Chapter 29 Mason - Team Spirit
MASON Team Spirit
I don’t know what made me sneak out of the office at ten in the morning to watch my batty aunt-adjacent person audition for Hello, Dolly.
Or, no, maybe I did know. It was Daisy. I needed to see her.
And while, sure, it was nice if I was around school all day, I wasn’t mandated to be in my seat every minute.
Or, well, I didn’t think I was, anyway. I should probably check on that.
At any rate, the moment Tilley opened her mouth, my jaw dropped.
Daisy grasped my hands, and we grinned like idiots.
It probably isn’t much of a shock that I’m not, um, much of a theater guy.
But seeing her up there on that stage, singing her heart out, lighting up that empty room, was pretty crazy.
“Oh my gosh,” Daisy said to me breathlessly. “I had already planned how to help nurse her wounds. But she’s extraordinary.”
“She is a legend,” I agreed. I turned back to stare at Tilley. Then back at Daisy. “What if you hadn’t brought her here today?”
“The world would never have known,” Daisy said.
I didn’t think of Aunt Tilley as old or anything.
I mean, she, my mom, and Elizabeth were all in really good shape for their ages.
But she seemed about twenty years younger up there under the lights.
Tilley was always fun—even when she thought she was someone else—but it was as if her whole body came alive up on that stage.
It was like seeing a glimpse into the person she could be.
Was this her real self, this Tilley up onstage?
How much more could her life be if she was this Tilley all the time?
As she continued to belt out this song I’d never heard, inserting spoken phrases in between, doing little dance steps across the stage, I said to Daisy what now, fifteen minutes later, I was saying to Tony Kennedy: “I heard her sing like you did. But it’s Aunt Tilley.
You do know what you’re dealing with here, right? ”
Tony rubbed his chin. “I’ll admit I did get a little caught up in the moment. But see, here’s the thing: This town is used to Aunt Tilley. If she freaks out one night and won’t go on or something, they’ll get it.”
That was a brave statement from a director. And I could tell he didn’t believe that that would actually happen.
“Well, who knows,” I said. “She spends half her time dressed as the Queen of England. Maybe if she’s dressed as Dolly Levi, she’ll stay in character and all will be well.”
Daisy had taken Aunt Tilley to go get the kids from school, but it was almost like I wanted to look at her again, hang on to the feeling of seeing her in this brand-new way. I would be there on opening night to cheer her on. That was for sure. For now, I headed back to school.
Or… maybe I just wanted to see Daisy. I texted her:
Can I take you to dinner after the kids are asleep?
She texted back:
Uh… No… Because I’m their babysitter.
Right.
Could I make you dinner after the kids are asleep at Dogwood?
Is that allowed?
I’m their uncle. Of course it’s allowed.
What I was really, really hoping would happen after was probably frowned upon. But I needed to see Daisy. Like really, really needed to see her. Who even was I?
A tap at my door broke me out of my thoughts. I saw the text from Daisy:
Well, all right. But if I get in trouble for having a boy over…
I smiled, then looked up to see Andy Christianson and motioned him inside. “The Missus and I were just going over plans for how to impress the coach.”
I laughed. “Funny, because I think the coach is probably going over plans for how to impress you.”
He sat down. “Maybe. But don’t you think it would be nice if, instead of him having to wine and dine us, we did something a little more personal? Maybe had him to the club for drinks and appetizers and then to our house for dinner?”
I thought for a second. “I really like that idea. Show how committed you guys are to the university.”
Andy nodded.
“I can’t think why that wouldn’t be a great idea.”
“Who doesn’t want to be wanted?” Andy asked.
As if on cue, my phone beeped again.
Maybe you shouldn’t come over… I’m afraid if you do, I’ll stay up past my bedtime…
The thrill of the chase was fun. But Andy was right: There was nothing in the world like being wanted.