Chapter 199: Showcase

“Hello Mama,” Leitana said softly as she sat on the edge of the hospital bed. She gently stroked the hair away from Alyssa’s bruised face, her heart aching at the sight of the purple marks and cuts that still covered her mother’s skin.

Alyssa’s eyes fluttered open, and a weak but warm smile touched her lips when she saw her daughter. “Leitana… my baby. You came.”

“Of course mi came.” Leitana leaned down and kissed her forehead carefully. “How yu feeling today?”

Alyssa sighed, wincing a little as she tried to sit up straighter. “Better now that I see you. How are you? And your sister… how is Avery?”

Leitana hesitated for a second, then decided to be honest. “Avery… she fainted a few days ago. The stress got to her too much. But she woke up yesterday. She’s fine now and she will come see you soon.”

Alyssa’s eyes filled with worry. “Fainted? My poor girl… all of this is because of me. Because I stayed…”

Leitana shook her head quickly. “Mama, no. Mi so sorry for what happened to you. What Papa did… it’s not right.”

Alyssa’s tears spilled over. “No, my love. It’s my fault. I stayed in that abusive relationship for years because I was scared of what he would do… scared of what people would say. I let him take one of my daughters away from me… and I let him abuse the other one for years.” Her voice cracked. “Please forgive me, Leitana. I know Avery will never forgive me… and I don’t blame her.”

Leitana’s own eyes watered. She squeezed her mother’s hand. “It’s okay, Mama. Mi understand. And Avery… she will come around one day. I believe that.”

Alyssa’s gaze dropped to Leitana’s stomach. The tiny bump was just starting to show. She reached out with a trembling hand.

“And my little grandchild… how is he or she?”

Leitana smiled through her tears and gently took her mother’s hand, placing it on her belly. “The baby is fine. Growing strong. Mi can feel small small movements sometimes.”

Alyssa’s face softened with wonder as she rubbed the small bump. “My grandbaby… I pray every day for both of you.”

Leitana turned slightly. “Mama, this is my friend Marita from the orphanage.”

Marita stepped forward with a warm, respectful smile. “Gud aftenun, Mama. Mi glad to see yu.”

Alyssa managed a tired but genuine smile. “How are you, dear? Thank you for being such a good friend to my daughter.”

“Mi doing well, thank you,” Marita replied. “Leitana i olsem mi real sista. Mifala grow up together. Mi happy blong mitim yu.”

They talked quietly for a while about the orphanage, about Leitana’s piano classes, about small happy things. But eventually Alyssa asked the question Leitana had been dreading.

“Do you know what happened to Charles? Did he leave the villa?”

Leitana sighed. “Mi Ravial took him away. I told him not to hurt him… but mi know mi Ravial. Papa made the mistake of hitting me in front of him. I haven’t heard anything since, but mi will ask mi Ravial when I return from piano classes.”

Alyssa’s expression hardened. “He deserves whatever your husband does to him.”

Leitana looked down. “Mi know… but mi don’t want mi Ravial’s hands stained with more evil like him.”

The nurse eventually came in, smiling gently. “I’m sorry, but Mrs. Hale needs to rest now. You can come back tomorrow.”

Leitana kissed her mother’s forehead one more time. “Rest well, Mama. Mi love you.”

“I love you too, my baby.”

They left the hospital and got into the waiting car, heading toward Juilliard Extension.

Marita leaned her head on Leitana’s shoulder in the backseat. “Your mama seems like a good woman. She loves you plenty.”

Leitana nodded, staring out the window. “She does… even if it took her long time to show it.”

The car moved smoothly through the streets, but Leitana’s mind was heavy, her mother’s bruised face, Avery’s breakdown, Ravial’s terrifying love, and the tiny life growing inside her.

The moment the car pulled up near the Juilliard Extension building, the group spotted them and rushed over.

“Leitana!” Lila shouted, waving a printed sheet excitedly. “The results are out! They posted them twenty minutes ago!”

Theo was practically bouncing. “You have to come see!”

Ethan and Mia were right behind them, both looking tense but hopeful.

Leitana’s heart jumped. She and Marita quickly got out of the car and followed the group to the big notice board near the main entrance. A small crowd of students was already gathered, murmuring.

Professor Markov had selected four pianists for the showcase.

The list read:

1\. Mia Torres

2\. Ethan Caldwell

3\. Sabrina Williams

4\. Leitana Ashbourne

Leitana’s eyes widened. She had made it.

Marita squealed and hugged her tightly. “Lei! Yu did it! Yu dey among the four!”

Leitana stood frozen for a second, staring at her name at the top of the list. Then a bright, genuine smile broke across her face.

“Mi… I really made it?” she whispered, tears of joy filling her eyes.

Lila clapped excitedly.

Mia was smiling wide. “We made it! This is going to be so much fun.”

Theo grinned. “Ya’ll are going to kill the showcase!”

Sabrina walked past them with her usual group, flipping her hair. She glanced at the board, saw her name, then shot Leitana a sharp, competitive look before walking away without a word.

Ethan turned to Leitana with a genuine smile. “Congratulations. You really deserved it. That piece you played… it was something else.”

Leitana smiled shyly. “Thank you. Yu too. I'm happy we all get to do this together.”

But even as everyone celebrated around her, Leitana wiped her happy tears, still in disbelief. After everything, this felt like a small, beautiful light.

And the showcase rehearsal was starting in two days.

But things were about to go really wrong.