“I know, I just…” I stammered. “Oh, there’s Orion.”
My breath caught like it always did at the sight of my husband, and his face when he saw me…
He’s going to make me melt into a puddle one day with that smile of his.
Orion was blindingly handsome in a tuxedo, black tie, red flower in the lapel. He approached and gave my mother a peck on the cheek.
“Nice to see you, Maeve. Lovely, as always.”
“Thank you, honey,” she said.
“And you…” Orion encircled me in his arms. He bent and kissed me softly. “You are stunning, love.”
“Speak for yourself,” I said, kissing him back and pretending my knees weren’t weak. I straightened his tie. “What is this all about? You don’t wear a tie unless you’re performing or you’re up to something.”
“Then I must be up to something,” he said, then shook his head. “Nah, there’s a good chance I’m going to be asked to play, so…”
I frowned. Nope. He was up to something.
Orion signaled to someone, and an announcement came over a mic for everyone to gather at the small makeshift stage.
“Come on,” Orion said, taking my hand and offering my mother his arm. “I have to give a boring speech, and then we can start this party, proper.”
We moved through the crowd. I thought I recognized some cohorts from MIT, and a pair of blue eyes rimmed in eyeliner met mine and then vanished.
“Wait,” I said. “I could’ve sworn I just saw…”
“Hm?” Orion said, rushing us through the crowd that had gathered around the small makeshift stage where a lone microphone stood.
“Never mind.”
Orion directed my mother to the front of the crowd. “Maeve, if you would. No, not you,” he said when I moved to stand beside her. He engulfed my hand in his. “You’re coming with me, Bennett.”
“No, no, no. This is your celebration. Your spotlight.”
“Not tonight.”
My husband took the stage and dragged me up beside him. I sighed fondly.
He cannot be contained.
“Thank you all for coming,” Orion said into the mic, and a crowd of fifty or so stared back at us—atme, it seemed—smiling and glowing. “The tour was amazing and I’m so grateful to have been a part of it.A wee bit of background, I have a very complicated case of dyslexia. Ten years ago, a team of specialists helped me unravel its twists and turns and found proper medication that works for me. Until then, I didn’t think it would be possible for me to go out into the world and do what I do. To have so many talented musicians surrounding me and counting on me to not cock it all up.”
A smattering of warm laughter from the crowd.
“But I am here, and it’s because of this woman, standing at my side.”
I shook my head immediately, but Orion’s hand tightened on mine.
“I had the help of an incredible teacher, but Harper…she saw me when no one else did. She saw through my jokes, my deflections, and my excessive amount of charisma.”
More laughter, but Orion’s tone grew serious. His voice thick with emotion.
“She helped unlock the chains around my heart so that I can play the way that I do. Mylovefor her is why I can play the way that I do. But she doesn’t like being fussed over. She doesn’t like attention or being called inspiring.” Orion looked to me, his eyes rich and deep. “A pity, Bennett, because you are…so inspiring.”
Orion took the mic off the stand and faced me, holding my hand.
“What are you doing?” I whispered, my own throat tight.
