Chapter Twenty-Two
S omehow, I was more nervous than most of the kids were about their performances. I kept fussing as I helped with some last-minute decoration setups or with costumes. The audio engineer had already banned me from stepping within ten feet of the equipment or asking him if he was ready and knew all his cues.
“Cadence?” Dad called out. He was over by the piano about to be brought out on the stage. He was going to be the major accompaniment for many of the songs.
“Yeah?”
“Come here.” He motioned me over.
I looked down at the costume piece in my hand. It was a tiara.
“I can put it on myself.” The girl I was helping seemed all too happy about the thought. She practically snatched it out of my hand and ran away.
“Okay...” I went over to Dad.
“You need to take a deep breath and leave the kids alone.”
“I’m just helping.”
“You’re hovering and it’s starting to make them nervous. The last thing the kids need to see is the person in charge in a frantic state.”
“I’m not frantic.”
He raised an eyebrow and gently rubbed my back. “I watched you and one of the makeup artists. Trying to do their job is offensive, not helpful. Each person here has a task, and they’re all doing it well. Your job may be to oversee it, but it isn’t to tell them how to do it. Would you like one of them telling you how to write your music?”
“No.” The only feedback I ever wanted was when I was in class because it was expected. Outside of that, I didn’t appreciate it as much unless I knew the person knew what they were talking about.
“I can’t help it.” I finally relaxed my shoulders. “This means a lot to the kids and the rec center. I know that and I want everything perfect.”
“Being wound tighter than a violin string isn’t going to make things perfect.” He shooed me off. “Go stand somewhere out of the way and just work on breathing. On overseeing, not commanding. And have fun. This is all about having fun. Don’t let perfection pull you away from that or ruin it for others.”
I grimaced and stared down at the ground, his words hitting hard. He made all good points, and if there was anything Dad was seasoned at, it was being at shows like these. He had helped a lot at the shows I’d participated in as a kid.
“Okay.”
“Good.” He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my cheek. “You’ve done an amazing job working with the kids and helping them find their spots in this show. Now let them have fun.”
I gave him a weak smile and did as he said, moving to the side, out of the way. For a long time, I just stood there, watching everyone. The entire space was alive with pre-concert chaos—but the good kind of chaos. Parents and more were filling all the folded chairs laid out. Kids were whispering and giggling behind the curtain. Festive lights cast a soft, warm glow all around, especially over the stage, illuminating the painted winter backdrop the artsy kids had worked so hard on.
I wasn’t lying about the police presence too. I’d already spotted Officer Brelly in plain clothes and had a feeling there were plenty more, plus the handful who were in uniform. Everyone was taking this seriously, especially since this event involved so many children and families.
I scanned more of my surroundings and spotted a dangling snowflake that needed fixing, but before I could give in to my urge to go fix it, someone else was already on it. The woman met my eyes and smiled brightly, giving me a wink, before continuing to check all the decorations.
I smoothed my sweater dress. It was as festive as I could make it. When I showed some of the guys, they had all agreed that I looked like a pretty, candy cane elf. The sleeves were red and white, and the main body was green with images of lights going across it. The tights I wore were red and green, one leg each color. It was fun, and I had to admit, pretty darn cute. Also not something I’d ever really worn before, if I didn’t count the elf outfit I wore at the hospital with Toby.
I shuddered, pushing those thoughts away. I wasn’t ready to go down that route yet. Maybe not for a while, though I knew Dr. Arason was going to make me face it sooner rather than later. We had agreed to talk after the new year since she was going to be on vacation.
She did say I could call her if anything happened before then, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to keep things as light and happy as I could until after the holidays were over. Then I’d bother her and face what’d happened.
But not before.
I went back to staring out at the audience, spotting people I knew.
Janice was near the front with Seth and Toby. She was pale and looked exhausted, but she at least seemed more relaxed than I’d seen from her since the attack. She even smiled at something Toby said. It’d been a good idea to make sure Toby was with her. Seth made her feel safe, and Toby made her happier. They were working together to help her.
My heart warmed at seeing how my boyfriends were supporting Janice. Janice was important to me, more important than I had thought. She was the sister I wanted. It had hurt when she had to leave. I was glad she was back and we’d been able to reconnect.
Justin and Paxon sat behind them. Paxon leaned forward and hit the back of Toby’s head while Janice and Seth laughed. Justin was smiling, but it was still that wavering one. He wanted to be happy, but he was dealing with so much with his family that it was hard for it to come out. But he was getting there. Sadly, Bryan couldn’t come tonight. He had something going on with his parents. He’d made it clear that he did make a donation though. I was afraid to ask him how much and refused to let him tell me.
