EPILOGUE - ONE YEAR LATER

Dee checks herself out in the bathroom mirror before turning to me. "Do you think Daddy will like them?"

I nod and smile. "I'm sure he will."

She's talking about the matching Stay Tuned tee-shirts we are both sporting for Finn's first real gig. They are plain black with neon graffiti-style old fashioned microphones. He's outfitted her with large, hot pink noise cancelling earphones that sit around her neck.

She hasn't left my side since we arrived at the arena.

In the last year, I've come to love her like she's mine and there isn't a thing in the world that could change that. Lilah took a while to warm up to the idea but as soon as she realized I wasn't going anywhere, she began to accept it.

I'd only ever returned to North Carolina to collect a few belongings. It was shortly after Stay Tuned finished recording their debut album, all twelve tracks plus two bonus ones written by me.

Now my songs, our songs were being played on radio stations around the world and Stay Tuned was getting a steady and loyal following at a very rapid pace.

It's like I blinked and every dream was coming true.

I take Dee's hand in mine, escorting her through the area backstage where Finn told me to go until we are located at stage right. We peer out the side of the stage to see a mass of people holding signs and camera phones, taking pictures of the stagehands anxiously awaiting the arrival of the band.

Dee's icy blue eyes grow as large as saucers. "Whoa," she exclaims. "Are all these people here to see Daddy?"

"Yep. Probably Uncle Leo and the boys too."

""Cause they love them, right?"

"Yep. Because they love them."

"But we loved them first so than means we love them more, right?"

I have learned to love the world through Delany's four year old eyes. She is constantly asking questions and has the ability to make a person forget that anything else in the world exists except for her. Finn does such a good job of making this her reality. He's the most doting father I've ever seen. Dee has him wrapped around her finger and it makes me love him that much more.

Finn.

The one who spends every single day making up for lost time. Every waking minute, hour, day, week of the last year he's spent making me forget that I ever lost the fire inside me. I have shelves and shelves and shelves of coil bound notebooks filled with songs he has yet to record to prove it.

The crowd begins to scream just as Finn comes up to the side of the stage.

"Boo," he says to Dee. "Why aren't you wearing your headphones?"

"'Cause the show hasn't started, that's why," she says, matter-of-factly.

"It's about to."

I run my hands down his chest and smile. "Are you nervous?"

"Psh. Me? Never. Not as long as I've got my two girls by my side."

"That's good," I say. "I feel sick to my stomach."

He laughs. "Don't worry for me."

"Yeah," Dee chimes in. "Daddy's a fessional."

"What she says. I'm a professional."

I know he is but that doesn't make me any less nervous. I hold my head higher and my spine straighter while Finn crouches down so he's face to face with his daughter.

"Hey baby?"

"Yes, Daddy?"

"How long will you love me?"

"Until Forever," Dee says.

"I love you until forever too." He rises to his full height and grabs my face in his hands. "How long will you love me, Delany Watts because you're the girl I'm going to love until forever."

"Well Finn Ellis, I'm glad you asked because I'm going to love you even longer than that."