Page 119 of Symphony of Salvation

Heart aching, a thick lump stuck in my throat, I nodded.

“Keep an eye on Constance. I’m not asking you to step in and parent her. That’s not your responsibility. I’ll be sure her medical and financial needs are taken care of, but… without her mother… She looks up to you.”

“She looks up to you too.”

“Not in the same way. I’m sure she’ll be fine, but…”

What could I say? Constance had become as significant in my life as August. We’d bonded in a way I’d never expected.

“I promise.”

With my reassurance, August brushed a thumb over my bottom lip. “Thank you. You are an exceptional human being, Niles. I never expected you.”

“I never expected you either.”

“When I’m gone, remember one thing if nothing else. I love you dearly.”

We made love for as long as time allowed, knowing Constance would be home in the evening.

After, as we lay in each other’s arms, I asked the one question I hadn’t yet voiced. “When are you leaving?”

August didn’t respond, but the answer came sooner than I expected.

Chapter twenty-seven

August

“With all due respect, Maestro, you’re making a mistake.”

I signed the final form and slid it across the desk to Dr. McCaine. “I respect your opinion, and I’m grateful for the opportunity you’ve given my daughter and me, but it’s time I get back to work. Is there anything else I need to sign?”

“With regard to the emergency contacts…” She indicated a part of the form I’d recently filled out. “You’ve listed yourself and Mr. Edwidge. I understand your wife—”

“Chloé is not and never has been my wife, nor is she to have any interaction with my daughter.” I removed a file from my briefcase and slid a photocopy across the desk. “This court order states I have full custody and rights to all decisions regarding Constance’s care. Under no circumstance is Chloé to visit or have access to my daughter. Is that understood?”

Lips firmly pressed together, Dr. McCaine skimmed the order and nodded.

“She’s permitted supervised visits only, and I will arrange them. Minor concerns can be brought to Mr. Edwidge. Heagreed to that. Health concerns should be directed to the physician marked under her medical care forms. Emergencies or anything more pressing can be brought to my immediate attention. I left several numbers where I can be contacted.”

“We’re sad to lose you, Maestro.”

“You never had me, Dr. McCaine. My services were never meant to be permanent.”

“Still, it’s a shame to see you go. You’ve been a gem in the music department. Incomparable.”

I bristled. “May I speak freely?”

“By all means.”

“You’ve had an incredibly talented man running your music department for years, and you don’t give him near the credit he deserves. At the end of the day, honorifics attached to the end of a name mean little. What counts is the heart and soul a person puts into their job. Before coming here, my daughter was tutored by several classical music instructors. The best money could buy. I’ve declined to rehire them because she will learn more from Niles Edwidge than any overeducated chump the conservatory is spitting out these days. If your parents are complaining, maybe it’s time to stick up for your staff and stop nurturing their negativity. After sixteen years, Niles deserves to stop living in fear of being replaced. Shame on you for perpetuating a ridiculous stigma and making him feel like he isn’t worthy of being part of your staff.

“Now, if there’s nothing else for me to sign, I have a daughter who needs to move her belongings into the dormitories.”

***

The residual irritation from my meeting with Dr. McCaine lingered as Constance sat among a dozen packed boxes in her new dorm, arms crossed with perpetual teenage indignance. I’dpulled her from class early to help organize the room, but ten seconds in her presence, and I regretted my decision. She was as moody as ever.

“What’s the problem? You expressed a desire to live among your fellow students. You didn’t want to be in the cottage with me. Now that it’s happening, you seem upset.”

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