Gemma turned her rental car onto the ramp leading to Route 3, the main expressway leading into Cape Cod from metro Boston. The day was beautifully clear and sunny but rather windy. Too windy, in fact, to take advantage of lowering the top of the convertible, so she'd left the top up.
Breathing a sigh of relief to finally be out of the city, she turned on the car radio. Gemma was no stranger to Boston, having gone to university at Berklee College of Music not so long ago.
She was not looking forward to the conversation with her mother that awaited her in a few short hours.
She just wanted to get back home to Singapore and back to her husband.
Did all newlyweds miss their spouses this much when they were apart? As badly as she wanted to return to Louis's side, Gemma had to get this over with once and for all. Through sheer serendipity, she’d been asked to perform in Boston just as her mom had jetted to New England to take up residence in her Cape Cod beach house.
Gemma might take that as a sign. It was past time to tell Ma once and for all that she would be taking a step back from performing and from the violin in general, at least for the next few years. As much as she loved her craft and her violin, Gemma was exhausted. She felt close to burnout. Plus, she was excited to jump into her new life fully with Louis.
She'd already let her manager know. That conversation had been difficult enough. The chat with her mother was bound to be much worse.
As soon as she reached the outskirts of the city, Gemma moved to call Louis on hands-free mode—he’d just be wrapping up his lunch with his childhood friend. She just wanted to hear his voice.
He beat her to it. Before she could press the right button, the panel lit up with an incoming call. A tug of affection pulled at her heart. Her husband couldn't wait to call her as soon as his lunch was over.
She pressed the button to answer, and Louis's voice echoed through the car. "The reviews are in," he announced. "And they all say my wife is a musical genius who enthralls her audiences with her talent."
Gemma laughed, "Well, this performer is about to take a long-awaited and much-needed break."
"Don't forget 'well-earned,'" Louis said.
"Once I tell Ma, it will be official."
Louis paused before speaking. "I wish I could be there with you to help you get through it. I know she'll be disappointed."
That was the truth. And Ma could be quite a challenge when she was disappointed.
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