Johnny Breeze & Me - 11. Changes

I woke up about 10:30 Saturday morning surrounded by two beautiful yet contrasting men. On my left was my lover, with his brown skin, jet-black hair, and chiseled features. On my right was the angelic blond JJ.

I thought back on the amazing sex the three of us shared the night before and noticed my morning wood bouncing around. Although I had never planned to share our bed with JJ, it turned out to be one incredible night! I began to think about how I was feeling. As I was falling asleep, I was hoping there would be no regrets.

I surprised myself by thinking that what Johnny and I have together is quite simply the epitome of love. When he and I make love, it is so far above and beyond simple sex. What we did last night was to invite a sweet and beautiful young man to join us. And that was the key to the whole thing—we asked him to join us.

Would it happen again? It’s hard to say. All I can say is that fucking JJ and the incredible feeling of Johnny’s cock alongside mine was something neither of us would have ever experienced without a third person.

I quietly slid out of bed, trying not to disturb Johnny or JJ. I went into the bathroom to relieve myself then headed downstairs to start a pot of coffee. Once the coffee was brewing, I went over to the sofa and grabbed my cell phone. There was a text from Bob Hammond, the president of the Board of Directors, telling me to check my voicemail and then call him immediately.

I had to listen to Bob’s voicemail three times before I could comprehend what he was saying. “Jason, this Bob Hammond from the Rosemont Board.” His voice started to get shaky as he continued. “I’m afraid there’s been a terrible accident. Very early this morning, it seems Simon lost control of his car and drove off the Congress Street Bridge, and he wasn’t able to get out of his car in time. He was pronounced dead at the scene.” He paused for a few seconds and then continued. “I know you aren’t scheduled to begin work until Monday, but I need you to call me as soon as possible so that we can figure a course of action. I’m so sorry to have to bring you such terrible news. I’ll talk to you soon.”

My hands were shaking as I returned Bob’s call.

“Bob Hammond speaking.”

“Bob. This is Jason. I-I-I’m just stunned.”

“We all are, Jason. It’s just—” He took a deep breath. “It’s just tragic. Simon’s been a part of our theatre family for over twenty years.”

“Well, what can I do?”

“Well, first and foremost, the board is meeting in an emergency session at 1:00, and we would like you to be there.”

“Of course, I’ll be there and know that I am ready to do whatever is necessary to make sure the theatre and everyone involved with the theatre will get through this.”

“That’s what I was hoping to hear, Jason. Thank you.”

“Is there anything else I can do before the meeting?”

“Well, actually, there might be. As you may know, Simon was JJ’s guardian, and the boy still lives in the house. Simon’s lawyer has been trying to find JJ and can’t seem to locate him. If you hear anything—”

“JJ is here. Simon left the cast party and forgot to take JJ with him. Oh—my God. JJ could have easily been in the car with Simon!”

“Is JJ awake yet?”

“No, he’s still asleep.”

“Well, I’m sure there are some pretty difficult messages and texts waiting for him on his phone. I guess what I’m getting at is I think it would be better for JJ to hear the news from someone he’s close to rather than lawyers and police officers. Do you think you would be up to the task? Or should I send someone over?”

“No, Bob. Johnny and I both care deeply for JJ. I’m sure one or both of us could let him know.”

“That’s good to hear, Jason. I’ll let you go and get on with this difficult situation. Thank you so much for handling this. JJ’s a special boy, and everyone at the theatre loves him dearly. Please be gentle with him and call me if you need any help.”

“Bob, one more thing—do you have the attorney’s phone number? I think it might be best if we use my phone and keep JJ away from whatever messages might be on there.”

“That’s an excellent idea. I can get the number to you shortly. I’ll text it to you.”

“Thank you, Bob. I know this is going to be a difficult time for all of us, and I’ll do everything possible to make the transition go as smoothly as possible for everyone involved with the theatre.”

“You’re a good man Jason. We are all so grateful that you are here.”

“Thanks, Bob. Call me if you need anything else.”

After we ended the call, I just sat on the sofa and tried to soak in everything that had happened. My initial reaction was grief over the loss of the man who brought me to Austin. In a short time, I was overcome with the awareness of the great responsibility that was just handed to me. It would be up to me to lead the Rosemont Theatre family through a very difficult period.

