ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟝𝟠 #3
Cameron would speak after the mayor's opening remarks.
There would be a short presentation, then a few words from members of the search team. Then Cameron and I.
The whole thing sounded very organized and very official.
I glanced at Cameron.
He caught me looking. "What?"
"You're nervous, aren't ya."
"No." He laughed softly.
"You are."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
I smiled. "Sure."
The mayor chuckled, clearing his throat.
"You're going to do well tonight."
"Thank you, Mayor."
The mayor nodded. He looked at Cameron for another moment, then his eyes moved toward me again.
This time, I caught it immediately. His gaze traveled over me before returning to my face.
I shifted slightly in my chair. Maybe I was imagining it. I was already nervous, and I wasn't even the one on the microphone.
Maybe I was just overthinking everything.
The mayor continued speaking, but a few minutes later, it happened again.
A quick glance. It wasn't obvious enough that anybody could call it out. But obvious enough that I noticed.
I looked toward Cameron. I was assuming he had noticed too.
Thankfully, he did. His face hadn't changed, but his hand had. His palm pressed more firmly against my waist.
I didn't move.
The mayor continued.
"We're expecting a large crowd tonight. Several local officials are here, along with members of the department and some of the volunteers who helped search for Molly."
Cameron nodded. "Yeah, that sounds great, they deserve recognition."
"And so does your family."
Cameron's jaw tightened slightly. "Thank you."
"Especially your wife." The mayor looked toward me.
I blinked up at him. "Me?"
"Yes." He smiled. "You stood by Cameron through an incredibly difficult period."
I wasn't sure what to say to that. I glanced at Cameron, who was already looking at me.
"I just did what anyone would do." I said softly.
The mayor nodded. "Perhaps."
His eyes lingered on me again. Cameron's arm moved. His hand slid slightly around my waist, drawing me closer to his side.
I looked up at him. His eyes stayed on the mayor, but his hand remained firmly against my waist.
The mayor continued talking.
I tried to focus, but every time his eyes wandered in my direction, I noticed. And every time I noticed, Cameron seemed to notice too.
Which meant that by the time the mayor finished explaining the schedule, I had become painfully aware of three things.
One, I was sitting in a room with the mayor.
Two, I was apparently incapable of ignoring someone's eyes when they were repeatedly looking at me.
And three...my husband had become significantly more possessive of my waist.
I shifted slightly closer to him. I didn't necessarily mind being there.
The mayor stood. "All right." He gathered the papers. "It's almost time."
Cameron nodded and stood with him.
The mayor extended his hand again. "Good luck tonight."
"Thank you." Cameron shook it.
Then the mayor turned toward me. "And good luck to you too, Mrs. West."
I smiled politely. "Thank you."
He shook my hand.
His eyes lingered on me again, and I felt my face heat.
The mayor released my hand. "Enjoy the evening."
"We will," Cameron said.
His voice was perfectly pleasant. Like he knew we would.
The security guard appeared at the door. "Mr. West, they're ready for you."
Cameron nodded. "Are you ready?"
I looked down at my hands. "A little sweaty, but yeah."
"You'll be fine."
He was right.
"I'm not the one giving the speech." I say.
"Good point."
I smiled.
~
The security guard opened the door leading toward the stage, and the sound hit us.
There were hundreds of applauds and voices.
I stopped just inside the entrance.
The whole thing was enormous. Much larger than I had initially expected.
Rows of chairs filled the floor, extending almost all the way to the back of the ballroom.
City officials occupied the first few rows, along with police officers, firefighters, community leaders, volunteers, and several families who had been involved in the search for Molly.
And reporters. So many reporters.
There were cameras everywhere. Large professional cameras were mounted on tripods, and smaller cameras held against people's shoulders.
Flashes going off constantly.
I immediately hated it.
There was something deeply uncomfortable about knowing that every little movement could be captured and replayed by someone else later.
I instinctively moved a little closer to Cameron.
He glanced down at me. "You okay?"
I nodded. "Fine." I sighed. "I don't like cameras. How many are there?"
He glanced toward the front. "Too many to count."
I looked at him.
He smiled. "Just stay close."
"I was planning to."
