When The Lights Go Down

Delicate

"One, two, three, four!" The band counts down, drawing FP out of the blank stare he keeps slipping in and out of.

"Dancin' when the stars go blue
Dancin' when the evenin' fell
Dancin' in your wooden shoes
In a wedding gown
Dancin' out on 7th street
Dancin' through the underground
Dancin' with a marionette
Are you happy now?
Where do you go when you're lonely
Where do you go when you're blue
Where do you g-"

His voice cracks before he can finish the line and waves to the band, telling them to stop. "Can we take five?" He doesn't wait for a response before he's scurrying off stage.

Alice had been watching from side stage with Mary and Fred, and the three share a worried look as FP disappears. "I'll go talk to him." Fred decides.

Alice catches his arm, pulling him back with soft eyes. "Do you mind if I go?"

Fred reluctantly steps back. "Be my guest."

Alice flits around the stage in search of the surly brunette and finds him in his dressing room, chugging down a bottle of water. "Hey, you left the stage in a hurry, are you alright?"

FP sighs, and tries weakly to smile at her. "Fine, just not able to focus is all, I just needed to collect myself."

"Anything I can help with?"

"Unless you can magically teleport my daughter here? No." He chuckles but Alice can see the sadness in his eyes.

"You're missing her, huh?" She takes a seat across from him, not wanting to overstep but sensing he needs the ear to listen.

"Like crazy. That song is one of her favourites, Gladys and I used to sing it to her all the time, just kind of became our thing." He smiles as he thinks back.

"I get it, it brings back memories."

"Good ones, but yeah." He sighs. "I've tried calling a few times but Gladys just isn't even picking up anymore. I feel like a deadbeat."

Alice heart clenches at his words. "You're not a deadbeat, FP you're sitting here because you miss your daughter, you always talk about her, you write her letters and things you want to tell her, you dedicate songs to her during shows, you're anything but a deadbeat. You're an amazing dad."

"I just feel like no matter what I do nothing is changing, I thought Gladys was going to be mature about this, instead she's keeping June away from me completely. It's just not fair."

"Could you bring in a lawyer?" Alice suggests. "You have the right to see your daughter."

He shrugs. "I keep thinking about it but I don't want to do that to June, she didn't ask for any of this, last thing I want is for her to be in the middle of some shitty custody battle. What I need is for Gladys to call me back so we can talk about this like adults." He scoffs. "I don't know why I'd expect that from her though."

"Didn't you say she has a sister? Maybe you could try calling her?"

"I didn't think about that, she did always like me, maybe she still does?"

"It's worth a try, she can sort of be the bridge to communication that you need with each other."

"Thanks Alice," FP says sincerely, reaching over to squeeze her hand. "Sorry for the dramatic exit out there."

"Don't apologize, you had your reasons. It's gotta be tough out here with everything going on."

"Thanks for being so understanding about it all, probably not living up to the typical rockstar tour life you expected." He chuckles.

"It's better like this," She tells him sincerely. "So far I'm having the time of my life, and we've only just begun." She's still fiercely aware of his hand on hers but doesn't try to pull it away, enjoying the comfort it brings and sensing that the same is true for him. "You gonna be okay?"

"Yeah, just need a minute, I'll be right behind you."

She nods. "I'll stall the band and Fred for you."

He chuckles. "Thanks Al."

<>

"Everything okay?" Mary asks as Alice rejoins her on stage.

"He's just missing June." She explains, the thought bothering her more than it maybe should.

"They're like two peas in a pod, I had a feeling this would be tough on him. When it was him and Gladys set to do the tour, they were planning on bringing June along, being so cut off from her with everything going on has got to be an adjustment."

"He says Gladys won't even call him back to let him talk to June." Alice relays, looking across the stage at Fred who's going over the set with the band. "Is there not something he can do about that?"

"There's plenty he can do about it, but knowing him he won't. No matter how much Gladys hurt him he never retaliated, he just sort of let her walk all over him."

"He must have really loved her."

"I think he did, but after June it became more of a familiarity thing. He didn't want to hurt June by divorcing Gladys, and he didn't want to hurt Gladys by admitting he was unhappy, at the end of the day the poor guy is his own worst enemy." Mary says with a frown. "I love him, but it's hard to see him put himself through so much out of fear of upsetting others."

"He's got a good heart." Alice says, the words so sincere even when she's only known him for a short period of time. "Is there anything we can do for him? I hate seeing him so down in the dumps."

"We're doing a show in Cincinnati soon, it's not too far from where her sister lives so I could try and arrange something there. I don't know how well that'll go though."

"It's worth a shot isn't it? I mean even if it's only for a few hours, I think it would lift his spirits."

Mary smiles at the blonde. "You really care for him don't you?"

Alice blushes against her will. "Well yeah, I mean he's given me one of the biggest opportunities ever, of course I care for him."

"Mhm." Is all the woman responds, and before Alice can say anything else, Mary is excusing herself. "I'm going to go see what they're on about." And then she's gone, leaving Alice to mull over her words.