New Beginnings Read Online Free PDF

or maybe her newfound happiness allowed her to let go of some of the resentment toward her ex. Whatever it was, she couldn’t conjure up the anger she’d expected to feel when she saw him tonight. She just felt sad. Maybe she was finally ready to mourn the loss of their relationship in a healthy way and find closure with Trey so she could move on with her wedding plans.
    “How y’all doin’ tonight?” Trey laughed at the response of the raucous crowd.
    Sierra knew these were his people, his place. He was in his element here and she felt something akin to pride. This was the man she once knew. So confident on stage he could bring the house down. Whether he was performing for 40 people in a honky-tonk or forty thousand in a sold-out stadium, he was a performer who poured his heart into his music, and she had no doubt that these patrons were in for an unforgettable night.
    “I know you’re all here to have a good time tonight, but I’d like to ask for just a minute of your time. I’m up here tonight because of a cause and a lady who’s real important to me.” He raised his arm toward the back of the room. “Y’all got to hear what an amazing singer Sierra Tur- Brooks is, right?” Trey laughed when the crowd responded with a chorus of “Hell yeah.”
    “Some of you may also remember Sierra as my wife.”
    A murmur moved through the crowd.
    “I don’t like to talk about my personal life, but I’m gonna make an exception tonight. Sierra founded The Rainbow Fund because of a personal tragedy she and I suffered a long time ago— the loss of our baby girl. She was born premature and she was with us for only eight days, but she was the light of my life.”
    Sierra sank into the chair Trey had deserted. She hadn’t been ready for this tonight. She knew that coming back to Jimmy’s would be hard, but she wasn’t prepared to see her ex again, wasn’t prepared to hear him stand up in front a room full of people and talk about something he hadn’t even been able to share with her: his grief.
    “When she died, a part of me died too. That experience changed me, changed my life, and no matter the circumstances surrounding the loss, there is no pain in the world greater than losing your child. For those of you who have children, go home tonight and tell them you love them. Hold them tight for those of us who wish we still had the chance to do just that.”
    Sierra brushed away the tears, determined to hold it together, terrified of letting him see her fall apart. It had been years since she’d allowed herself to succumb to the grief. She’d forced herself to channel those dark, debilitating emotions into something productive. So how could his words still have the power to devastate her after all these years? Because these were the words she’d longed to hear when they lost their little girl. She wanted him to talk to her about his feelings, about the hopes and dreams that would never be realized. Instead, he’d shut down, shut her out, and found his solace living on a tour bus, sinking in the depths of a bottle.
    Marisa reached across the table and took her hand. “Hey, are you okay?”
    She nodded her head, afraid to speak, afraid to free the emotions clawing for release.
    “I want to ask y’all to do me a favour tonight. I know that times are tough, but I wanna ask you to reach into your pockets to support this amazing cause that Sierra has poured her heart and soul into. Sierra and I are gonna be singin’ a few songs for you in just a little bit and Jimmy was generous enough to donate proceeds from these ‘premium’ drink sales to The Rainbow Fund.”
    The crowd applauded Jimmy, who stood and tipped his hat.
    “I think I see a donation jar set up on the bar over there and I’m sure Sierra would be happy to give you some more info on how you can help this amazing cause. In addition, I’d like to step up and donate $100,000 to The Rainbow Fund.”
    The crowd cheered and clapped, and the women surrounding