The Sirens of Calypso- Epilogue

            The next morning, while he was in the middle of packing his belonging to return home, Juan Paulo received the call he’d given up hope would ever come. The men who saw his showcase loved his music and drafted a contract to sign the band to their label. As soon as he was ready, they offered to pay the expenses necessary to record an album. 

            Throughout the call, he cast numerous glances in Talia’s direction ranging from grateful to suspicious. The timing of this was a little too convenient for his liking. She’d later tell him her “acquaintance” Carlos helped with the negotiations as his way of returning an old favor he owed her. 

            The caveat, which Talia wasn’t yet aware of-- their main studio was located back in America. Although taken aback by the news, she immediately decided it didn’t matter. Juan Paulo broke the news to her after finishing the call. Anticipating a long-distance relationship as the only option brought an ache to his chest and wrinkles in his forehead. Talia throwing him against the wall for a passionate kiss erased all of that tension, but only for an instant.

            “Wait, Talia,” Juan Paulo asked after slipping out of her grip, “what about Calypso? Your dancing? I don’t want you to resent me because I’m the reason you gave all of that up."

            She nodded, although it was more of an acknowledgment to her inner thoughts than his. “You’re right but this is something I’m also doing for myself.”

            “I’m not sure I understand…"
            A tiny hint of a smile lit up her face. “I think you do. Vanessa knew it was true before I was ready to accept it.” She shook her head. “It’s strange to think the people who saw me sing last night, even they knew I have not been myself. That’s why, before I perform for an audience again, I must… as you Americans say… ‘work on myself’ so I may be worthy of their admiration and support.” 

            Both of them had a seat on his bed and she rambled through a list of ideas she'd cultivated over the past few weeks. Specialists she could see, group meetings she could attend. Once she finished, she took his hand and ran it along the scars on her elbow. His heart skipped. He knew Talia had never allowed anyone else the same opportunity and he prayed he’d never be foolish enough to betray that trust. “There will be times your career will put distance between us and we cannot be together all the time. But if I need you… if only to say ‘you’re doing fine’ or ‘everything will be all right’…”
            “I will.” Juan Paulo reached toward her cheek with his opposite hand, pausing for a moment before she acknowledged it was ok, and stroked it. Another kiss wasn’t far behind, but just as quickly, it gave way to a heartfelt embrace that lasted more minutes than either of them cared to count.

*    *    *

            For Scarlet and Javier, this caveat came with its fair share of complications.
Although it’d been years since he and his mother left America, a reluctance to return stayed with him. It took some coaxing from Scarlet to face those feelings head on and he caved. After further investigation, he learned that karma finally caught up with his father. His new family, which Javier suspected had some overlap with his old one, didn’t work out for him any better. This second woman had come from a large family and a network of friends within her community. So when they began seeing her less frequently and faint remains of bruises when they did, they sprung into action. They corroborated a domestic violence complaint against him and a prison fight signed his death warrant shortly afterwards.

            Despite Scarlet’s unwavering support and insistence on accompanying him, her wellbeing and that of their child remained a constant in his mind. Her pregnancy continued to go well, but her growing nerves about motherhood made most days an emotional rollercoaster. Along with the other sirens, Javier brainstormed different ways to put her at ease. Whether they took turns staying with her in America or she stayed on the island and Javier made regular trips back to spend time with her. In the end, it was decided that Javier would participate in the studio sessions that required his input and Juan Paulo would handle the promotion for the record on his own. As much as he couldn’t bear to leave Scarlet’s side, he also wanted her to live in comfort and that could only be in a place and with friends she knew well. 

            It became clear to both Juan Paulo and Javier that their lives were going in different directions. Luckily, their management team at the record label was flexible and agreed to whatever the terms they decided. Javier always had the freedom to return, whether it was part of the band or if he wanted his own solo career, once his affairs with Scarlet and their family were in order. The same courtesy was extended to Steve the drummer, who had been actively working with La Scala’s owners on their new business venture. Rumor has it that they’re planning a new “battle of the bands” competition to coincide with Calypso and Eclipse’s entertainment events.

*    *    *

            In addition to being partners in life, Amber and Alejandro are now business partners, running both Calypso and Evangeline’s. Their latest idea of growing an audience for Evangeline’s—establishing an all-male dance crew led by Michel and Misha to rival the sirens. Even without Talia at the helm, this is sure to be an uphill battle.

           As for Calypso, Emilia will take Scarlet’s place in her routines with Ruby during her maternity leave. She's also working on a number of fairytale inspired routines. She hopes one day to produce her own theme night, a dream Amber and the others can’t wait to usher into reality.

            Talia’s future with the sirens of Calypso remains uncertain. While the others eagerly await news of her return, they plan to uphold her legacy as long as there are people to come see them dance. The club's future has never looked brighter.

***

I wrote this story a different way than my creative process typically goes. I'd usually get an idea and follow it from start to finish, perfect chronological order.

With this one, I wrote whenever I was inspired and I'd figure out at a later date where they fit in sequence and whether I need something new to connect different scenes. 

As such, this created one major problem I didn't have a solution for until now.

I had no idea how this story was going to end and I wanted to do more than getting the key couples together and ending it. And with this, I think I finally found the right balance between showing where the characters' lives are going and hinting at future possibilities. Cuz I really don't know where they'll end up 5-10 years afterwards. 

Some ideas I do have for the times ahead:

*The other day, I saw a flicker for a moment with Talia and JP while listening to Rob Thomas. He wrote a lot of his "Cradlesongs" album while his wife was going through a difficult illness and I can imagine JP being that source of comfort for Talia. And he could do a solo album similar to that or Ed Sheeran's "-" album, which was partially inspired by his wife, who was dealing with the double-whammy of pregnancy and cancer. Although the songs that would be shared with the public, Talia has the last say, naturally.

*I don't know whether Scarlet is having a boy or a girl; I'll leave that for the reader to decide. In the future, I can imagine her and Javier touring as a musical act and she'll alternate between dancing to his songs or singing them along with him.

*I also don't know whether Amber and Alejandro's sex life will be as kinky as her style is now or he'll help her revert to something a little more vanilla. If I ever explore that, I probably wouldn't be sharing it with other people, lol

*I'd like to think one or several of the sirens, after they've reached an age when they stop dancing, will work in the public sector with other women who'd experienced similar hardships.

*And possibly, one day, the Calypso brand could expand to America and other countries. Clubs featuring troupes of female dancers. Although without the mob connections and prostitution, so the stage shows won't be quite as elaborate. 

For anyone who made it all the way to the end, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.

Maybe in the near future I'll put together my own dream cast list if this ever became a movie or Broadway musical. But this is it for now.