AVERY

“I can do this,” I say to Maggie and Lyn, as I walk through the halls to the dressing room.

“Avery, you don’t have to. The girls can do it without you.”

“I’ve practiced,” I protest, though my voice is emotionless. “I’m helping them with this concert.”

Both women look at each other, then back to me. They nod but I can see both don’t want me on that stage. The girls need me, though; it’s their end-of-year concert, and they’ve been excited about this. I’m the main dancer in their set, and if I don’t join in they will be let down. I won’t let them down.

“Avery!” they cry when I step out into the back dressing room.

“Who’s ready?” I say, putting on my best fake smile.

“Yeah!”

I run through the routine with them once more before making sure they’re all dressed, their hair is done and they’re ready to go. When the concert starts, I prepare myself to go on stage. I’ll be doing an introduction dance and then they will join me. The moment my name is called, I take a deep breath and step out. I can see Kelly and Liam in the crowd, and my heart warms that they’ve come to watch me.

I move across the stage, doing the routine we practiced. I dance and twist, gliding as best I can. When the girls join me, I smile as they perform beautifully. Moms and dads cheer, and people clap when the girls do amazing little moves. I beam with pride, knowing I taught them that. I glide off the stage when it comes to my best ten-year-old’s solo. I catch a glimpse of Max before I go, talking closely with Liam. He must have just arrived.

I wonder what they’re talking about? Max is glancing down at his phone, then back to Liam. Then I hear the shrill sound of it ringing before he takes the call. I can’t focus too much more, because I really have to make sure this concert ends smoothly. Max disappears mid way through my performance, and my heart sinks a little.

By the time it’s my turn to close the concert, Liam is gone – only Kelly remains. My heart kicks up a notch as I try desperately to pay attention to my dancing. I’m mid-way through my performance when Max returns, without Liam. He stares up at me, and I watch him as I lean down and then jump. It’s in that moment I see his face, really see his face and I know . . . instantly I know. He has that look, the look people have when they’re about to tell you someone is dead.

I crumble on the stage, my legs giving way beneath me.

I land harshly, and the crowd goes silent. I lift my eyes and stare at Max again, and I see the exact moment a tear rolls down his cheek. Suddenly I can’t hear anything but white noise. My vision blurs as I feel arms wrapping around me and lifting me. I’m dragged off the stage and pulled out the back, but I’m still staring at nothing.

“Avery,” Maggie cries, slapping my cheeks.

Why did he look like that?

“Avery?” Lyn demands. “Look at me.”

Why is he crying?

“Avery!”

Why did Liam run?

I force myself to my feet almost robotically as I move towards the exit. I hear Lyn and Maggie’s cries but I don’t stop. I push through the backdoor and step out into the cold, my outfit barely covering enough to protect me from the weather. I round a corner and see Max and Kelly rushing towards me. Kelly’s face, oh his face, it’s telling me everything I need to know before I even get to him.

Something bad has happened. No, not just something bad, something horrible. Something life-changing. I stop in front of them and I lift my eyes to Max, still feeling nothing.

“Avery,” he rasps, “tell me you’re okay?”

“Why were you crying?”

Is that my voice, that monotone, empty sound?

“Avery . . .”

“Tell me why you were crying?”

“Max, not here; not now,” Kelly pleads. “Look at her, she’s not even there.”

“Tell me!” I scream, shoving Max’s chest. “Tell me.”

Max looks desperately to Kelly, who sighs and wraps his arms around me. Why is he holding me? Why is he telling Max not to tell me?

“Avery, honey,” Max begins, “I got some news tonight about your mother.”

My head begins to spin and my knees wobble. Now I know why Kelly is holding me. He’s holding me because he knows I’ll fall.

“You remember,” Max whispers, his voice broken, “how I told you she was having an affair? It turns out she wasn’t as secretive as she thought. That particular day she went out, she was followed. When she left, that person followed her and when she realized, she pulled over and got out of the car. She . . . recognized the car.”

Was it his wife? Oh God. Did she find out about the affair? Did she kill my mother?

“Avery, baby, the person who pulled over and followed her was your father.”

What? What?

“We questioned him a week or so ago, but he gave us nothing. He denied stopping. We finally gathered enough evidence and tonight we arrested him. He confessed everything, Avery. He told us that . . . he killed Taylah.”

My knees go and not even Kelly is enough to hold me up. His body crashes down with mine. I scream, I scream so loudly my ears burn and begin to ring. My mind crashes closed and my entire world begins going black as grief, shock and heartache rip through my body. I hear voices but I can’t make out any words. All I can hear is the last three things he said to me: “He killed Taylah.”

Then I am swallowed into darkness.