Isa gradually regained her composure, her voice, her natural language, and told Louis about our evening, Louane’s kiss, my a cappella with Maître Gims. I think she played him the soundtrack of my little private gig a dozen times. I didn’t have such a bad voice, after all. ‘Maybe you chose the wrong career,’ teased Charlotte, who’d joined us.

That seemingly harmless joke deeply perturbed me. No, I had no ambition to become a singer, but, yes, I had chosen the wrong career. Or, rather, I’d chosen the wrong life.

I had no wish to carry on with my job from before. I had no wish to carry on with my life from before. In fulfilling my son’s dreams at high speed, I’d blown apart my relationships with other people, and the very idea of my future.

Of my previous life, I only wanted to keep the foundations. Those pillars that stood firm, come rain or shine: my fragile structure. My mother. The upbringing she’d given me. My culture. My values. My memories.

And, above all else, my son.

Excerpt from the Book of Wonders

Push the boundaries!!!! (cont.)

– Meet Maître Gims or Black M . . . but, most importantly, do a duet with one of them!!!! (Otherwise it’s too easy!)

It Hurts, But It Doesn’t Matter

Today, Mum’s voice sounded weird – sort of sad and happy at the same time. Her voice has been like that for several days. It’s like it’s changed. Before, her voice was just sad (except when she was telling me about the adventures from my notebook, then she was LOL (that means ‘laughing out loud’, for the over-forties)).