Chapter 57
FIFTY-SEVEN
“The people we love are always worth it.”
—excerpt from the unpublished memoir,
Darling, I Must Say by Gloria Hayes
“And singing ‘You are My Sunshine,’ Iris Sampson.”
I didn’t move. I couldn’t move. My feet had grown roots and planted themselves right there in front of the stairs to the stage. I’d just live there forever now.
Yessica appeared by my side, looking concerned. “You need to go up the stairs.”
I grabbed her shoulders. “I can’t do this. What was I thinking?”
“The time for thinking is over,” she said, putting her arm through mine. She took a step up and I followed. “This is the time for doing.” Another step.
My legs were shaking. “I’m going to puke.”
“That’s fine. You can do that after you sing.” Step.
“Will you still be my friend after I make an absolute fool of myself?”
She grinned and pulled me up another step. “Proudly.”
Somehow, we’d made it to the stage. “How did we get up here? Are you a witch?”
“Obviously.” She let go of my arm and gave me a not-so gentle shove. “Go get ’em.”
Suddenly, I was on the stage. Someone thrust a microphone in my hand.
Oh, my word, so many people were looking at me.
I scanned the audience until I found Mom, Mae and Lulu, who was dancing around excitedly.
There was Ellie and Gil, and right there next to Ali were Abe and Hallie and Mr. and Mrs. Ramos. Seeing them made me relax just a bit.
I could do this. Probably.
Mrs. Fox, who was the First Baptist Church pianist and had been for as long as I could remember, was playing the piano for the pageant. I looked to her and she gave a small nod. Ready?
I shrugged. Sure?
She plucked out an intro to the song and then it was time for me to sing. I tried, really I did. I opened my mouth and whatever sound I made, it wasn’t human. A few people laughed. Mrs. Fox stopped and looked to me again. Let’s start over.
My palms were sweaty and I almost dropped the microphone. “Sorry.”
A few more giggles.
The second time, I got the first line out in something that sounded more like a frog’s mating call. I couldn’t do this. More laughter. Mrs. Fox stopped playing again.
I cleared my throat and tried to smile. Quickly, I scanned the audience.
Mom, Mae, both wearing identical looks of secondhand embarrassment.
Ali gave me a thumbs up. Ellie yelled, “You got this.” But the person I wanted to see the most was just…
gone. Had he left? Would he just do that in the middle of all this?
Then something strange happened. The crowd began to murmur and point. Not at me, at something behind me. I whipped around. It wasn’t something, it was someone.
Abe, standing on the stage, holding an unfamiliar guitar.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” I whispered in a panic. The murmur of the crowd quieted.
“Yes, you can,” he said with all the confidence in the world. “I’ll do it with you, okay?”
“Okay, yeah, sure.” I squeezed my hands together at my waist as Abe got the guitar situated.
For a moment, I watched him, this man who had always been careful with my heart.
He’d never wanted to lead me on or make promises.
He’d been so gentle even when I hadn’t made it easy.
Obviously, I’d fallen in love with him. Who wouldn’t?
“Ready?”
“I love you,” I blurted out. “I just wanted you to know that.”
If I’d been paying attention to something other than the man in front of me, I might have heard the crowd give a collective gasp. Also, I would have noticed that I was saying all of this into the microphone for everyone to hear.
Abe’s smile lit up the world, and it was only for me. “Hold that thought. Let’s get through this first.”
He strummed the chords and began singing and just like we’d done many times before in front of his houseplants, I joined in. Was it perfect? Heck no. In fact, it was barely passable. But I didn’t care because I was doing it with the person I loved.
The song ended. No one clapped. Or made a noise. It was as though everyone else felt what I felt. This moment was important. Not the song. What came after.
One second, Abe was holding the guitar, and the next he was standing in front of me. “I hate to tell you this, but you are not winning this pageant.”
“You promise?”
He took a step towards me. I reached out and curled my hands into his t-shirt. “Oh, definitely.”
I grinned. “Thanks for singing with me.”
“It was nothing.” He slid a hand around my waist and tugged me closer. “Besides, it wasn’t like the whole town was watching.”
“Yeah, good thing.”
His other hand cupped my cheek. “I love you, you know.”
I channeled my inner Gloria. “Of course you do, darling.”
His smile was slow. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to kiss me.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “Good thing I can always tell when you’re lying.”
Then he kissed me, sweet and slow, steady and sure.
And sure, the entire town of Two Harts was watching us: my mom and sister, his parents, my third-grade teacher, the Shady Cove residents, the old guys who gave me a hard time at the diner, and, I liked to think, Gloria was looking down from somewhere.
She was definitely saying, “I told you so,” too.
But the only thing I was paying attention to was this man.
And that was just the way I wanted it.