Page 184 of Paint the Town, Dove

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And so we re-wrote Paint the Town, Dove.

A duet, a tribute to us.

I mean, I’d like to think it was already written. A prophecy told throughout the course of our lives, inescapable from the start.

In bold lettering, stamped in the fonts of our past.

The lyrics were made for collaboration.

How could I perform it without the woman who made it all possible?

When it came time to my spring opener at Madison Square Garden, I made a quick call to the camera men on stage. Within seconds, the jumbotron panned to my Scarlett, standing by the curtains.

The lens zoomed in on her beautiful face, lighting up the stadium with the woman I’ve loved for the better half of my existence.

I yelled to the abyss of fans and fireflies, “THE DOVE BEHIND THE SONG!”

And the crowd,ourcrowd, roared like a wild, untameable beast –

If you weregoing to love someone, love them loudly.

***

Scarlett

The lion and the wolf rattledrattledrattled against the caged bars of my heart, a loud thump emanating from my chest cavity.

I didn’t think…

Ineverthought –

People sawme. Noticedme.

It was the reason… I hated crowds.

Because no matter the flaming red hair or the gaudy attitude, the false confidence and bravado…

No one had ever loved me. Not properly, anyway.

I know that now.

I looked to Ryden, arms outstretched in front of thousands of people, eyes pinned on mine with total adoration.

I know that now, yes.

Because of him.

I painted myself in red, like a siren –a warning sign–

And every human ignored.

Every human until this spring opener –

And the stadium put a face to a song.

All because of one man.

***

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