Two years later- October, 2021

The New Orleans Opera is proud to host the American premiere of the revised edition Marie Guidry's iconic La Fleuve.

I read the program and smile, looking at the music for the second flute part. I can't believe that I'm actually here in the orchestra pit playing the music for the first time. It fills me with awe each time I play the flute part. It is clear that Guidry herself must have enjoyed the flute as much as I do, for I think that the flute parts represent the river, like they do in Smetana's Ma Vlast.

"How wonderful that we are able to play together."

I look up and see Nicolas sitting down, with his flute in his hand.

"I am in awe each time I hear you play," he says, smiling.

"Ditto," I say, winking.

"You'd know I'd kiss you right now," he says, smiling impishly. "But I think we'll both get fired over it."

"That can wait until later. We've got a show to put on."

And we practice the flute solos in the beginning of the overture as our instruments melt together, becoming one sound. 

                                                                                                 ***

After the concert is over, and I'm in the main lobby of the Mahalia Jackson theatre, I am about to leave when I see a familiar figure. Bessie.

"Hey, Bessie," I say, smiling. It does still sting a little seeing her, but honestly, it's all right now. Two years ago, I would have been a mess, but now, it does not bother me anymore.

"Thanks, Corrie," Bessie says. "Look, about what happened between us in the past... I came to the opera today to see you, actually. The show was wonderful. I loved every minute of it, especially the character Bernadette. I don't know why, but I just felt so connected to her. You and that guy are incredible flute players too. I had no idea you played flute that well."

"Thank you for coming. And it's no problem. Bernadette was certainly Marie Guidry's most complex character."

She nods, smiling, but then her smile fades. "Look," Bessie says, smiling as she leads me to somewhere more private. "I need your help."

"What's going on?" I ask.

She gulps, tears falling down her cheeks. "You warned me and I didn't listen to you about Jeff. I'm miserable and I'm having his kid. God, I can barely breathe without him controlling me. I don't know what to do."

"Get out while you can," I say. "It took me years to get over him, Bessie. But you deserve better than someone like him. There's always someone better out there."

"You're right," she says. "And I'm sorry about the way that I treated you in the past. I didn't really mean any of it. It was just what I thought Jeff wanted me to say to you."

"Because he knew right where to cut me the hardest," I say. "Hey, do you want to come with me and Nico to get some coffee and beignets at Cafe du Monde? I don't know if that sounds weird or anything, cause we're really not friends, but you look like you could use some company. It's close to midnight, though. So I get it if you don't want to come with us, especially considering we're not really friends."

"You know what? Why the hell not? I really need to tell you more about what Jeff's done to me."

"I'm all ears." 

                                                                                                          ***

I stand by the Mississippi river, near the Riverwalk and watch as the water flows. The lights from the Crescent City Connection bridge cast the same deep orange glow that always gives me some kind of comfort. When I used to stand here, I used to think of Jeff and his mother. But now, when I see the river, I see my comfort. My peace. I love seeing it and always have, even when I was a young girl and never understood it. 

I think I understand it now. I'm not sure if all of those dreams that I was experiencing were some kind of reincarnation thing, or if a spirit was genuinely trying to communicate with me. I suppose I'll never truly know that, but what I do know is that I brought Inaki Leblanc and Ignace Leblanc too to some kind of justice. Inaki, charged with multiple offenses, the worst being grand theft, was sentenced to fifteen years in prison. It is what needed to happen. 

I also suppose we will never know how Ignace Leblanc stole Marie Guidry's music, but the truth was revealed and now there is a deep sense of peace that resides deep within my soul. 

What Marie had been trying to tell me all of this time was that she wanted the truth revealed. Her opera was never Leblanc's and now it belongs only to her. I have not had a dream since, and while, I feel somewhat relieved about it, I admit I do miss them every now and then. But Nicolas has not had any dreams since then either. 

I hear the steady patter of footsteps from behind me and my heart lifts when I see Nicolas, coming up to me with his Wiseman flute case strapped around his shoulder. 

"Something just told me that I'd find you here," he says, with a wink. "You ready for Cafe du Monde?"

"You and those beignets. I swear if you could, you'd eat twenty of them in one sitting." I slap his shoulder and give him a light kiss on the lips. 

"I missed you," he says, whispering in my ear. "Spain is just not the same anymore." 

"Then move here," I say. "I think you'll fit right in. And you love New Orleans. It kind of has a Spanish feel to it. And I'm doing a horrible job of convinving you."

He kisses my cheek. "If it means being close to you, I'd move anywhere where you are. You ready to go?" 

"I just need one more minute," I say. "You can start ahead." 

I wait for him to leave and I grab my old engagement ring and hold it in my hands. Four years ago, in 2017, I proudly wore this. I was ready to marry him, but now that I see Jeff with clear eyes, I can see how toxic he is. And now Bessie is looking to leave him too. It's time to part ways with this ring. I hurl it into the river, letting it fall into the depths and walk away, joining Nicolas up to Cafe du Monde.