Walking A Tightrope (Greatest Showman fanfiction)

Chapter Eight--Never Enough

Just as Phylis had feared, Jenny accepted the invitation to New York. Phineas counted down the days for the audience to hear what he hoped was his biggest star. He anxiously watched the audience arrive as his wife held one of his arms, Phylis the other. He had never had an audience like this before.

"Everyone is here! Look at this!" he squealed looking at the group in amazement. Charity sighed, starting to feel that this decision was impacting their family. Most importantly, Phylis.

"Are you happy?" she asked, trying not to show she was upset.

"Of course I am. All of these people have come to hear her perform. God, I hope this girl can sing," he whispered. Caroline looked at him, eyes widened.

"You mean you've never heard her sing?" she wondered. Her older sister grinned back at her. She had wondered the same thing when she had first seen her father with her. Phineas chuckled nervously.

"No but I have a strong feeling about her," he reassured his family. Phylis walked inside beside her father nervously biting her lip. Not only was it the day that Jenny would be performing in the circus for the first time ever, but it was also the day that she and Lettie would be singing a duet of the song she had written for her. Caroline and Helon had heard it themselves and kept telling her to sing it again. She just hoped her father would be the loudest person in that audience.

Phylis leaned down to hug both of her sisters and her mother who kissed her and her husband on the cheek. Before they knew it, they were behind the stage eagerly waiting for Jenny to finish getting ready. The minutes ticked by and the two all of a sudden became nervous. The audience was getting impatient. Finally, Phillip went up to the two.

"Can you see what's taking so long?" Phineas whispered.

"The audience is still taking their seats, sir," he said politely. "Speaking of which, the acts have just arrived. They're wondering where you want them."

"Why can't we all hang out here?" Phylis suggested fixing her purse but Phineas disagreed.

"I've got this sweetheart," he said, placing an arm around her.

"Actually, that's a great idea," Phillip attempted to explain. The young Barnum smiled up at him in gratitude.

"No, they can't be here. They'd be too visible."

"Visible? But Dad. They're---" his daughter attempted to intervene.

"Put everyone apart from her in the standing room. It has splendid acoustics," he interrupted as Phillip left but not before winking at Phylis for standing up for them. She nodded about to ask her father what he meant by 'too visible.' That was when one of the workers informed the two that Jenny was ready to go on stage. Phineas went behind the curtain as Phylis hugged Jenny wishing her good luck. Even if she wasn't that fond of her, she was still an act. The two seemed to zone out until the curtains went fully up and she stepped forward.

"I'm trying to hold my breath. Let it stay this way. Can't let this moment end. You set off a dream in me," Jenny began as Phylis watched her father come into some sort of dream. She nudged him letting him know that he was looking at her the wrong way. She had to admit though. From the start, her voice seemed to have very much emotion.

"Getting louder now. Can you hear it echoing?" Phylis glazed over at the standing room with a sorry look to her friends. She couldn't help but notice though that Anne and Phillip still had their admiring look towards each other. She motioned for them to do something hoping it would work.

"Take my hand. Will you share this with me? Cause darling, without you," Jenny performed as Phillip took Anne by the hand slowly. Phineas, on the other hand, was so focused on Jenny that he barely saw his daughter's hands behind her back smiling as she watched Jenny continue.

"All the shine of a thousand spotlights. All the stars we steal from the night sky will never be enough." Pylis turned back to her father again to see him with the same look on his face looking about ready to cry. If she was being honest, so was she but there was still that something about her father's look that felt........weird. She turned to her Mom, sending her an apologetic look. She smiled back which calmed her nerves.

"Never be enough. Towers of gold are still too little. These hands could hold the word but it'll never be enough." Phylis noticed her friend's hand tighten around her love interest. She gave Anne a thumbs up. She felt like she was witnessing a fan-favorite couple on TV and Jenny would be singing in the background.

"Never be enough," she continued. Phylis turned back to the crowd noticing her mother with still a somewhat disappointed look on her face and Helon using her old binoculars to get a closer look at her. "Never be enough for me. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never. For me. For me. Never enough. Never enough. Never enough. For me. For me. For me. For me. All the shine of a thousand spotlights, all the stars we steal from the night sky will never be enough. Never be enough. Towers of gold are still too little, these hands could hold the world but it'll never be enough."

Phylis looked over watching a tearful Phillip let go of Anne who sank her head down and ran off. She sighed knowing immediately that Phillip felt judged. She had seen the way that people treated Anne and W.D. and she knew that negative energy was somehow spread in the room.

"Never be enough. Never be enough. For me. Never. Never. Never. Never. Never for me. For me. Never enough. Never. Never. Never enough. Never never," she continued. Phyllis watched as her Mom's look turned to one of shock at her talent. She reached for her father's hand and he looked down grabbing it ginning over at her. Phillip noticed this and thought of Anne. Why had he broken her heart? That was so selfless of him.

"Never enough. For me. For me. For me," she belted as the two Barnums wiped tears with their open hands. How had her father not heard of her? "For me."

Once the song ended, the entire audience clapped and cheered amazed. This was the biggest amount of applause they had ever earned and it was easy to see why. She was, as her father would put it, sensational. The two didn't let go as they noticed Mr. Bennet stand up and start cheering.

"Is this a dream?" Phylis whispered as he brushed the hair out of her eye.

"Yes," Phineas confirmed. She didn't even question his answer for a second.