I took a deep breath and quietly made my way upstairs to the bedroom. When I looked down at the bed, I couldn’t take my eyes off JJ. He was sleeping with such a peaceful innocence. My heart was breaking for him knowing that I was about to shatter his world. I quietly walked over to Johnny and nudged him awake. As soon as he opened his eyes, I put my finger over my lips to make sure he didn’t say anything. I motioned for him to come with me.

Johnny went into the bathroom to pee, and I got our bathrobes. We made our way into the kitchen, and he poured us each a cup of coffee. He looked at me and saw the expression on my face. “What happened, baby? You don’t look so good.”

“Oh, Johnny, it’s terrible!” The tears began to fall down my face as I told him what Bob had told me. As soon as Johnny heard that his friend and mentor was gone, he too began to cry.

“I think we need to be the ones to tell JJ. I’m sure his phone is full of horrible messages, and after all he told us, I don’t think it would be good for him to hear the news that way.”

“I completely agree. I’m sure there are more than a few messages on my phone as well, and I know I don’t want to hear them right now.”

Just then, my phone buzzed with the text message from Bob. I now had the number for the attorney that needed to speak to JJ immediately. I decided to call him before we woke JJ.

I called Sam Jones and told him that we were just about to tell JJ the terrible news. While he couldn’t give me many details due to the confidentiality of the situation, he did tell me that Simon’s instructions upon his death required that he read the will to JJ as soon as possible. Since there is no other family, JJ was required to hear the will before any arrangements were made. I told Sam that we would tell JJ as soon as we ended the call and have him at the house within the hour.

Johnny just sat at the table, staring into space with tears silently falling from his eyes. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want, baby. I can tell JJ myself if you’re not up to it.”

“No, JJ trusts both of us now. We should both be there for him. He’s going to need us more than ever.”

“Thank you, baby.” I took yet another deep breath, and we made our way upstairs to the bedroom.

Johnny and I sat on the edge of the bed beside JJ. I just looked down at him with my heart breaking in anticipation of what was about to happen. I reached down and began stroking his hair. I leaned down and kissed his forehead. JJ opened his eyes and smiled at the two of us. “Good morning, guys!” His smile soon vanished when he saw the tears in our eyes. “What’s going on? I knew it! I fucked up last night!”

I put my hand on JJ’s chest to reassure him. “No. No. No. You’ve done nothing wrong.” I took yet another deep breath. “JJ, I’m afraid I have some terrible news. There was an accident last night. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but it was Simon. He didn’t make it.”

“Oh. Wow. When did this happen?”

Johnny took his hand and said, “It happened last night. After the party.”

“Whoa. I was supposed to be with him. I—I could have died, too.” I was surprised that JJ’s first reaction was relatively calm and very collected. “It’s my fault. I wished this on him.”

Johnny reassured him that it wasn’t his fault.

“No. You don’t understand. We had a pretty intense argument on the way over here from the theatre. He called me ungrateful, which is how he ends every argument. I just sat in the seat, wishing that Simon would just die. I wished this on him—and it happened. I’m all alone again.”

I lifted JJ up into my arms, and he quietly lay his head on my chest. Johnny reached up and lightly caressed his face. “You’re not alone, JJ. You have Jason and me now. We’re here for you. I’m going to go get your clothes so you can get dressed.”

Johnny went down to the guest room and gathered JJ’s clothes. When he returned, I was telling JJ that we needed to get him to the house to meet with Sam.

JJ slipped out of bed, and despite everything that was happening, I was still in awe of his beauty. The three of us dressed and were soon heading out the door to Simon’s house. We pulled into the driveway in less than fifteen minutes and saw that Sam was already there.

“Will you guys please come in with me? I don’t know if I want to be alone when I hear that I’m being thrown out.”

Johnny turned around and took JJ’s hand. “Hey, kiddo, the only person who knows what’s going to happen is the lawyer.”

“I guess. Let’s get this over with.”

The three of us walked into the house, and Sam was sitting in the living room. He stood and greeted us. “Gentlemen, thank you for coming.”

He shook JJ’s hand and asked that he join him in the study. “Mr. Jones, I need Jason and Johnny with me, if that’s okay.”

“Well, I guess since there are no others involved in this, I don’t see why that would be a problem.”

We all walked into Simon’s study. Sam took a seat at the desk, and the three of us sat on the leather sofa with JJ between Johnny and me. Sam began speaking.

“First, my deepest condolences on your loss, JJ.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“You should know that Simon requested this meeting immediately upon his death, and that’s why I called you here so soon.”

“I should let you know that I am now your attorney, JJ. You have every right to change that if you choose to do so. This is part of the arrangements that Simon made to make this transition go as smoothly as possible.”

