True to form, Candace does what she has done for over a decade when her son asks her this same question; she looks up at the ceiling and smiles. Only one other person knows who Mark’s father is, and he’s dead. Luther Vandross.

Twenty years earlier, in a concert in Nashville, TN, Candace messed up a few too many of Lester Wilson’s choreographed steps. Unlike Candace to be anything else but perfect on stage, Luther asked her to come to his dressing room after the show so they could talk privately. The two were as thick as thieves off and on stage. She never met anyone quite like him before. He was awe-inspiring as a vocalist, producer, and songwriter. More importantly, he was kind and generous as a man with a wicked sense of humor. For him, she had all the qualities of his favorite divas – Diana Ross, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick – talent, style, and poise. She quickly became his muse on stage and on record personifying his vision of a glamorous, radiant goddess. Luther intuitively knew something was bothering her that was much bigger than her on-stage slip-ups. Seconds after Luther offered her comfort and told her not to worry, she confessed to him about her pregnancy. The moment the words left her mouth, she could see the disappointment rising inside of him. Silence followed. She was turning away when Luther said “Go.”

She grabs a sweater and places it in her suitcase. “I only said that Luther sings love songs. What people do while they listen to his music is their business. Do you know that Luther taught himself to play the piano by ear?” Candace grabs another sweater from her dresser.

Mark interrupts her, “I know, Mom. You’ve told me that stuff a million times. That’s why I’m going to his concert.”

“What?” She looks at his phone. She sees an advertisement for Luther Vandross’s 70th birthday concert at the legendary Radio City Music Hall. 

“You can’t.” She tries to give his phone back to him, but he stands his ground. 

“Are you afraid I’m going to find out? Just tell me.” 

Two weeks ago, she could have taken charge of the situation and skillfully dodged his question without him noticing. But that was before everything changed in a blink of an eye. Although her heart desperately wants her to change the subject before it goes too far, she’s too exhausted for her tongue to tell him another lie. 

“Sheila is right; there isn’t a conference.”

“You lied to me?”

“And when you heard me singing earlier while I was practicing for the show. I’m flying to New York to be part of his tribute BUT …”. She pulls out her contract and itinerary for the upcoming Luther’s Tribute concert from her bureau. 

“But you wanted to keep it a secret like everything else!”

She gets up and grabs a nightgown from her dresser, and puts it in her suitcase. “I was going to say, after what happened, I’m staying home.”

“Then why are you still packing?”

“I don’t know.” Suddenly, the sheer exhaustion from running nonstop for the past seventeen years has caught up to her. “I’m supposed to be unbreakable, and instead, I’m breaking right now. A music celebration doesn’t seem appropriate right now. “

“Then why go?”

“Because it’s never or now. I have to go.”

“I don’t want you to.”

“You just told me to go a minute ago.”

“I know, but now I feel guilty asking you to go after what happened at school. You’re off the hook.”

“Off the hook from what?” She looks at her son, unsure of what to do or say. This sudden about-face in their discussion catches her off guard.

“The shooting made me look at things more closely. I have come to realize over the past few days that Luther is as much a part of my life as you are.”

“So then, we are related!”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t deny it either,” he counters. 

 Candace reaches into her briefcase at the foot of her bed and pulls out some paperwork.  

“I signed a contract. Look, Luther’s old business manager, Chris Naples, sent me this contract weeks ago before the shooting.” She points to the TV then quickly flips through her Luther Vandross tour paperwork. Her hands shake as she gives her son her weekend itinerary with her flight and hotel information, contact numbers. Candace felt so confident she was making the right decision when she signed the contract. She wanted to rid her mind of all the negativity she felt that had prevented her from moving forward. She knew the constant scrutiny of her past is what stopped her from pursuing a relationship with another man. 

 “I can’t back out now. This is business.” She tosses him her official backstage lament.

TO BE CONTINUED …

Read Last Dance With My Father Part 1

Read Last Dance With My Father Part 3