The Heartbreak Factor - Part Four

Sitting down on the stool in the centre of the stage, I looked out at the audience. With a guitar in my hand, everybody there knew I wasn't really in my comfort zone but it was the press launch of my album - my final album so I wanted to make it special.

"I know this song isn't an original but I've always loved this song. It's filled with hope, inspiration and carries a message which I love. Here's my cover of P!nk's Perfect," I smiled, which was met with a round of applause from the room.

Strumming the first note on the guitar, I took a deep breath. This was it. My final song on the album. My final song on the final album. Lisa was sat at the end of the stage, holding onto baby Ollie with Katy sat beside her, who was staring up at me with a huge grin on her face.

"I love you, mummy!" she screamed, followed by a giggle.

Grinning to myself, I began to sing. "Made a wrong turn once or twice. Dug my way out, blood and fire. Bad decisions, that's alright. Welcome to my silly life."

The fans were singing along as they all had their phones and cameras out, filming the moment.

"Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood, miss 'no way, it's all good'. It didn't slow me down. Mistaken, always second guessing, underestimated, look I'm still around," I paused for a second to catch my breath.

"Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect," I sang, watching Katy as she held hold of Ollie's hand and waved it up in the air. "Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me."

"You're so mean when you talk about yourself. You are wrong. Change the voices in your head, make them like you instead," I smiled, enjoying the song for what it was - my last performance. "So complicated, look how we all make it, filled with so much hatred, such a tired game. It's enough, I've done all I could think of. Chased all my demons, I've seen you do the same."

"Katy, are you gonna come up here with mummy?" I grinned, holding out my hand in my daughter's direction as I paused the song for a second.

Katy looked at Lisa with uncertainty in her expression, but once she received a nod of agreement off Lisa, she darted towards the security who kindly helped her onto the stage. As she ran up to me, throwing her arms around me, I laughed at the crowd's reaction - a chorus of 'aww's.

"Are you gonna sing a bit?" I asked Katy as she perched herself on my lap where the guitar should have been.

Katy nodded before grabbing the microphone from the microphone stand and nearly dropping it on the floor. "Pretty, pretty please, don't you ever, ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect," Katy began to sing as she looked at me, waiting for me to mouth the next words to her. "Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect."

I laughed at her mistake. "Close enough," I grinned, taking over the microphone.

As the security guy ran on stage with another microphone and microphone stand, readjusting it to a height that was accessible to Katy, I looked at the audience. "I do have an announcement though. Today doesn't just mark the release of my new album," I paused as I glanced over at Lisa. "It marks the release of my final album. I wouldn't have been able to do this - any of this - without the help of certain people and I don't need to thank them as they already know who they are and know I am forever grateful of all the opportunities and support they have provided me with over the past six years."

"Are you ready, Katy?" I grinned.

She nodded as she sat on my knee, grinning out at the audience. "Ready, mummy."