color=purple]THE MORNING OF DARE TO CARE – PART 2
Written by: Sandie Davis [/color]

The members of the IL DIVO family each checked their watch, as if on cue. Carefully, Carlos and Urs packed a few things into an overnight bag that they hoped would get them through the rest of the day. Cyd had already packed a large duffle bag for Leila Elena with all of the things she thought their daughter would need. A smaller overnight bag sat beside it, holding a change of clothes for Cyd, her digital camera and the portable printer for the camera. Siobhan watched Urs as he packed a few things, knowing the process would help him prepare as much as warming up his voice. She had seen it before, knowing it was the first step in the preparation process for him.

Carlos and Urs would be coming from opposite sides of town, meeting at Seb and Dori’s for lunch before heading to the concert site. With a big sigh, each solemnly closed their bag, closed their eyes, and whispered a quick prayer. Moments later, Cyd, Leila Elena and Carlos were on their way. Urs and Siobhan took a moment to stop by the pond, before heading out of the mountains toward the farm. It was a silent trip for both of them, the guys still in their jeans and shirts, donning their sunglasses, as much to try to blend in as to mask the thoughts going through their minds.

At the farmhouse, David was taking a shower as Suzie finished icing the cake she wanted to take for the pre-concert lunch. He let the water run over him along with the words, notes, and steps for the concert. It was the ritual he had used before and was comforted by. Not that this was just another musical job, but the mechanics of reviewing it helped occupy his mind and prepare it for the hours ahead. “This wasn’t going to be a Broadway play… regular concert… opening performance for another band… or guest appearance… this would be their Olympics.” David smiled at the thought of it, “their marathon… triathlon… pentathlon…combining everything we have done as individuals and as a group”. He turned off the shower, listening to the water slowly gurgle down the drain. Stepping out, he dried quickly, taking a long look at his face in the mirror. “One bite… no, megabyte at a time...” He whispered, smiling contently, before turning off the light and heading to the bedroom.

The twins were taking a late morning nap, so Seb busied himself with the words he wanted to say today. He had already written them more than a dozen times… once again, not quiet satisfied he was saying the right things. Dori’s suggestion from weeks ago echoed through his mind, “Speak from your heart Seb… it has always been what needs to be said… follow your heart… the words will come from it.” He picked up the pen and rolled it in his fingers again. Nothing new seemed to come to mind. Needing a distraction, he checked the forum, watched some of the fans posting about the concert and what channel they would be watching, sending wishes and greetings for the day ahead. It made him smile. The memories of concerts past flooded through his mind, as his shoulders squared. He thought about the crowds, the reactions, the energy...hoping it would be there with the small crowd that would be with them. The audience would be world-wide, but only a few, plus the media, would be seated in front of them. The surge of excitement began to build in him… quickening his heartbeat. As the memories continued to build momentum, his breathing quickened, relishing each concert and the unique personality each one had, seasoned by the different countries they had visited. Thirty minutes later, the memories vanished, as Sebastien answered the door.

Within a few minutes, the IL DIVO family was united once again. Greeting and hugs shared, babies cuddled and fussed over. As the girls gathered in the kitchen to get lunch together, the guys remained in the living room, keeping an eye on the children as they chatted easily about their mornings. Seb glanced over at the stack of papers still sitting on the desk. Standing, he walked over and picked them up, scanning the pages again.

Carlos picked up on the look he saw on Seb’s face. Handing Leila Elena to Urs, he straightened his pants and gently cleared his throat, before walking closer to him. “Sebby, I can read your face like a book. You… we…all of us… are doing this because we care. It’s not the money we need to think or worry about. If it is to come, it will come. All we can do is be ourselves.... nothing more, nothing less. If it is meant to be, it will be. Enjoy the concert… enjoy the music… enjoy the day.” He put his hand warmly on Sebastien’s shoulder and smiled. Sebastien nodded, still staring at the pages.

David continued to watch Allie and Yannic contently playing on the floor. “Carlos is right. We are here for our fans, because of our fans… to help a great cause. You know as well as all of us, what that bond is Seb. Trust in yourself, us… and the fans. Like the line from ‘Field of Dreams’ if you build it, they will come. We’ve built it…. they are coming.”

Urs, making funny faces at Leila Elena, perched on his lap, “Sebastien… Seb… we’ve gone over the schedule a hundred times, planned, re-planned, and practiced until each of us can perform it in our sleep. What more can there be to do? We’ve covered everything from every possible direction. We need to stick to the plan, stay on schedule and it will work… there’s nothing boring anywhere in the whole thing… nothing. We will be with our fans… the fun part of what we do… what more do you want? And they say I’m the perfectionist… Ha!”

