothers music books but the songs in this one she'd never seen before. Reading through them, she realized these were songs her mother had composed but never had the chance to actually record and release them officially.

A song entitled 'The Girl You Think I Am' caught her attention and she stopped flipping the pages to read the lyrics in their entirety. She'd already chosen what she was going to sing at the open mic night but as she read the song through, she felt drawn to sing this one instead.

The date written in the right hand corner of the page was only three weeks before her grandparents car accident and it dawned on her that this song must have been written for her grandfather for his birthday had been only a couple weeks on from the accident. She placed the notebook aside after a moment, open to the page with the song, then began looking through the box again.

There were letters there, letters written between her mother and her grandmother. Pulling one of them from the envelope she began to read through it, part of her feeling a little guilty for what she was doing. Though both her mother and grandmother were gone she felt like she was imposing on their privacy for reading their correspondence. There wasn't much in the letter though, it was pretty boring if she was being honest and when she had finished with it, she returned it to the envelope and placed the stack of letters aside.

The last item the box contained was a little leather bound journal and when she'd opened the cover, she realized it was another of her mothers diaries. Curiosity got the better of her after a moment and she began to flip through the pages to see if there was anything interesting written inside.

Nothing really stood out to her until she came to the page that was dated as the day of her grandparents death and she felt her eyes mist a little as she read her mothers thoughts over the event. From what she read it was clear that her mother had loved her parents dearly and that their death had devastated her. She had mentioned too in her entry about her, her mother expressing that she was at a loss to know how to explain it to her that her grandparents were gone.

Maddie could remember that conversation they'd had about heaven well. Though she had only been five at the time she could recall every detail of the conversation. Her mother had explained that her grandparents had been taken to this wonderful place called heaven where they were looking out for her. It was the first time that she'd ever heard of death but it wasn't until years later, when she lost her mother, that the concept of death really came to her.

She kept reading, time slipping by unnoticed as she was absorbed into the world of her mothers thoughts. The entry dated the day of her grandfather's birthday really hit home though, her mother expressing the same feelings that she herself went through every year the time her birthday came around. Her thoughts had been correct too. Her mother had written that song for her fathers birthday but she'd never had the chance to sing it for him…

It was the vibration of her phone that brought her back to reality, Maddie realizing what the time was as she read Colton's message. He'd be over to pick her up in twenty minutes and she wasn't ready to go- Quickly sending back a reply she took a photo of the lyrics to the song then returned her phone to her pocket and began placing the letters and things back into the box.

As she placed the music book back into the box, an envelope containing a CD slipped out. Assuming her mother had recorded music onto it she left it out with the dress and jacket, returning the box to its place before gathering the clothing and heading back up into the house.

Time was ticking as she went into her room, sticking the CD into her laptop to transfer the files over while she got herself ready to go. She'd already decided earlier that she would wear her mothers outfit for the evening, hence the reason she'd been in the cellar in the first place. After freshening up quickly in the shower she slipped into the dress and took a moment to look it over in the mirror.

The dress was slightly loose and for the first time she noticed she had lost a little weight. It wasn't too noticeable that it was a little big and when the denim jacket went over the top, it wasn't noticeable at all. A small smile crossed her lips and in the spur of the moment, she twirled around just to feel the long skirt sway around her ankles.

It was almost like the dress had been made for her.

Taking a few minutes to curl and fix her hair as well as do her makeup, she was finally ready to go and not a moment too soon. Colton had just texted to let her know he was out front and she replied back as she hurried from the bathroom back to her room.

Long western leather boots were slipped onto her feet and her cream hat placed on her head then with her guitar and other things in hand, she headed out to where Colton was waiting. 'So sorry I'm running late-' She apologized as she placed her guitar down in the back seat. 'I lost track of time.'

'That's okay.' He assured her, Maddie carefully climbing into the passenger seat. 'Nice dress.' He commented as he looked her over. 'Is it new?'

Maddie shook her head, closing the door after herself. 'It belonged to my mother. Her mother made it for her before I was born.'

