El & Em: Two hearts, one band, a long slow ride

Chapter 6

They stood in a huddle in the tiny dressing room, arms around each other's backs.

"Remember...tight and fast on the crossovers," Luke said, as he always did. In this last moment of jittery anticipation, he could never stop his brain from hashing over tiny details of the upcoming set. "I'll count Leo in after the bridge."

The others nodded, waiting impatiently for release.

"Alright, that's it – let's go!"

They threw up their hands in a collective high-five and headed for the stage, slapping shoulders and grabbing equipment. José gave them twenty seconds to get into place before he turned up the spotlights, then Luke shouted "1, 2, 3--" and they were off.

It generally took Luke ten minutes or so of focused vocals at the mic stand to get over his initial nerves and start to find the rhythm of each individual show. Every night was different, even if every song and set list were the same. The crowd, the location, even the band had a different feel each time, and Luke spent the first few songs sussing out the vibe and getting himself into sync with it. Once he did that, he could loosen up, take the lead or go with the flow, and enjoy everything going on around him.

This was it, he was sure of it now. This was the band that would carry him into the future. He'd tried so many different combinations – groups, arrangements, players – over the years, and now, finally, he'd found what he was looking for. Leo had the rhythm and the timing down cold, and the strength to keep it up all night without flagging. Pete's rock solid bottom beat belied his sometimes chaotic off-stage energy. Of course Luke missed Eddie; his own guitar playing had improved but he was sticking to his simplest guitar lines. Which was okay, because Gordie and Emmett added all the interest he needed. Gordie could run the most technical, intricate piano lines at superhuman speed even on the tiny portable keyboard they had to use on this tour.

And then there was Emmett. Luke watched as he stepped forward for his horn solo, cool and confident in his monochromatic suit and hat. The neatly trimmed hair and glasses gave him an almost scholarly appearance until he put his trumpet to his lips and filled the room with a sound like Luke had never heard before – clear, controlled, powerful, but still soulful and intimate. And somehow Emmett made it all look effortless, like this was his most natural state, like he could do it all while dancing a two-step across the stage, which he often did. No wonder the crowd loved him.

There was definitely something about Emmett. Some days Luke still couldn't believe what he'd found, what he'd gained when he asked this man to join him. There was Emmett's deep musical knowledge and technical competence, his ability to give Luke anything he wanted; so many new things that were possible with his skills and instruments, and so much more Luke wanted to explore with him. Emmett always deferred to him in the creative process – but if Luke wrote the trumpet or harp solos, Emmett delivered them.

The spotlight moved back to Luke as Emmett's lead ended, the crowd cheering and shouting his name. Luke grabbed his mic and skipped over to plant himself at Emmett's side for the next verse, giving him a congratulatory hip check. They exchanged grins and stood shoulder to shoulder as Luke closed his eyes and wailed out his vocals. Already he could hardly imagine performing without the shelter and security of Emmett at his side.

Despite that imposing size and strength, Luke never felt safer than when he was with Emmett. It wasn't just the idea of being protected, though he knew he was. Emmett mostly kept his temper under control, but even after witnessing incidents like the one with Art, Luke had no fear of him, only faith and conviction and a deep sense of comfort in his presence.

The light moved to Gordie for his keyboard break, and Luke ran back to throw some water on his face, then turned to watch him. Gordie was a sweet boy, highly trained and much more technically skilled than the rest of the band, but he didn't draw the crowd's attention the way Emmett did; he didn't have that magnetism.