Holden and Jasper walk onto the porch, exhausted from their tour. As Holden unlocks the door, the inviting aroma of his mother's meatloaf warmly welcomes him. He breathes it in and smiles, his tension releasing instantly. As they drop their belongings, their mother, Lorraine, comes around the corner, wiping her hands on her apron with a wide grin.

"Oh, my babies. C'mere!" She gushed, waving them over with a wide fanning motion, and the two boys collapsed in their mother's arms.

"Hey, mama," Holden mumbled against her shoulder.

"We missed you so much, mama," Jasper added, muffled by her other shoulder as he squeezed her tightly.

"I missed you boys more," Lorraine replied with a squeeze before finally releasing them. "How was your tour? Did y'all get enough to eat on the road?"

"Mama, we're not children anymore. We know how to take care of ourselves," Jasper groaned with a petulant pout.

"Benedict took good care of us. No need to worry yourself so much, mama," Holden said with a smile.

"Mhmm, I still doubt that. You boys look thinner. Let's get you properly fed," their mother doted while pushing Holden's hair out of his face.

After helping their mother set the table, they sat and prayed before digging into the meal she had prepared so lovingly for their return.

"I'm so grateful to have you boys back home again where you belong. That Benedict man has you workin' to the bone," Lorraine said conversationally before gathering some veggies on her fork.

"Actually, about that, mama—" Jasper yelped as Holden kicked his shin underneath the table. "What the hell, Holden!"

"Hey, you watch your language, son," she snapped, wiggling her fork at him with furrowed brows. "And Holden, behave yourself. Let your brother speak." She turns towards Jasper again. "What was it you were sayin', baby?"

"We're goin' back on tour later this week..." Jasper mumbled, picking at his meatloaf and rubbing his sore shin. "Benny set us up with some girl rock 'n' roll band. The Comettes."

"Another tour? So soon?" Lorraine asked, astonished.

"That's what we said!" Jasper replied, exasperated.

"Benny has high hopes that we'll get even more reach with these girls. They write their own tunes. And they're good; real good, mama. You'd like 'em," Holden added with a smile.

"Rock 'n' roll girls, huh..." their mother hummed. "Sounds like trouble."

"Don't worry yourself, mama; you know we're too busy for that," Holden replied, tapping his hand on hers. Jasper snorted and received another kick on the shin. "Besides, Jasper here's already got a gal, right?"

"Yeah, but she ain't so happy with me right now. Says I work too much," Jasper grumbled, stabbing his meatloaf with his fork. "She'll be even more upset once I tell her we're goin' back on tour in a week."

"I should have a word with that manager of yours. This is too far—"

"Mama, no. Seriously, we'll be fine. This is what we signed up for, remember? And hey, our first show will be here in New Orleans, so you can watch us perform."

She considers his words before sighing in defeat. "Oh, you know I do love to see you boys play... I just don't understand why in god's name those girls go cookoo-bananas over your dancin'..."

Holden beams, letting out a soft chuckle. "Life's greatest mystery..."

Jasper discreetly nudges Holden's shin under the table.

×××

Holden and Jasper enter the diner their mama used to work at before they started earning enough to take care of her themselves. The brothers shuffle inside, examining the perimeter until they meet the gazes of their bandmates and the girls at the back table.

"Hey," Jasper announced as they took their seats. "We're so glad you gals agreed to join us on tour."

"Thank you, we're happy for the opportunity," Maggie supplied before sipping her sweet tea.

"Now that we're all here, let's get to business," Benedict stated. "The way this will work is we'll be doing twenty-five shows for August. The first show is here in New Orleans, and we'll finish in Austin. Margaret, you said you've got a car?"

"Yes sir," she supplied with a curt nod.

"You gals better get used to cozying on up in there together because you'll be drivin' alongside Holden and his boys," Benedict explained with furrowed brows.

"Who will you be travelling with?" Ruth asked, twirling her straw through her milkshake absently.

Benedict waves her off casually. "With the boys, of course." Preston's grimace prompted Barbara to conceal her grin at his reaction. "Y'all with me so far?"

"It's all clear. However, I am curious as to how these shows will go?" Ruth inquired with a tilted head, looking like a curly red puppy.