“Why do I need an attorney? I didn’t do anything.”

“That will be clear in just a few minutes.” Sam opened an envelope and pulled some papers out.

“This is Simon’s Last Will and Testament. I can read it to you with all the legal language, or I can just tell you what the particulars are.” JJ chose the second option.

“Fine. Before I get into the will, I need to tell you that Simon had set up a secret trust fund for you. You were to receive it when you turned 25, or upon your graduation from college, or upon his death, whichever took place first. That trust fund is now available to you and is worth 1.5 million dollars.”

“What the—Simon left me all that money? I—I didn’t even know he had that much.”

“Well, that’s not part of the will. Simon just wanted to make sure you were taken care of as you began your life outside of college.”

JJ looked up at me, and the first tears began to appear. “Jason, he cared. He really did care.” He took each of our hands in his and took a deep breath. “Okay, Mr. Jones, let’s get this over with.”

“JJ, I must tell you that Simon considered you his family. And since there are no other living relatives, you are legally his sole heir. So—Simon, being your legal guardian while you were under eighteen, also had Power of Attorney. He added your name to the deed of the house, so this is now legally your home, free and clear. You will be responsible for the annual property taxes, and I will assist you with that when it comes up.”

“You mean I don’t have to leave?”

“Oh, far from it, young man. This and much, much more is yours. As you may know, Simon’s parents were quite wealthy. They made millions during the oil boom of the 1960s. When they passed away, Simon became the sole beneficiary of their estate. Simon was very wise and brought in some of the best financial advisors and myself to manage his affairs, and I’m pleased to say that the assets have more than tripled. Son, your name is also on these assets.”

JJ squeezed our hands and took a deep breath. “Just what are you saying, Mr. Jones?”

“Well, when we consolidate all of Mr. Bradley’s investments and accounts, his assets—now your assets—total approximately 53.7 million dollars.”

“Oh my God, I had no idea he had that kind of money. How did this happen? What does this all mean—really?”

“JJ, this means you are one of the wealthiest men in Austin. Now, as this is the weekend, I won’t be able to give you full access to the funds until Monday.” Johnny and I looked at each other in disbelief as JJ just stared ahead while holding onto our hands for dear life. He wasn’t crying, but tears were flowing freely from his eyes.

“JJ, Simon apparently cared for you deeply. I found this in his safe.” Sam handed JJ a letter. Written on the outside was, “To my darling son…”

When JJ saw it, he gasped. “This isn’t from Simon. It’s my mother’s handwriting.” He looked down at the letter in his hands, and they began shaking. He looked over to Johnny and said, “I can’t do it. Will you?”

Johnny nodded and opened the envelope and began reading:

My dearest Joshua,

My heart is shattered into a million pieces right now. It’s not because you told us you are gay. I’ve suspected that you were for a long time. Personally, I don’t believe it’s anything you should be afraid or ashamed of. God made you this way, and He doesn’t make mistakes.

Your father’s behavior is wrong. We had a huge argument after you left, and he wouldn’t budge his closed and arrogant mind. He will be going to work this afternoon, and when he returns this evening, I will be gone. I will be staying with my friend Debbie McDaniel for a few days while I arrange for a place to live. You can call me there. Her phone number is 512-555-5413.

I have just spoken with Simon Bradley. He has agreed to take you in and make sure you have a good life. He is an angel for doing this, and I am forever grateful to him. Please be a good boy for Simon. Give him the respect and obedience you would give me.

Please know that I love you, my dear son. Please contact me when you read this, and if you decide to, we can arrange for you to join me when I get settled into my own place. I will ask Simon to give you this letter in a couple of weeks so you can settle into your new life.

I know you must hate your father for what he did. I know you must also hate me for not having the courage to stand up to him. That’s all over and done with. I understand if you don’t want to see me after all this, but please know that you will always be my son. You are a part of my soul. You are the greatest love of my life. None of that will ever change.

I love you, Mom

JJ’s face turned red and angry. “That son-of-a-bitch! Simon kept this from me all these years? He—he—he kept me away from my own mother so he could have me to himself! That bastard only thought of himself and what he wanted.” I took JJ in my arms as he finally began to sob for the first time.

I looked over to Sam, who was sitting at the desk with a look of shock on his face. “Mr. Jones, is there anything else that needs to be discussed today?”

“No, I think we are quite finished. I’ll get all the necessary arrangements to implement Simon’s will first thing Monday morning.”

