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Kate popped her head back around the door ‘Two minutes’

Aiesha let out a rattling breath She hadn’t done her vocal warm-up She hadn’t focused She wasn’t prepared This was not how she’d thought it would be She loved writing songs; she loved being in the recording studio working with the teas in front of huge croas not the thrill she’d thought it would be What was the point of singing those heartfelt words when the only person she wanted to hear them wasn’t in the audience?

The crowd roared as Aiesha ca she could only make out the faces in the first fes She sat down at the piano, took a deep breath and went into the routine she had planned with her agent

But then, towards the end of her perforaze to the sea of unseen faces at the back ‘This song is a new one No one has heard it before now’ She blinked to stem a sudden rush of tears ‘It’s called “The Love I Had to Let Go”’

The roar when the song was over was deafening Aiesha got up fro ovations As she perfor herself: This is what you wanted This is your moment You’ve wanted this since you were five years old Enjoy it, for pity’s sake

It was supposed to be the triuh the bowels of the stage set to her dressing room she felt emptylike a deflated balloon at a children’s party Useless

Kate ca off her make-up ‘Um, there’s someone here to see you’

Aiesha put the discarded facial wipe in the bin next to her chair ‘I told you before I’ any press interviews’

‘He’s not a journalist,’ Kate said

Aiesha swivelled to look at her ‘Who is it?’

‘It’s me,’ James said from the door

Aiesha sed Put her hand on her sto even further ‘Ermwould you leave us for a ’