He squeezed my hand. Then we took our seats near the side of the stage.
The mayor was already standing at the podium. A large screen behind him displayed the city seal alongside a simple message about Molly's safe return.
The lights were way brighter than they needed to be. I guess I just wasn't used to standing underneath this many of them.
I sat beside Cameron and folded my hands neatly in my lap.
The mayor began speaking. "Good evening, everyone."
The room quieted almost immediately.
The mayor looked out over the crowd. "Thank you all for being here tonight."
"Tonight is about something this city has experienced together. Most importantly, tonight is about relief."
I glanced toward Cameron, who was watching the mayor carefully.
The mayor continued. "For several difficult days, a young member of our community was missing."
A few cameras clicked.
I resisted the urge to turn around.
"During that time, thousands of people followed the search. Many volunteered their time. Many offered information. Many simply waited and hoped for good news. And thankfully, we received that good news."
A wave of quiet applause moved through the room.
"Molly West has been found." The applause grew louder.
I looked at Cameron again. His face softened, and his shoulders dropped slightly.
He looked less tense than from the moment we got here.
The mayor waited for the applause to settle.
"She is home. She is safe. And while there is still a great deal of healing and adjustment ahead for her and her family, tonight we can allow ourselves to be grateful."
More applause came through. I remembered Cameron's face the day Molly was missing, and now she was home.
The mayor continued speaking about the search.
It was a big speech.
This was a city event, after all.
The mayor spoke about community responsibility and the importance of looking after one another.
He thanked the officers personally, recognized several community organizations, and mentioned the volunteers by name.
He talked about Molly's safe return with the seriousness it deserved.
And through all of it, the cameras continued.
I kept my face composed, trying not to look at them. Every time I shifted slightly, another camera seemed to find me.
I turned my body subtly toward Cameron.
That was a big, bad mistake. Three cameras immediately shifted in our direction.
I stared straight ahead instead.
The mayor finally reached the end of his speech. "And now, I'd like to invite two people who know this story better than almost anyone in this room."
Cameron looked toward the podium.
The mayor smiled. "Please welcome Cameron and Dixie West."
The room erupted into applause.
Cameron stood, and I stood with him.
He squeezed my hand once as we walked toward the stage.
The cameras immediately started flashing faster. I kept my eyes down for a moment. I was trying very hard not to squint.
It would be a shame seeing my face on an article with my eyes halfway-shut.
We reached the steps. Cameron went up first, then he turned and offered me his hand. I took it and he helped me onto the stage.
The applause continued.
I stayed beside him as he approached the podium. The mayor stepped away.
Cameron adjusted the microphone so it fit him. For a second, he looked out at the crowd, then he smiled.
"Hello, everyone."
The room quieted.
"Thank you all for being here tonight."
His voice was completely different from the nervous man who had been sitting beside me backstage insisting he wasn't nervous.
"My name is Cameron West."
A few people smiled.
"And this is my wife, Dixie."
I looked toward the audience. More cameras clicked, though I smiled politely, and gave a little wave.
Cameron continued. "I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who helped."
"To the police officers who worked tirelessly, the volunteers who searched, the people who shared information.
"To the residents who kept their eyes open and refused to assume that somebody else would handle it."
"Thank you." Cameron placed one hand against the podium.
"We know there are a lot of people who contributed to finding Molly. Some of them will never be recognized publicly, and some of them probably don't want to be."
A few quiet laughs moved through the room.
"But my family knows what that effort meant. We all felt it."
I watched him speak. He was doing well for someone who had stage fright. He always did. He glanced briefly toward me before continuing.
"I don't want to stand here tonight and go through every detail of what happened."
His eyes moved across the room. "There are things that belong to my family. There are things that belong to Molly. And there are things that don't need to become public simply because people are curious."
I felt my shoulders relax slightly.
That was Cameron. Honest, but protective. He wasn't going to turn Molly's experience into entertainment.
"But I can tell you one thing." He smiled. "She's home."
The room erupted again.
Applause filled the ballroom.
Cameron waited patiently, and his smile grew. "Thankfully, she's home. She's safe. She's surrounded by people who love her. And right now, that's all that matters to us."
I looked down for a moment.