“Thank you for your time. Johnny, will you show Mr. Jones out?”

Sam stood up and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. “This is a list with the safe combination, access codes to different buildings, computer passwords, and the like. I’ll just leave it on the desk. I’ll be in touch Monday. And again, I’m sorry for your loss, young man.”

JJ ignored him as he sobbed into my chest. Johnny got up to escort the lawyer to the door while JJ stayed in my arms. He looked up at me with a sense of great sadness in his eyes. “Thank you, Jason. I don’t think I could have handled this if you guys weren’t here. It seems like this is just some bizarre, weird dream, and you guys have been here for me—and you hardly even know me.” He leaned up and kissed me. “Thank you.”

Johnny returned to the study. “Babe, it’s a little past noon already, and you need to get to the theatre for the meeting soon. I’ll stay here with JJ while you are there if that’s okay.” JJ and I stood up. He had stopped crying, and my shirt was soaking wet from his tears.

JJ noticed my shirt and laughed. “Dear God, I soaked you to the bone! Let me get you a shirt from Simon’s closet.”

“I’ll go with you, JJ.”

We went upstairs to the massive master suite. JJ stopped just inside the door and just stared at the bed. “Are you okay, kiddo?”

“Yeah, I really am. I was just thinking that I won’t ever have to use sex to get—or keep—what I need. I don’t have to be a victim of that man anymore.” He turned to and continued.

“You know, over the last few weeks, I began to realize that Simon had this dark side that no one ever was aware of. It was just little things that made me see that this so-called perfect life I had been living was full of greed and deceit. We started arguing. I became more defiant, and he would always call me ungrateful. But that’s all done now. I refuse to be a `victim’ any longer. I’m going to be strong and take charge of my life once and for all. No more tears.”

I took JJ in my arms and held him close to me. “You know, there’s nothing wrong with tears. There’s nothing wrong with letting your emotions show if they are honest and don’t hurt anyone. But you know, the JJ I’ve come to know over the last few days is a beautiful, talented, sweet man. You have a wonderful life ahead of you that can come a bit easier now that Simon left you everything. Can I make a suggestion?”

“Please do.”

“While I’m at the theatre meeting with the Board of Directors, why don’t you let Johnny help you with some phone calls. Try to find your mom and let her know that Simon never gave you the letter she wrote. I’m sure she would love to hear from you about as much as you would love to hear her voice again.”

“Do you think Johnny would help me?”

“I’m sure he would, but you need to ask him, of course.”

JJ proceeded to find a shirt that would fit me, and as I changed, I could see he was deep in thought. “Thank you, Jason. You are a wonderful man, and I don’t think I’d be getting through all this without you guys. I love you both dearly—and it’s not about the sex last night. You both listened to me spout off about my life and didn’t judge me. You’ve let me into your lives. Simon was the only other person to do that.”

“Well, you won me over when you sang last night. Like I said, you let me in to you your soul while I played for you. It’s a good soul, JJ. I’m glad you are now in my life—and proud to have you as a friend.”

“Damn you, Jason! You’re going to make me cry again!” He laughed, and we both turned to go back downstairs. When we got downstairs, Johnny was on his phone, being wise and comforting someone. He’s amazingly good with people, that’s for sure. He saw us coming down the stairs and wrapped up his call.

“That was Cassie. She was pretty freaked out and said the whole cast and crew were texting, Tweeting, and Facebooking trying to make sense out of everything. Right now, they’re trying to figure out if there’s going to be a show tonight. I told her the Board was meeting at 1:00, and I’m sure decisions will be made.”

“I’m thinking a lot of decisions are going to be made. As soon as I can, I’ll text you and let you know what the plans for the show are, but a lot of that will depend on JJ.”

JJ took another deep breath, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. “Jason, I told you I would no longer be a victim. If I don’t do this show tonight, then I’m letting Simon have power over me even with him being dead. If I do the show, then it’s because I choose to do it. No one else can make that decision.”

“JJ, if that’s your decision, then I will pass that on to the board. Now, I need to get to the theatre. If you need anything, call me.” I left the house and began driving to what I assumed would be a very difficult meeting.

 

 

JOHNNY

I was still trying to process the events of the day. Simon was a good man to me. He was my mentor and friend. The only awkward time was when he asked me out on a date. We got past that rather quickly and only became closer. Now I see how he manipulated JJ, and I’m wondering if he was genuine with me at all. JJ walked into the study and came back out into the living room, reading the letter from his mother. This time there were no tears. He just had a look of determination and resolve on his face.

