The Ambassador Theatre was packed. The audition was closed, but had attracted many applicants from the area and neighbouring towns. Deanna had arrived with Leonard, but when the time came they had to separate and he went to sit in the upper rows, as when he spied on her before he knew the truth.
Sacha Feni, the producer, sat in the middle of the stalls and Marcus came and went at his every whim. The man had a reputation for being picky, but he had several triumphant stars under his belt. As the auditions began, the professor sought out his friend and sat down next to him.
- So... What is she going to sing? - he asked him.
- Un bel dí vedremo" - Leonard replied.
- Oh, shit! We never rehearsed it -
- No need, she'll leave him open-mouthed anyway -
Deanna had chosen this aria on purpose. It would mark the end of her story with Daniel.
Puccini's Madame Butterfly was a story she could relate to. Very sad, very connected to what she had been feeling. The protagonist was a Japanese woman who had married an American military man, denying her origins to fit into her husband's life, even her religion. But one day the officer had to return to his country, and what she did not know was that for him this marriage was nothing more than an "entertainment" while he was far from home. His real intention was to find a suitable wife, and "Butterfly", as he called her, was an exotic diversion and nothing more.
In the second act of the play, the protagonist sings this aria to reassure her maid that her beloved husband will return, that one day she will see him arrive on a white ship and he will run to meet her. He does return, but married to another woman.
She had that grief too, that of having been a distraction while Daniel found the right woman to marry. And like Butterfly, she had refused to see the truth that was right in front of her, convinced that he loved her.
But the protagonist has a tragic end: she takes her own life. Deanna would do something similar, only she would be reborn after the denouement; she would start another life, another path. She would become the architect of her own destiny, no other man would do the same to her.
And then it was her turn and she felt a huge knot in her stomach. Leonard leaned forward a little in his seat. Deanna stood on the mark and introduced herself, announced what she was going to do and prepared. It wasn't the first audition she'd been to, nor the first time she'd felt nervous; but it was the first step.
As each time she sang, her presence mutated, her face became concentrated and her gaze lost. She began to sing, overflowing with passion. The hairs on the back of Leonard's neck stood up. The power she radiated was like an invisible trail that reached every corner of the theatre. Sacha, who had remained in the same position for the last 30 minutes, moved to his place.
She didn't miss a single high note. In her mind, Daniel stood in front of her and looked at her, and Deanna returned the pain he had caused her in this aria. It was like "I felt that for you and you repaid me in this way". Which made her voice even stronger.
It didn't last five minutes, but it was all she needed. She thanked the producer for hearing her and went backstage. Reed didn't have enough strength in his legs to run after her. Meanwhile, Marcus was cursing him a hundred times.
Deanna was shaking.
- Oh, my God! That was the best thing I've ever heard in my life," Leonard told her ecstatically.
She smiled back. She couldn't speak, if she did she would start to cry.
- Let's celebrate! No matter what Feni said, that Aria deserved a big dinner.
For the first time in his life, he felt proud as a father. He had never thought he could have such a feeling and he was elated.
Marcus met them at the door.
-My dear Deanna... How I hate you, Leonard! My compliments, simply exquisite... You, don't ever speak to me again -
- Thank you, Professor... Thank you for everything - Deanna told him.
- We're going out to dinner to celebrate, come with us, Marcus... -
- I would love to, but when the auditions are over I still have to clean up the mess that will be left behind... Besides, I hate you -
- No, of course you don't -
After a long time, Deanna felt light. He took her to a fancy restaurant in the centre of town, he was so proud he couldn't believe it and he spared no expense to entertain her.
But what was a celebration for them turned into a race of whispers and dirty looks for many of the guests who had seen her on Daniel's arm. Crusher's wife had left him for Leonard Reed. And since there was never a shortage of nosy busybodies, they took a picture of them to post on the net.
If there were any doubts, they were cleared up within hours. Susan, Harry, Beverly and even Camilla had visualised it.
Deanna was oblivious to the rumours, but Leonard was not. In fact, he had never been interested in them. The little he heard about it was from Alice, if he ever paid attention to her at all. He was sure that everyone would be talking about it, guessing and conjecturing and judging, and it wouldn't be long before it got back to Crusher. He hoped it would.
The next thing that had to happen to free her completely was the divorce. Once he was out of the way, Deanna would be free to fly. He would wait for Sacha Feni to make his decision. If it was in her favour, he would immediately suggest that Daniel be sent a lawyer with the papers. If not, he would take his time until Marcus could place her in the theatre. In any case, it was a step that could not be avoided.
- How did the audition go? - Ethan asked her through the screen.
- I don't know yet... I have to wait for my name to be called -
- I'm sure you got it -
- Thank you.
- If you get it, will you sing in the theatre? - Naomi was also anxious.
- Probably, but I have to go where I'm told to prepare.
- You'll go? -
- I don't know, darling. It's too early to say, but it might be a possibility -
Jonathan looked at her with big surprised eyes.
-Don't worry, wherever I am, we can still talk," she said to reassure him.
Daniel could hear behind the door, he couldn't help it, at least he could hear her voice. She would start without him, the world would open up to her and he would not be at her side as he had imagined. There would be Reed. Resignation was what he felt.
He went back to his room and walked past the bed. Emily's picture smiled at him. He sat down on the edge and picked it up to look at it closely.
-First you and now her.... But don't worry, I'll learn to accept it, just like I had to with you," he told her.