Page 79 of The Best Christmas Choir Ever

And right now she just needed someone to be happy for her, to understand why she had to do this.

“All packed?” Gram asked as they met in the lobby of Glendale.

“Yep. Ready to go,” Charlie said. “The house is all locked up.” She handed Gram the spare set of keys she’d been using. “Most things have been packed up. Mom and Dad will have to arrange a storage unit when they get back.”

Gram nodded. “It’s been quiet here without you these past couple of days.”

Charlie tilted her head. “The choir knows the performance forward and backward. I really think it’s just a matter of having fun with it now.”

“It’s not quite the same,” Gram said, “and you know that. You were a wonderful codirector. We’re missing one half of the team.”

Charlie tried to respond, but guilt ate at her. She sucked in a sharp breath, Julian’s words echoing in her head. She wasn’t running away from her grief. Not this time. So why wasn’t Gram happier about all this? “I thought you’d be more excited for me.”

“I am,” Gram said, laying her hand against Charlie’s cheek.

“You don’t sound very enthused. This is a really big deal. I mean, it’s the Lincoln Center.”

Gram chuckled softly. “Yes, honey, I realize that.”

Charlie frowned at her. “I thought you wanted me to get back out there, to get a job, to start singing and performing again. You told me to talk to Alicia. I did, and Alicia came through.”

Gram looped her arm through Charlie’s, and they started walking down the hall. “You’re right, I did say all those things. I only ever wanted you to be happy, Charlie. And maybe I was mistaken, but I sort of thought you might have found some of that happiness here at Glendale with the choir. Maybe even with Julian.” A sad smile flickered across her face.

Charlie blinked. She hadn’t realized Gram had picked up on their rekindled feelings. They hadn’t exactly been discreet, but they’d been careful. It wasn’t like she’d waltzed up and kissed him in the middle of the music room during choir rehearsal.

“You can’t hide the way you two look at each other,” Gram said, almost as if she’d read her mind. “I may be old, but I’ve had my fair share of love stories, you know.”

“I didn’t come here to rekindle feelings.” That was the last thing she’d wanted. “I came here for you, Gram. To make sure you found a home for yourself.”

“I think I have.” Gram patted her hand. “Or at least, I will. Don’t you worry about me. Glendale has good people.”

“It does,” Charlie agreed. But her and Julian… She supposed they were only ever meant to orbit each other’s worlds.

They reached the empty music room. Or what should have been the empty music room. Inside, Charlie spotted a man in a navy blue uniform setting up tiered platforms.

“What’s this?”

“Julian meant it to be a surprise,” Gram said. “He moved some things around in the budget and found a guy willing to build some risers for a bargain.”

Charlie blinked at the sight. Risers would help elevate the singers, making sure everyone was seen while balancing the sound. There was even a space cut out in the center big enough to fit Frank’s wheelchair.

“He wanted everyone to know we were a team worth showcasing.” Gram squeezed her hand. “His words.”

“They’re perfect,” Charlie said quietly, touched by the gesture on behalf of the choir. “And you are a team worth showcasing. You’ll be fabulous.”

Gram caught Charlie by the face and kissed her forehead. “So will you. You’ll call me when you get there and let me know how the first rehearsal goes? I expect tickets.”

“I will,” Charlie promised, even as bile rose in her throat. But she was committed to the New York Philharmonic. That was what she wanted. Not to drown in the weight of what might have been.

Seventeen

Julian

“I can help whoever’s next!” a young woman called. She perched behind a long rectangular table in the lobby of the community center with a volunteer lanyard strung around her neck and a clipboard in her hand.

Julian darted toward her. “Um, hi. We’re the Glendale Shakers. Signing in for our dress rehearsal slot.”

“Oh!” she said, beaming at him. “I totally saw you guys online!”