'It suits you.'

She smiled. 'Thanks.'

'So-' Colton started as they headed up the drive. 'Ready for your big performance tonight?'

She laughed nervously. 'Um. Nope. I can't believe I let you talk me into this.'

It was his turn to laugh. 'You'll do fine. I know it.'

'Oh to have your faith in me.' Maddie sighed dramatically.

'Care to mention what you'll be singing?'

'That's for me to know and you to find out.' She replied with a smile, placing her ear phones in as she pulled her phone from her handbag. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I have a big performance to ready myself for.'

Maddie took a deep breath and held it, her hands resting on the sink as she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, taking a moment to catch her breath. It wouldn't be long now until the evening started and though both Geri and Colton assured her that she would do well, she still couldn't help but feel nervous. It wasn't a competition, not like the Eisteddfod had been. It was just an evening where people could have the opportunity to get up and sing and even though she knew that, she was still nervous. What if she messed up? What if when she got on stage she froze like last time?

Enough with the what-ifs Madeline Matilda Walker. She reprimanded herself harshly, looking her reflection straight in the eye. Don't worry about what other people will say. Their opinions don't matter.

After that little pep talk the butterflies in her stomach seemed to settle down slightly and she felt a little better. She was only doing this for one reason; to make her Dad proud of her. It didn't matter what other people thought of her performance, the one opinion that she did care about was his. The words her mother had written all those years ago rang true for her. She did want to be the girl he thought she was. She wanted to be someone he could be proud of.

Maddie lingered a moment longer in the peace and solitude of the ladies restroom then headed back out into the bar. People were beginning to arrive and though Geri had given her the night off, she still went to lend a hand and by keeping busy she could keep her mind off her performance later that evening.

She had almost finished straightening the tables when Bonham and Abeline walked through the door, the girl dropping what she was doing to hurry over to them. 'Grampa! Mawline! Oh I've missed you both!'

They laughed with amusement as the teen gave them each a warm embrace then Abeline held the girl at arm's length and looked her up and down. 'Where did you get that outfit honey? It's absolutely stunning.'

'And when you two start discussing clothes that's my cue to leave.' Bonham remarked, patting the teen's shoulder. 'I do agree with Abby though. It's a nice dress.'

'Thanks Grampa.' She smiled as he walked over to the bar to speak to Geri and she turned back to Abeline. 'It belonged to Mama, her mother made it for her when she got her first big singing performance. It's slightly big for me but well-' She twirled around, the long skirt swinging around her ankles. 'I like it. Do you think it suits me?'

'I sure do.' Abeline replied with a smile. 'You look so grown up honey.'

Maddie felt her cheeks warm again at the complement. 'Geri said the same thing when I got here this afternoon. How was your trip away?'

'It was pretty good. You know, I might have even brought something back for you-' She said as opened her handbag and pulled out a little wrapped box that she handed to her. 'I saw this in a store window and thought you might like it.'

Taking the present she glanced up at her grandmother for a moment then began to open it. Inside the paper was a little white box and upon opening the lid she found a little rearing horse pendant on a silver necklace. 'It's beautiful.' She said softly as she ran a finger over the little charm. 'Thank you Mawline.'

Abeline smiled as the teen gave her another hug. 'We'll have to get you a jewelry box too one of these days with the amount of necklaces and things you've been collecting.'

She nodded as she closed the box up again. 'Maybe Grampa and I could make one as a project together sometime. Can you hold onto this for me so it doesn't get lost? I need to get back to work.'

'Of course honey.'

'Thanks.' Maddie gave it back to her and Abeline placed it inside her handbag as she returned to the tables. More people were filtering into the bar as the time for the evening to begin drew closer and amongst the crowd she spied Liam coming through the door. A few minutes later Cordell walked in too.

'Afternoon Maddie.' He remarked, having noticed her straightening up the tables near the doorway.