“Johnny? Will you help me find my mother?”

“Yeah, I think that would be a good thing to start with.”

JJ went into his room and came out holding his laptop. We set up on the dining room table, and JJ asked where we should start. I turned the computer towards me and decided to start with whitepages.com. “What’s her name?”

“Shirley Cobb.” I typed her name in the box and put Austin as her city. Three entries came. Two of them also listed a husband. JJ said neither of them was his father, so we ruled them out. That left one Shirley Cobb on Shoal Creek Blvd. “Shit! I left my phone at your place.” JJ got up and grabbed the cordless phone from the kitchen. “Here goes nothing!”

JJ dialed the number and waited. “I don’t think she’s there.” Suddenly his eyes got big. “It’s her! It’s her voicemail.” JJ was smiling for the first time today, then he spoke. “Mama? It’s me, JJ. I just wanted to let you know that I’m okay. A lot has happened. Simon was killed in an auto accident last night, and I just found the letter you wrote to me four years ago. So much has happened, Mama. I want to see you. Call me back? The number here at the house is 512-555-2934. My cell is 512-555-2202. I love you, Mama. I miss you!”

JJ hung up the phone and had a grin from ear to ear. “Wow! That was so easy! Thanks, Johnny!” Then came a look of concern. “Wait a minute. What if she’s still living with Dad? If he hears the message first, he might erase it and never tell her. Do you think we can try to dig a little deeper so I can actually talk with her?”

I suddenly thought of the letter. “Didn’t your mom leave a friend’s phone number in the letter?”

“Yeah, let’s try that. I just hope it’s still good.”

JJ started to dial the number and then stopped. “What do I say to her? I don’t know who she is.”

“Would you like me to make this call for you?”

“Please?”

I took the phone and dialed the number. It was answered after just two rings. “Hello, is this Debbie McDaniel?”

“May I ask who’s calling?”

“My name is Johnny Breeze, and I’m a friend of JJ Cobb, Shirley’s son.”

“Oh dear God, did something happen to JJ?”

“Oh no, not at all. He’s just fine. Apparently, Shirley wrote a letter to JJ four years ago, and he has just now seen it. We’re trying to locate her so he can talk with her.”

“Oh my God! That’s wonderful news! Shirley will be so excited!”

“Well, we found her home phone number, and JJ left her a message, but he was afraid his father might find it and erase it.”

“Oh, that couldn’t happen. He was sent to another church in Amarillo after Shirley left him. But Shirley won’t hear that message until tomorrow night. She’s in Houston attending a conference this weekend.”

“I see. Would you happen to know if she has a cell number? I’m sure JJ would like to contact her directly as soon as possible.”

“Well, I don’t feel right about giving out that number to someone neither of us knows, but if you give me a number where she can reach JJ, I’ll text it to her. She won’t answer the phone in the middle of the conference, but I’ll bet she looks at a text when it comes through.”

I gave her the landline number and hung up. I told JJ what Debbie was going to do, and JJ was ecstatic. “Oh my God, Johnny! Thank you so much!” He leaned over to me and kissed me on the cheek.

“Who would have thought that with all the horrible stuff that’s happened over the last few years—and last night—something so wonderful could come out of it?”

“JJ, my grandmother taught me to believe that there are spirits that guide us through life. When something challenging happens in our lives, we get to open our hearts and minds to the wonderful things that our spirit guides will bring to us.”

Just then, the phone rang, and JJ grabbed it. “Hello? Mama? Yes, it’s really me. I just read it today. He had it in his safe. No, I didn’t break into his safe! Well, Simon died last night, and the lawyer gave me the letter this morning. You’re coming home now? Awesome! Well, I’m doing a show tonight—that is if the theatre decides not to cancel it. I can’t wait to see you too, Mama! I love you, Mama!”

JJ hung up the phone and looked at me. “She’s leaving the conference now. She said that with the traffic, she should be here by 4:30 or 5:00! I can’t believe she’s coming here!”

He hugged me and kissed me again, this time on the lips. “Whoa! Slow down, tiger!”

“Oh, I’m sorry! I’m just so excited!”

“Why don’t we go back to my place, pick up your phone and see if we can scrape together lunch out of the party leftovers?”

