NOT ALONE

EPILOGUE [part III]: Breathe Again

'That was brilliant!' Jenny exclaimed to Máirín, when the room finally emptied after the closing speech. 'I haven't laughed like that in a long time!'

'Thank you!'

'Your voice is amazing', Joshua gasped, still trying to recover.

'I guess having new lungs help...' Máirín added, smiling.

She gestured to them to go to the dressing rooms to accompany her while she changed for the rest of the evening. Joshua stayed in the corridors while Jenny came inside with her. Her friend, Lauren, who played Emma in the show, was doing the same beside her, and another actress joined them next.

'Girls, don't be long! We've got to stage door, and then go to the Pear Tree!' Joey said, poking his head through the doorway.

'Oh, come on! It's right next door! They can wait for us!' Lauren replied, raising her hand.

'We were late last time, Lo!' he shouted from outside the door.

'We always are...' she added, laughing.

Jenny turned to Máirín and smiled, pleased to find herself in the middle of a troupe that had been working well for years. They could have been exhausted after two and a half hours of intensive show, but nothing seemed to dampen their enthusiasm. 

'Who's the guy outside?' Lauren asked, discretely.

'My brother,' Jenny answered.

'He looks a bit... tense. Is he alright?'

'Yeah... well, confused would be more appropriate...' Jenny added, looking at Máirín with intensity.

'He was asking all the guys from the show how close they were to May,' Jaime-Lyn added, wincing.

'He's my ex-boyfriend,' Máirín whispered very quicky to both of them.

They instantly stopped removing their make-up, sending their most mind-blown glances at Máirín, who had said this in a casual manner.

'The guy before Darren?' Lauren asked.

'Yep...'

'The one you left for Michigan?' Jaime Lyn asked.

'Yep...'

Faced with Máirín's indifference, who was trying to mark the event as something trivial to avoid making a big deal of it, they resumed their preparations to go out, with a shrug.

'I've never heard you speak and sing with an American accent!' Jenny teased, changing subject. 'It was pretty convincing!'

'I've been around this gang for ten years, I live with an American, I've learned to imitate them...' she retorted in a low voice, smiling.

'And... Is that one of the guys from the show? Darren ? Jenny whispered. 'You told me he was part of the company...'

'No, no... Darren hasn't done shows with us since 2012, but he was one of the founders of the company. He's too busy with other commitments of his own, our shows take a lot of preparation and rehearsal, he wouldn't be able to commit to it with what he's doing on the side...'

'Oh, I see...'

'Some of the cast have had successful careers on Broadway or TV. Our friend Carlos has a recurring role in a WB series, or A.J.'s working on "The Book of Mormon" on Broadway, and for Darren, it's the same thing...'

'You mean your fiancé is... kind of... famous?' Jenny asked, very surprised, as she headed for the door.

Máirín smiled and winked at her, but did not answer, as she's just finished preparing. On the way out, as the group was halted by fans waiting to ask for autographs, photos, selfies and chat, and they spent almost 20 minutes trying to satisfy them. She seemed to have spent her whole life doing this exercise, always with a smile on her face, being the most pleasant with the company's admirers.