'Hey Dad.' She smiled up at him as she kept wiping the table down. 'Glad you could make it. They're about to start and August is going to be up first.'

'Well I'm glad I got here in time.' He replied. 'In that case then I had better go find myself a seat-' He took a look around the packed bar, spotting his parents and Liam at a table close to the stage. 'You-you almost done?'

'Almost. I'll come join you all in a moment.'

Cordell nodded and headed across the bar to where the rest of the family were seated, Maddie finishing up what she was doing as August and his friends gathered on the stage. After placing the bottle of cleaner and the rag she'd been using to wipe the table with back behind the bar she went over to them, taking her seat just as the lights were dimmed.

'Alright-' Geri started as she stepped up onto the stage. 'Let's get this show started!' A round of applause followed from the crowd as she stood in front of the microphone to begin the evening. 'Hello everyone. Thank you so much for coming tonight. We hope you enjoy this very special performance from Austin's own Sucker Punch.'

More cheers and applause followed at the introduction of the first performance, the band that August had managed to pull together. Maddie clapped along with the rest of the crowd as Geri stepped off the stage again, Todd stepping forward to take his place in front of the microphone.

'Thank you.' He smiled. 'This performance is dedicated to three very special ladies in this room who brighten our day.'

Maddie sat back in her chair next to Cordell as the song began, the teen tapping her foot in time to the beat. For a song that Colton had only an evening to put together, he'd done a fantastic job. The crowd thought so too for when they had finished their number they were gifted with a long round of applause.

'Well done.' She remarked when August came to join the family, Todd going to sit beside Stella. 'It was brilliant.'

'Thanks sis.' He smiled at her as the next group went on to play. 'Couldn't have pulled it off without your help though. I owe you one.'

Maddie chuckled. 'And I'll keep that in mind.'

The evening fairly flew by with performances from both groups and individuals getting up to entertain the crowd. With each passing performance, the butterflies inside her stomach seemed to multiply. When the second last group had gone up to perform their item. Maddie quietly slipped away from the family and joined Geri over in the corner.

'You ready Maddie?' Geri questioned softly as the girl picked up her guitar.

'No.' Maddie chuckled nervously. 'But hey, that's half the fun of it right?'

'You'll do just fine.' She encouraged her with a smile and a hand on her shoulder as the group's song came to an end. 'You've got this.'

Sure hope so… Maddie thought as Geri stepped back onto the stage.

'To close off our very first open mic night-' Geri said. 'I'd like to introduce to you all our last performer for this evening. Maddie Walker.'

Taking a deep breath amongst the welcoming applause, she walked onto the stage, Geri offering her an encouraging smile as she walked past. Her heart skipped a beat as she took a seat on the stool in front of the microphone, her guitar resting on her knee, the crowd falling silent as she prepared to play. 'Thank you.' She said with more confidence than she felt once the room had become quiet. 'The song I'm going to share with you all this evening is something that my mother wrote to her father. It's called The Girl You Think I Am.'

A nervous smile was on her lips as she began to strum the intro to the song and she took another deep breath before she started to sing.

Front row center in that little white church
I was singing at a baby laying in a manger
Eight years old wearing angel wings
Yeah, and to this day
that's what you see…

I've been daddy's little girl since my first cry
And it was hard turning eighteen, saying goodbye
You told me I was gonna take the world by storm
And mama said you cried all the way home

You think I'm strong, you think I'm fearless
Even when I'm, I'm at my weakest
You always see the best in me when I can't
I wanna be the girl you think I am

I got my flaws and I've got regrets
And I know there's more on the road ahead
When I wonder if I'll ever measure up
Oh, I thank God for a father's love

'Cause you think I'm brave, and you think I'm beautiful
You think that I can do the impossible
You always see the best in me when I can't
I wanna be the girl you think I am

Oh, whoa
Oh, whoa
The girl you think I am, yeah
Ooh, yeah

All I want, more than anything
Is to make you proud of me

'Cause you think I'm strong, and you think I'm fearless
Even when I'm, I'm at my weakest
You believe in me, yeah, you're my biggest fan
So I wanna be the girl you think I am
I wanna be the girl you think I am

(The Girl You Think I Am - Carrie Underwood)

As the last chords died away with the song coming to an end, her performance was met with a generous round of applause. Maddie smiled as she stood, her eyes meeting her fathers as he clapped along with the rest of the crowd. Offering a little bow she hurried off the stage, passing Geri as she went on to introduce Minnie Jayne as the entertainment for the rest of the evening.