Not far from them were George, Laura, and even Peyton with two men sandwiching her.
I watched the three of them for a moment, how comfortable they were like that. They didn’t hide their affections; at one point, Peyton was laughing and they both kissed her cheeks.
Something warm flooded in me. The possibility I was currently facing with the guys. A future that seemed so possible when I watched Peyton. I wanted it to be possible. Desperately.
The lights dimmed. The audience hushed.
Showtime.
I smoothed out my dress, hating that I let them talk me into doing introductions. Putting on a big smile, I stepped onto the stage and laughed at the way it got a little louder near the guys as people politely clapped.
“Thank you,” I said, waving at everyone and trying to remember the short speech I wrote down for this. “My name is Cadence Wiles, a volunteer here at the Faydelle Community Center, and I have the absolute pleasure of introducing our lovely performers. First, I’d like to thank everyone for coming tonight. This is a special occasion, not just for the Faydelle Community Center, but also for the kids who spent a long time preparing to share with you their love and passion in the performing arts. None of this would have been possible without the love and support from our sponsor, Dyer Construction. Thank you for believing in our community center and supporting us to put this together. And now, what I’m sure we’re all excited to begin—the performances!”
I did a quick introduction and then stepped off the stage. The first performance was a group of younger kids, around six years old, dressed like cute reindeer. They performed a medley of holiday songs. Some even forgot the words and instead waved to their parents mid-verse. The crowd chuckled, cheering them on with gentle encouragement. It was adorable.
Next, a trio came out, playing the flute. They’d been working hard on them for a few months. Wind instruments weren’t my thing, but there had been another volunteer at the center who held sessions. They did Jingle Bells. One of them was so nervous, he even dropped his flute, but quickly picked it up with a red face, managing to join back in flawlessly and ending on a good note. The crowd gave them a loud applause, and all three ate it up, practically skipping off the stage.
A couple more performances passed by, going well.
While two teens harmonized together on stage, I snuck over to the performers and found Calvin. He had one more person in front of him before it was his turn. He actually looked a little green as he stood there, holding his guitar.
“Hey, little man,” I said.
He jumped before turning. His big grey eyes were watery as he stared at me.
I crouched down to his level, keeping my voice soft so I wouldn’t startle him further. “It’s almost your turn, huh?”
Calvin nodded, his fingers tightening around the neck of his guitar, strangling the poor thing as he tried to keep himself grounded. His lips pressed into a thin line, and he looked everywhere but at me.
“Hey, listen to me for a second,” I said gently, resting my hand on his grip on the guitar to get him to look at me. “You’ve got this. Remember all those practices? How awesome you sounded the last time we ran through your song? You’re going to do great out there.”
His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard. “But...what if I mess up? What if I forget the words?”
“Keep going. And you know what? No one out there is going to care. They’re here to cheer you on. Your dad is out there, ready to wave to you like a madman when you walk out on stage.” I carefully inched us over so we could see on the other side of the curtain. I pointed him out for Calvin. His brother too.
“Do you think they’d be sad if you make a mistake?”
“No. Dad already said no matter what he’s proud of me. He said to have fun.”
“Exactly. I agree. You’re here to have fun. Remember, you aren’t out there alone, even if it feels like it. Music isn’t about being perfect, it’s about sharing how you feel. And your song has a lot of feelings. You got this.”
I held my hand out in a fist for him. He stared at it before finally bumping his fist against mine. The act finished and the teens made their way off the stage. I gave Calvin one last look of encouragement before heading on stage to make the next introduction.
The next performer was a dancer and it ended well. Then it was Calvin’s turn.
I made the introduction and then swapped with my dad, sitting at the piano. Calvin came out slowly and just as I predicted the guys and his dad went wild for him.
His face turned redder, but now he was smiling big as he went over to his spot. He took a shaky breath and adjusted his guitar strap as the crowd settled down. He adjusted the mic before strumming a gentle chord. The first note was wobbly, but then he played a few more notes and got into the rhythm.
Just before he began singing, I gently weaved the piano into his music. And then he sang. His voice was pure and heartfelt, filling the room with sincerity.
