"Just two days left to go." Sirena observed, brushing her long hair back from her face into a ponytail, and frowning at her reflection. "Can I go out there and be the success that I was before, when I was at Rebel Records?"
Her reflection frowned back at her, offering her little comfort and she sighed, dropping her brush back down onto the unit and letting her hair cascade once more around her shoulders.
"I don't know why Im even thinking like this. Since Michael was born I've not been quite the same person inside, but that's not to say I'm not just as good a singer as I ever was. And true, it's a new contract and a new company, but it's also a big move in the right direction and Nancy's a damn good songwriter. I just hope I can pull off this big comeback concert...Mom says it's sold out...come on, Sirena, get a grip on yourself, will you? You're a star, it'll be a breeze!"
A whimper from the next room interrupted her thoughts and she turned, heading into the small bedroom which had become the nursery since the birth of her son six months earlier. Michael was sitting up in his cot, a troubled look on his face and as his mother entered he held out his arms to her, pleading to be picked up. Carefully she scooped him up into her arms, casting him a smile.
"Well, you believe in me, don't you?" She asked him gently, heading into the kitchen and scooping up the ready-prepared bottle of milk. "Here you go. This is what you want, isn't it?"
Content, Michael drank, and, watching him, Sirena grinned. She had not been able to explain the feelings that had overwhelmed her the first time she had held her son, but, despite her tough-girl image and her brash strength of character, she was never anything but gentle where Michael was concerned, and in turn, the infant trusted in his mother's care implicitly.
"It's gonna be trickier still when I start touring again." She decided, setting down the bottle once more and hoisting her son onto her shoulder. "I'm gonna miss you, and I hope you're gonna miss me. But Grandpa is only too willing to take you, and I know he'll spoil you rotten, so it'll be okay in the end, won't it?"
Michael uttered a sleepy gurgle, full and happy, and Sirena laughed.
"Okay, you want to sleep." She acknowledged. "Fine then, you can sleep. I dunno...sometimes I wish I was a baby again, Mike. You don't know how easy you have it."
Gently she returned him to his cot, giving him a tender kiss as she did so, but the baby was already lost to the world, and carefully she tiptoed from the room, closing the door softly behind her. Michael did not cry as much now as he had at first, though sometimes he would still raise her with squalls in the middle of the night, and she had acclimatised herself to his needs fairly well, even though sometimes being a mother drove her insane. At least, she mused, as she headed into the lounge to watch television, she had the comfort of her mother's financial support should she ever need it. Phyllis had never been cut out for motherhood and balked at the idea of being called Grandma, but in her own way she loved her daughter and grandson, and Sirena knew that these days she had only to ask for help.
She had barely sat down on the sofa when there was the sound of the doorbell and, mindful that her son was asleep, she hurried to answer it before whoever it was could resort to the knocker. She swung open the door of the apartment, her indignation replaced by surprise as she registered her visitor.
"Luca!" She exclaimed.
"Hi." Luca cast her a sheepish smile. "I know it's rude to come calling, but you left this in my car last night, when I dropped you home." He held out her black leather jacket, and, not sure how to respond, Sirena took it from him almost automatically. "I hoped you would be here, actually...I had something else I wanted to ask you."
"What is it with you and questions?" Sirena demanded. "Can't you ask your precious Rory Llewelyn for answers, huh? Why do you have to keep bugging me?"
"Because it's something Rory said that I wanted to ask you about." Luca said evenly. "Can I come in?"
"No, you can't." Sirena snapped back. "I don't know you and I'm sure as hell not letting a perfect stranger into my home, especially one who works for the enemy. Whatever you want, you can ask me right here and right now, and then you can leave me alone, okay? I don't need this right now!"
"Well, perhaps I can take you to lunch someplace and we could discuss it then?" Luca did not seem a bit phased.
"I can't." Sirena said shortly. "Just ask, will you?"
Luca eyed her thoughtfully for a moment. Then,
"Rory said you used to work for him. Is it true?"
"Yeah, it's true...so what?" Sirena responded curtly. "I don't work for him now." She went to close the door, but Luca's next words made her pause.
"He said something...about when you left." he continued slowly. "Something about you leaving the company in a disgraceful manner."
"Oh, he did, did he?" Fire flashed into Sirena's green eyes. "Well, you want to know the truth? He fired me. Okay? He kicked me out."
"What?" Luca could not believe his ears. "But you're a huge success, a big money act! Why on earth would he do that?"
"You calling me a liar now?" Sirena was entirely on the defensive. "Well, fine. Think it if you like. I don't care. Now if you'd get the hell off my doorstep..."
"I didn't say you were a liar." Luca interrupted her calmly, putting his foot in the door and thus preventing her from slamming it in his face. "I just don't understand why he'd do something like that."
"Well, he did. All right?"
"But why?"
"We had a disagreement about my personal situation." Sirena responded darkly.
"Such as?"
"Damn you, why don't you read the papers!" Sirena snapped. "I have a big show in a couple of days, I don't need some nobody musician from wherever pestering me with questions! I..."
She trailed off, as a cry erupted from within the flat and she groaned.
"Now look what you did." She muttered. "He was just asleep, too."
"A baby?" Luca's jaw dropped, then, as things clicked into place, "Wait, is that why...?"
"Oh, work it out for yourself." Sirena rolled her eyes. "Will you get your damn foot out of the door? My son needs me!"
"Maybe I can help?"
"You have a baby?"
"No...but..."
"Then get a grip and get out of my face." Sirena did not let him finish. "Michael and I do fine and we don't need help, sympathy or questions from the likes of you. All right?"
With that she kicked his foot from the doorway, slamming the door before Luca could protest. From the corridor he could hear her footsteps moving away, and then, slowly, the baby's screams quieted. Thoughtfully he turned on his heel, making his way down the corridor.
"Sirena has a baby." He mused. "I didn't see that coming. But I bet that's why Rory fired her...if Rory did fire her and she didn't quit." He frowned. "No, I believe her. Rory's slimy and it's hard to know what to believe from him. Sirena's blunt as can be, but you can believe what she says. Rory must've fired her because she got pregnant and refused to get rid of it." He grimaced. "If that's true, it's also inhumane and probably not very legal. Still, if she doesn't want to talk about it, I don't have much right to tackle Rory about it either...and hell, why should I want to? Rory is my music contract, Sirena is just..."
He paused, looking puzzled.
"Well, what is she?" He asked himself. "Just some chick I like? Or is it more than that?"
He shrugged. "Ah well. Once we've found us a place to stop in California, I'm sure that Diablo and Sirena will meet again. And I'll be glad of it, too...there's something about that girl and I want to know more."