AS THEY TOOK THEIR starting positions Katie commanded herself to relax and enjoy this. They had a finite number of performances in this tour. All she had to do was get through them. Everything that could come after was a question mark too terrifying to think about. But standing here, in a darkened arena, her arm around Brendan’s neck and her head on his chest, the two of them breathing in unison as they waited for the lights to come up and the music to start ... this was happiness.
The lights came up, bathing them in a vibrant purple. The first beats of the music began to play, and Katie tucked her face into Brendan’s neck for the opening choreography. So much in my life would be better if I could calm down and appreciate it.
But that wasn’t how anxiety worked.
One of the few periods of