Sebastien nodded, putting down the pages and taking one last look at the forum as the ever growing number of member names and numbers appeared at the bottom of the screen. Tempted as he was to post a message, he waited… wanting to see how the events planned would unfold. Mentally, he had prepared two posts… the first, a thank you to the fans and those that supported the concert; the second, an apology to the fans for the concert not being the success he had hoped it would be. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and prayed he would not have to use the second one. A moment later, he firmly closed the lid to his laptop.

Suzie stood a moment in the doorway, watching the guys stand together quietly, before she interrupted the awkward silence. “Lunch is ready if you’re hungry. And cake and cookies for dessert.” She disappeared back into the dining room to be with the girls. Startled, the guys seemed to come to life again, each looking at their watch to check the time before gathering the babies and heading to the dining room to join the girls.

Soon everyone was seated and chatting easily. As they finished, Urs and Siobhan excused themselves from the table a moment, re-appearing seconds later with a bottle of champagne and a tray of glasses.

After he ceremoniously popped the cork and filled the glasses, Siobhan passed a glass to each of them as Dori filled the sippy cups with apple juice for the twins and Leila Elena. Urs continued. “ To the IL DIVO family, the brothers we have become, the growing, loving family with us, the fans that some have become as close as family, and the magic we have created together… Il Divo, Ancora, Siempre, and now Eternita… Our Some day, some where, some how has arrived. Let us never forget it and cherish it always.” He raised his glass, followed by the others as the babies looked on. As the adults took a sip of champagne, the twins watched with curiosity, reaching for their cups as well, but tapping them soundly on the tray table instead.

Urs laughed, “See, some of the family seems to agree with me. The next Il Divo generation wants to have a word now.”

Laughter seems to spread around the table as Dori blushed and quieted the twins. Soon, they finished the champagne and the dishes and food were cleared away. The babies were changed into their special concert tees and all of the guys beamed at the sight of them.

The girls gathered a moment in the kitchen as the guys took the babies back to the living room. In a few minutes, the limo would arrive to take the men of Il Divo to the concert site. The girls would come once Mandi and Matthew arrived. Dori and the others had wanted Mandi and Matthew to join them for lunch, but Mandi politely refused, saying it needed to be a time for just them before the concert. They would be arriving thirty minutes after the limo and would stay with the babies so the girls could be at the concert for the opening.

As a subtle quiet crept over the house, the babies drifted off to sleep one by one. Moments later, the girls joined their husbands in the living room, each taking their place beside the man they loved. As soon as Dori heard the crunch of gravel in the driveway, she took Sebastien’s hand in hers. The others did the same, each taking a deep breath as they did so. Suzie looked toward the doorway, where the bags sat waiting like sentries at the door. As the limo crunched to a stop outside, they stood up; Sebastien taking Dori in his arms, David with Suzie, Urs with Siobhan, Carlos with Cyd. Each one blocking out everything else as they looked deeply into their wives eyes before they kissed them. Each of the girls smiled weakly before reaching toward the guy’s left hands. Carefully, each one took their husband’s wedding ring off and cradled it in their hand, knowing rules were rules: No wedding rings at the concerts. Looking at the confusion on the guys faces, each whispered… “We’re still married. I still love you… I understand. Now, be with your fans… enjoy them as you always have, we know we are still in your heart.”

Sebastien, Urs, David, and Carlos looked from their now empty left hand to their wife and back again; each one feeling an emptiness as well as acceptance of what had just occurred. Quietly, they held their wives warmly, before looking to the other for the cue to leave. The cue came by way of the horn outside. Another quick kiss and the guys disappeared through the doorway, followed soon after by the light trail of dust as the limo sped away.

Each of the guys would have a small trailer to use for wardrobe changes and to rest. The girls knew which one was to be used by each of the guys, so they wouldn’t have to be marked for the fans to see. Each had an entrance from the stage so the guys could get there to change quickly and a rear entrance, manned by security, for the girls to come and go as they wanted. The suits they would wear for the concert were already at the site, sitting quietly in the garment bags, freshly cleaned, but still holding the memories of the two prior year tours. The trailers were identical in every way… something the guys were used to with touring… the sameness that calmed them… joined them… yet gave each their own space.

As the limo pulled up, each of the guys looked once again at their empty left ring finger, closing their hand firmly and tucking it under their knees, out of view. Shoulders squared, they got out of the limo, grabbed their bags and headed to the empty, unlit trailers that would be their refuge for the 30 or so hours.

Meanwhile, the girls wiped away their tears and lovingly touched the outer rim of the wedding band still nestled in their hand. Looking at each other with a nod, they carefully slid their husband’s wedding band onto the thumb of their right hand for safe keeping.

With that finished, they huddled close to each other a moment as Siobhan said, “The hard part is over now. We are together as sisters as much as they are brothers. Together, we will see it through. All for one and one for all, just like the Musketeers.”