Page 98 of Symphony of Salvation

Niles had two modes with my daughter. Teacher mode when in the classroom, and Dad’s “Friend” mode while at the house—the latter in which the two conspired, often teasing and joking, at my expense. Constance had a better relationship with Niles than me, but instead of feeling jealous, I absorbed the joy he brought to my once miserable teen’s face. If he talked, she listened, and I appreciated his insight when I reached the end of my rope and knew he wouldn’t steer me wrong if the situation proved serious enough for him to intervene and take my side.

Cody arrived wearing a coat of nerves, his hot pink cheeks likely a combination of the cold January air and humiliation since I wouldn’t let him cross the threshold until he’d incurred a proper inquisition. The boy shivered in a puffy bomber jacket, hugging himself and making every attempt to peer around me, likely looking to be rescued.

“You signed out with the school?”

“Yes, sir, Maestro, sir.”

“Properly?”

“Of course. I always follow regulations.” A bead of sweat trickled from under his knitted tuque, skating the slope of his nose before he swiped it away.

“And what time does your excursion expire?”

“Ten forty-five, sir. The movie ends at ten fifteen. They give us half an hour to get back to campus and sign in.”

“Mr. Edwidge will be outside the theater at exactly ten fifteen. I expect you in the vehicle no later than ten eighteen. Is that understood?”

Cody appeared momentarily unsure. “Mr. Edwidge, sir?”

“Yes. He’s taking you and picking you up.”

“Oh.” The boy frowned. “Okay.”

“Ten eighteen. Sharp.”

“Yes, sir.”

“No bathroom breaks.”

“No, sir.”

“On the drive back, you’ll provide Mr. Edwidge with a full summary of the movie, as extensive if not more than a book report. No detail spared, so pay attention to the plot and not my daughter, understand?”

“Yes, sir, Maestro, sir.”

Cody’s eyes bugged wide as I considered more warnings. Behind me, Constance stamped a foot and yanked my shirt.

I ignored her, leaning forward, invading Cody’s space, and lowering my voice. “If you so much as touch her inappropriately, I will—” Constance jumped on my back and slapped a hand over my mouth. I stumbled with the sudden weight change, almost losing my footing. “Good grief, child,” I said from behind her hand.

Niles, who’d appeared in the doorway, chuckled.

I shed my daughter and pointed a finger at Cody, who trembled.

“Auggie,” Niles breathed the nickname so close to my ear I stalled. I leaned back, steadying myself against him. His hand caught my hip and squeezed. “Let her go. It will be fine.”

Cody’s gaze slipped from me to Niles and back. The coat of prickling nerves transferred hands. It was I who wore a sheen of anxious sweat. Before Cody could surmise the reason for Niles’s presence and ask questions, Constance slipped around us and dragged Cody away from the house and toward the parking lot by the school where Niles had left his car.

Cody glanced back once, and I wondered what my daughter might have shared.

Niles brushed a kiss on my tensed shoulder, spinning me to face him. “Relax, Maestro. It’s just a date.”

Cody knows, I wanted to say, but the damning words would cause a riff. Niles would ask why it mattered, and I’d gone out of my way to hide insecurities and portray myself as someone I wasn’t. Would the entire student body know by morning? How fast and far would news travel?

Niles kissed me, and whatever concerns I held melted away. “I’ll be back shortly.”

Cooking dinner provided a distraction from perilous thoughts of teenage pregnancy and the implications of a world discovering what lived beneath my façade. I toed the line between elation and fear. A revelation could provide freedom and destruction both. Inviting strangers to view my true nature didn’t bother me as much as the potential upheaval to my career. Would it close doors? Did it matter? I’d spent forty-one years living my father’s projected life. Wasn’t it time I lived my own? Openly. Freely.

Wasn’t I entitled to happiness?

---