“I like to wear a cape as I jump on my bed
Dreaming of battles that play in my head
A wooden sword clutched in my tiny hand
Fighting the monsters, I’ll make my stand
But heroes aren’t perfect, they stumble too
You don’t need powers to see it through
I don’t need to fly, I don’t need a sword
I’ll be right here when the sky falls down
I’ll make everything all right, I’ll never let go
Without being a hero, just someone you know
I see my dad cry when the nights get long
So I hum his favorite bedtime song
I can’t lift buildings or shoot bright beams
But I’ll hold his hand through scary dreams
Cause heroes aren’t magic, they’re brave and kind
You don’t need saving to leave fear behind
I don’t need to fly, I don’t need a sword
I’ll be right here when the sky falls down
I’ll make everything all right, I’ll never let go
Without being a hero, just someone you know
I’m not the strongest, only the smallest
Still I’ll try my hardest, just like the rest
Cause being a hero is not what you do
It’s showing the good inside you
I don’t need to fly, I don’t need a sword
I’ll be right here when the sky falls down
I’ll make everything all right, I’ll never let go
Without being a hero, just someone you know
Yeah, I’ll make everything all right, I’ll take it slow
Without being a hero, just someone you know”
We finished the last few notes of the song at the end, and then it was over. Calvin wasn’t perfect, he’d need years of practice to reach that, not months, but what he sang was heartfelt and by the way his dad was crying, his message was received.
The audience felt it too as they practically boomed with excitement, clapping and cheering him on. Calvin stood there in complete shock, staring out, his chest heaving from singing. He looked like he was about to drop his guitar.
I got up from the piano and went over to him, gently taking his guitar.
“Told you that you were going to nail it,” I whispered to him.
He blinked, finally coming out of his shock and looked at me, swallowing hard.
“Come on,” I said and helped him off the stage.
I nodded at one of the volunteers and he easily went past us to introduce the next act. While it was my job, it was clear that Calvin needed me. His first successful performance and I had no doubt it was leaving him raw and confused. I’d felt the same way after my first time on stage.
Once we were safely off the stage, I crouched down. “You did it. That was amazing, Calvin. You made everyone feel something special.” I pulled him into a tight hug. He gripped me hard, his own body shaking with his emotions. “I’m so proud of you.”
I didn’t have a chance to do much else because then Paxon and George were there, pulling him into their own hugs. George still had tears in his eyes, but the good kind as he smiled from ear to ear with pride.
Calvin was finally able to pull through his emotions and then he was laughing and smiling just as much as his family was. Leaving them to their moment, I went back to my post and introduced the last of the performances. At the end, a huge group of the performers, Calvin included, returned to the stage for a farewell Christmas-themed song, wrapping up the concert perfectly. Everyone stood on stage, arms hooked together as they swayed, with huge grins on their faces. Even the audience joined them, many standing and swaying too.
I never felt so much pride and happiness as I stood singing along. Paxon came up next to me, holding my hand and joining me. He didn’t say anything except the words to the song, but it felt great having him there at my side as we joined with everyone else in the building, singing along with the amazing kids on stage.
This concert became hope and cheer, exactly what so many people needed this time of year. It was a togetherness I had never witnessed before.
Backstage quickly filled with overwhelming energy as people got ready to leave. Kids hugged their families, showing off their costumes and grinning with pure happiness. More than one parent was trying to discreetly wipe away their tears, proud of what their kids had done. Volunteers were having their own celebrations, giving each other high-fives. The air buzzed with laughter and excitement. This couldn’t be any more perfect than it already was.
Janice caught me just as I was untangling a string of lights that had somehow gotten wrapped around a chair leg. Right away, I knew this concert was exactly what she’d needed. She looked lighter, the weight she’d been carrying all week visibly softer at the edges.
“That was incredible,” she said, her voice full of warmth. “Calvin was amazing. They all were.”
I nodded, swallowing around the lump in my throat. “Yeah, they really were.” I stared down at the light, playing with one of the bulbs with my fingers. “I think I forgot how good this feels.”
Janice gave me a half-smile, nudging me gently. “You were right. This was worth it. Thank you for dragging me out of the house.”
Toby appeared between us, sweeping both of us into side hugs, wrapping his arms around our shoulders. “Cadence, you pulled it off. This whole place was magic tonight.”
I glanced around at the kids still laughing and singing together even though the event was over. “Yeah, it really was magic, wasn’t it.”
He chuckled. “And it’s all thanks to you.”
“We should probably give Seth some credit for nudging his job to sponsor this. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have even been an idea.”
“Well, maybe later. I don’t want him growing a bigger head than he already has.”
We laughed and as the parents finally managed to get their kids to at least head toward the door to leave, we were able to clean up. Cleaning took up the rest of the evening, into the night, but it was worth it. Despite being there later than we’d wanted, everyone was still full of smiles as we took everything down and stacked chairs. Someone from Seth’s job even showed up with a ton of sandwiches, chips and drinks.
Seth, Toby, and Justin stayed to help out. I had to force Paxon to go with his dad so they could celebrate Calvin. He only agreed once I promised to go on a date with him tomorrow for Christmas Eve.