"You girls will perform one of your regular sets, your own songs and everythin' if you so desire, and then there will be a short break before Holden and his boys go up to perform the rest of the show." The waitress comes around briefly to drop off some food items and takes Holden and Jasper's orders as Benedict continues. "And then afterwards, we pack up and move on to the next show, with a few days off here and there for y'all to enjoy the sights or whatever it is you do in your free time," Benedict finished before taking a bite from his burger.

"And what about the pay?" Celia asked bluntly, causing Maggie to choke on her sweet tea.

Holden grins, winking and pointing in her direction as he faces Benedict. "I like her style, Benny. Straight to the point."

"Yes, yes, the pay. Of course," Benedict rambled with a mouthful of burger. He swallows and dabs his face with a napkin before elucidating. "Each week, you'll individually be paid an average of about 60 dollars, give-er-take. It mostly depends on ticket sales, but we tend to sell out, so that kinda pay shouldn't be an issue."

The girls all react with varying levels of astonishment, and Holden watches with bemusement. Preston squints, counting his fingers momentarily before he snaps. "That's the same amount The Osprey makes?"

"Yes, and?" Benedict replied, muffled by his juicy burger. "I always make sure my musicians get an even wage. It's easier to write on tax forms that way."

Holden watches Celia blink like an owl at her girls, all of them seeming to be withholding squeals of joy. "That's...very generous of you, Mr. Benedict. We promise we won't let you down."

"Don't make any promises, girlie. Just play a damn good show for us on Friday, yeah?" Benedict said.

"Of course, sir," Celia replied, determined.

×××

The week flew by like a bat out of hell, and now Holden's leg trembles like a fluttering leaf as he awaits the curtain to open. Despite his love for the spotlight, going on stage always makes him anxious. He prays that he won't mess up and make a fool of himself in front of hundreds of people. The door burst open, and he startled out of his inner mantra, left face-to-face with the lead vocalist of The Comettes rushing into the room.

Holden gapes, his mouth opening and closing like a trout out of water. "Uh, Cecilia, was it?"

"—It's Celia—"

"—Aren't you supposed to be on in less than a minute?" Holden asked with a raised brow.

"I'm aware," she grumbled while she rummaged through her bag for something. "Where are you, you little bast—aha!" She victoriously pulls out a dinky little chain necklace made of copper. The pendant is of a heart and appears to be a locket. Holden immediately gets nosy and reaches for it; however, she swipes it away before he can properly get it.

Celia glares at him as she secures it around her neck. "What the hell is your problem, anyway?"

"What's inside?" Holden inquired. "I'm just a curious cat, is all."

"You know curiosity killed the cat, right?" Celia quipped back with a crooked grin. The lights in the green room flicker three times to indicate thirty seconds to showtime. "Gotta run, curious kitty. Maybe you'll learn my secrets another time."

Holden watches her rush out of the room, smacking her shoulder against the doorframe on her way out. He smiles to himself as he hears her cursing down the hallway. Holden follows behind shortly after, eager to watch this performance, his anxieties forgotten.

After the Comettes are announced, the show opens with polite applause, and there is a murmur of exasperation as the four girls walk on the stage. Holden tries to discreetly peek around the curtain to spot his mother, whispering something to Mrs. Johnson sitting beside her.

Barbara starts the song with four cracks of her sticks before pounding the living soul out of those drums as if her life depended on it. Holden's heartbeat immediately picks up with the kick drum and bassline. Maggie comes in next, using her guitar with a riff that has Travis gaping with his mouth hanging open.

Celia suddenly transforms, swaying her hips to the beat and her long skirt twirls mesmerizingly. She clutches the microphone stand as if it's the only thing keeping her from falling, and then she starts singing the song's first few notes. The rhythm is irresistibly catchy, causing the crowd to dance in their spots and hum along. Holden grins, pleased they didn't choke and managed to hold their own like at the Carnival show last week.

As Celia gives a little wink to the audience, Holden gulps, feeling his body ignite at the sight. She seems carefree, seemingly without anxiety, as she hops around the stage. He no longer feels deep envy like the first time he watched, but a different emotion is swelling inside him, and he doesn't like it.