Joe sat across from Nelly, his hands clasped together as he leaned forward, his voice steady but carrying the weight of years gone by. “You know, Nelly, back in 2000, when Nelstar was lighting up the charts and you were giving hope to so many young fans, I made a decision. I looked at our kids, their eyes wide with admiration for you, and I realized—I had to build them a future. A real one. Something unshackled by the chains of debt and despair.”
Nelly tilted her head, her gaze softening. “I know you did, Joe. You’ve always been the one to carry the weight, even when the world wasn’t watching.”
Joe chuckled, though there was little humor in it. “It wasn’t glamorous, Nelly. It was long nights, hard work, and sacrifices no one ever writes songs about. While you were out there, fighting for them on the global stage—standing shoulder to shoulder with Bono, trying to give those kids a voice—I was in the trenches, making sure the ground beneath their feet didn’t crumble. Debt-free futures don’t build themselves, you know.”
Nelly sighed, her fingers tracing the rim of her coffee cup. “Bono and I tried so hard. We spoke about erasing the chains of debt, about giving the next generation a chance to dream without being burdened by the sins of the past. But it was people like you, Joe, doing the work in the shadows, who really made it possible.”
Joe smiled faintly. “I didn’t do it for recognition, Nelly. I did it because I couldn’t stand the thought of our kids—of anyone’s kids—growing up in a world where they’re told to dream big but are handed nothing but shackles when they try. Someone had to lay the bricks, to pave the way for the freedom you were singing about.”
Nelly reached across the table, placing her hand over his. “And you did, Joe. You gave them that future. They might not know it, but I do. And I’ll make sure they know one day.”
Joe’s voice softened, his eyes glinting with a mix of pride and weariness. “I just hope it was enough, Nelly. That they’ll have a chance to build something better than what we were handed.”
Nelly nodded, her voice firm. “They will, Joe. Because of what you did. Because of what we both did, in our own ways. And maybe, just maybe, they’ll carry the torch even further than we ever could.”
For a moment, they sat in silence, the weight of their shared sacrifices hanging in the air like a solemn but hopeful hymn.