Carefully putting her guitar away in its case she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, Cordell standing there beside her. 'Was-was it okay dad?'

'It was more than okay Maddie.' He assured her as she closed the lid on the case. 'And I am proud of you sweetheart. Every single day.'

She smiled, wrapping her arms around him as he took her into his embrace, those words warming her heart. 'I love you Dad.'

He pressed a kiss to her head gently. 'I love you too baby girl.'

It was late when the Open Mic evening came to an end, the crowd slowly dispersing until there were only a handful of people left in the bar. Cordell was off talking to a couple of folks, as were Bonham, Abeline and Liam. Stella and August were over with Todd and a few other friends but since Colton had left earlier with his parents, Maddie had gone to help Geri close up the bar for the night. Though Stella and August's friends were nice she still felt like an outsider and especially didn't want to be 'third wheeling' since August had Faye over with him too.

Drying the glasses she hummed softly, returning them to their shelf beneath the counter. Hearing someone walk over she glanced up to see Minnie Jayne standing on the other side of the bar. 'Can I help you?'

'I was hoping to speak with you for a moment.' Minnie replied as she took a seat on one of the stools. 'If you've got time that is.'

'Uh, yeah, sure.' The towel was tossed onto the shelf below the counter and she turned her full attention to the woman. 'Maddie Walker-' She offered her hand to her to shake. 'But you already know that.'

'Minnie Jayne.' She smiled as she shook her hand. 'Though I would gather you already know that too.'

Maddie nodded. 'I enjoyed your concert, I know Geri and Dad really appreciated you coming this evening. Really drew quite a good crowd.'

'You folks weren't that bad all yourselves either. And that's what I wanted to talk to you about. How would you like to become a star?'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Pardon?'

'I can see when someone has talent and you my girl, you show real promise.'

'Uh… Thank you?'

'What I have here is a proposition for you.' Minnie continued. 'Now it wouldn't be easy and it'd be a lot of hard work but I think you have the potential to become quite a name in country singing. Maybe even bigger than your Mama was.'

Both of Maddie's eyebrows raised. 'I-I don't know what to say. You really think that I've got talent?'

She nodded. 'I've been in the music industry longer than you've been around. If I say someone has talent, they do. You just need some guidance and a helping hand to get you pointed in the right direction.'

'I-I don't know. I mean…' Maddie was still at a loss for words. Become more famous than her mother? Yes, her mother had been a pretty good singer and if she was even as half as good as her that was more than enough for her but for Minnie Jayne to say that she had the potential to do better then her mother had; it sure was a lot to take in. 'Thank you-thank you for the offer. I just… I don't know. I honestly-I haven't even considered pursuing a career in music.'

'You don't have to give me an answer right away, take some time to think it over.' She said as she drew a business card from her pocket to give to her. 'Just give me a call when you've made up your mind. The offer will always be open.'

Maddie nodded, taking the card she held out to her. 'Thank you Miss Jayne. I-I'll definitely let you know when I make a decision.'

'Alright. I look forward to hearing from you.' She replied as she stood. 'I'll let you get back to what you were doing. Have a good night.'

'You too.'

As Minnie Jayne walked away Maddie looked between the woman and the business card in dumb amazement. She honestly didn't know what to think. She'd just been offered the chance of a lifetime. The chance to become famous and make a name for herself. To become something. To actually be worth something. To be more than just little adopted Maddie Walker with a sad sob story for a background. She could become a star…

It sure wouldn't be an easy task to come to a decision.