 

 

JASON

I got to the theatre ten minutes before the meeting was to start. They were all gathered in the conference room. When I walked in, I noticed that most of the women, and a couple of the men, had been crying. Bob stood up and welcomed me. “Welcome, Jason. I’m sorry we have to get together like this, but I’m sure you understand the urgency of the unfortunate circumstances.”

“I understand completely. And let me assure you I will do everything in my power to make sure the Rosemont will get through this difficult time with ease and still honor everyone’s memory of Simon.”

I discovered that the board had been meeting for an hour already and made several decisions. The first was that I would be given a new title of Managing Artistic Director along with a salary boost of 40%. It was also decided that the theatre would host a memorial service on Friday.

The Board also made the decision to continue with the final performance of Pippin. They contacted the stage manager to gather the cast at 3:00 to make sure they were on board for the performance. I told the Board of JJ’s decision to go on tonight should the decision be made to do the show. Should the show go on, they would like me to make a brief curtain speech to honor the memory of Simon.

I agreed to everything and realized that my speech tonight would honor other peoples’ memories of Simon, not allowing the information I’ve received to influence my words.

The next hour was spent with the Board and me going over my new contract and job requirements. I was more than a little overwhelmed with my new responsibilities. I asked the Board to consider hiring a business manager to handle the bookkeeping and the financial operations of the theatre, with me making necessary decisions for the day-to-day operations and me bringing any major decisions directly to them. They voted unanimously to allow me to hire this person as soon as possible.

By the time we finished, it was 2:30, and I was starved! I ran to the deli next door to the theatre, grabbed a tuna salad sub, and took it back to the theatre. I was sitting in my new, barely furnished office and was finishing my sandwich while working on my speech for the evening. Not long after, Johnny and a very happy JJ walked in. Johnny kissed me. “Mmmmmm. Tuna!”

“Guys, get a room!”

I looked up at JJ. “You seem to be doing well, kiddo!”

“Yeah, Johnny helped me find my mom, and she’s going to be back by five. She’s coming to the show tonight, even though she’s seen it already. Actually, she’s seen every show I’ve done in the last four years. Now that I think about it, my mom has been stalking me! How weird is that?”

Johnny suggested that he and JJ join the rest of the cast and crew so I could finish my work before the meeting. I got another kiss from my lover and watched the two handsome men walk out together. Not long after the guys left, Bob came in and asked if I was ready to talk with the cast. “Let’s do it!”

When we walked into the theatre, the cast and crew were standing hand-in-hand and in a circle. Each one was describing Simon as their turn came. Many were in tears. I was worried about what JJ might say when his turn came, but I soon learned that my concerns were unfounded.

When it came time for JJ to speak, he said, “It’s rather hard for me to describe Simon with just one word, but if I must, I would have to say—generous.”

Bob and I walked up onto the stage and joined the circle. I stood between JJ and Johnny. Bob stood on the other side of JJ and spoke first. “If I were to describe Simon Bradley with one word, I would have to say `dedicated.’ No one was more dedicated to the success of this theatre company than Simon. As most of you know, Simon’s dedication came with a firm belief in the idea that `the show must go on.’ However, that is a decision that needs to come from you—the cast and crew. We would like to honor Simon’s dedication by going on with the final performance tonight.”

JJ looked up to Bob. “We’ve already decided that we want to do the show. We all have our reasons that led to our personal decisions, but can I just share mine?”

Bob smiled at JJ and said, “By all means, please.”

“My mother, who I haven’t seen in over four years, is coming to the show this evening. I need to do this for her as much as anything else.”

The stage manager spoke up, “Well, there you go, people. We now have two reasons to give the performance of our lives tonight. Call is at 6:00. If it’s okay with Bob and Jason, let’s break this up so people can get ready?”

“Sounds good to me. Jason? Do you have anything to add?”

“I want you all to know that you have my deepest sympathy and full support for this evening’s show. Everyone has their own unique memories of Simon, and tonight, we will honor those memories. Now everyone go on and try to enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”

The cast started to head out, and Johnny pulled me off to the side. “I had JJ pack a bag. I don’t think he should be in that house by himself quite yet. I hope you don’t mind that I invited him to stay for a few days.”

“Of course not Love, I was going to suggest we do something. That sounds like a perfect idea.” I called out to JJ, and he came over. “I agree with Johnny that you should stay with us for a few days. A lot is going on with you right now, and if you don’t want to be alone, we’ll be happy to be there for you.”

JJ hugged me. “I love you guys. Thank you for all you’ve done.”

And so, we headed home to get ready for one of the biggest nights in JJ’s young life.