The door opened and Lizzy called, “We’ve got to start getting you ready, Bristol.”

Bristol stepped back and gave Annie a soft smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “Of course.”

“Will I see you up there?” Annie hoped she didn’t sound as desperate as she felt.

“Yep.”

It wasn’t a resounding “I can’t wait,” but it was affirmation, and Annie knew Bristol was true to her word. She reached for the doorknob as the door was opening. “I’ll see you up there.”

Lizzy pushed her way inside. “You need to be onstage now.” She pointed to Bristol. “And you need to get ready. Big night tonight.”

“I’ll see you later.” Annie found herself in the middle of Bristol’s entourage of stylists as she made her way through the doorway. Her own dressing room was the size of a large closet, and probably was, but she quickly checked her makeup and grabbed her guitar. Security escorted her to the stage. She stood on the top step, waiting for her cue to head to the microphone already in place. The stadium was full. People were in their seats. For the first time, she felt a few flutters of panic. She took several deep breaths, and when the stage manager tapped her shoulder, she marched out onto the massive stage and waved to the crowd.

“Hello, Los Angeles! I’m Annie Foster, and I’m going to play a few songs for you.” She quickly plugged in and sang her first song. She was happy Sterling wasn’t in the front row, but someone who looked like an older version of Bristol was. Impulsively, she waved. “Hi, Bristol’s mom.” Instantly she regretted doing it. She shouldn’t have outed her like that. She knew that Bristol valued privacy, but the woman just smiled and waved back. So did the teenage boy standing next to her. Probably Reece, her younger brother.

She belted out her second song and loved that most people were singing along. By the third one, the stadium was up dancing and singing with her. She turned to her phone, which was livestreaming, and focused on it for about ten seconds. She yelled, “Hello!” and waved before turning back to the crowd in the stands.

By the time Bristol joined her onstage, the crowd was deafening. Annie laughed and shrugged at Bristol. They picked up the song from the beginning, and when it was over, Bristol blew her mother a kiss. Annie blinked back tears. “Bristol Baines!” She waited until the cheers softened before she introduced herself again. “And I’m Annie Foster. Thank you for such a warm welcome!” It took all her control not to skip offstage. Her skirt was somewhat restrictive, and the last thing she wanted was to fall after such an uplifting performance.