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“You’ll be doing a three-song set starting at ten-thirty over on Stage Three. Please don’t be late, darling.” Despite being in Northern New York, she held a Southern accent, oozing Southern charm. I didn’t know what to do with her and all the insincere niceness she tossed my way. Once she finished giving me directions to the stage, she looked me over again, probably expecting me to not be on time.
“Of course,” I said and walked away, adjusting the strap of my guitar case to fit more comfortably against my back. I had an hour to spare and didn’t want to waste it on Mrs. Kelly, trying to convince her that I was a responsible young woman. It was pointless anyway. They’d never believed me, no matter how much I insisted that none of Lindie’s lies were true.
My stomach growled, reminding me I hadn’t eaten anything yet. I pulled out the money I had shoved into my pocket and rolled my eyes. Seven dollars. A lot of these stalls were cash only, so my options were limited. Needing something to eat before my performance, I browsed the food stalls.
A crepe stall was tucked off in the corner with a short line. Deciding that would work perfectly, I ended up getting two chocolate-hazelnut banana crepes. Thanking the nice woman who gave me my food, I began searching for a place to rest.
A boy caught my attention as I scanned the area. He looked to be around seven years old with dirty blond hair and light eyes. His face was expressive, showing his anxiety as his head whipped around looking for something or someone. He shuffled around on his feet and everything about him screamed fear enough for me to notice, and I still stood a few yards away.
I wanted to leave him there. Whatever was going on wasn’t my problem. I had my own issues to deal with. But before I could turn around and walk away, my feet moved on their own. Something about him pulled at me as I approached him cautiously.
“Are you okay?” I asked, stopping just out of reach, trying to hide my nerves as I approached him.
His body whipped around to face me. Gray eyes. The most adorable gray eyes ever. They widened as they flickered around him again before turning back to me. He looked down and light pink dotted his cheeks.
“I’m lost.” His voice was so soft that I almost didn’t hear him through all the chatter and excitement surrounding us. “I lost my brother.”
I smiled, hoping it didn’t scare him away. I hadn’t smiled a real one in so long that it felt foreign on my face. Even my muscles strained against the unfamiliar movement. Slowly, I moved closer to him. But the moment he stepped back, making sure to keep the distance between us, I froze. He had turned pale and I realized he was breathing a little heavily, his hands clenched at his sides now, knuckles turning white.
He was scared of me. Terrified, by the way he was blinking furiously, not quite looking at me. My heart twisted as I stared at this little boy who was scared ofme. A deep, familiar ache settled in my stomach as I forced a smile, trying to remain relaxed. I needed something to break this awkwardness that seemed to stretch between us and only put him on edge more.
I knew it. I should have just left him. I couldn’t help him. He was ready to take off on me already.
I cleared my throat and grasped on to the first thing that came to mind to say. “You mean your brother lost you.” I winked at him.
His eyes grew even wider if that were possible, and for once, he actually looked at me. I could see the gears turning in his head as he thought about my words and then, slowly, a smile grew on his lips. A faint one, but it was there. “Yes. He lost me.”
Nodding, I found a spot on the grass and carefully took off my guitar, laying it down. I sat down, making sure the skirt of my dress stayed tucked underneath me. The distance was still stretched between us, but this should at least put him more at ease. I knew I always hated when the adults seemed to loom over me as a kid. Maybe it was the same for him?
“Well, I don’t think moving around is a good idea. You could end up missing him if you start running all over the place. How about I wait with you? I have some time and if he doesn’t find you, you can come with me. I’ll be on stage, and you can stand up there with me until he comes. If you’re up there, he’ll definitely see you then.”
My mouth clanked shut after saying so many words all together. I didn’t think I had it in me to say so much. The boy stood over me, just staring.
I rested the food on my lap and smiled up at him. “By the way, I’m Cadence.”
His smile was priceless as he finally settled next to me, making sure to keep at least two feet between us. “Calvin.”
“Cute name for a cute boy,” I said, and his skin turned red. Embarrassed? I didn’t want to make him uncomfortable. I dug through my purse. “Do you like music?”
Dirty blond hair fluttered in the air as Calvin bobbed his head up and down. His focus was on his hands in his lap as he tugged on his fingers. When he glanced over, instead of on me, his eyes landed on my guitar case.
Smiling, I asked, “Are you interested in the guitar?”
His cheeks reddened even more, and he nodded.
I held up my badge for him to see. “I’m one of the performers today.”
His mouth made an O-shape.
I laughed, feeling warm with his pure emotions. Pulling out my MP3 player, I gave him one of the earphones. After flipping through the options, I settled on one of my favorite songs. He scooched closer, our bodies nearly touching as we listened to the music. I stiffened up and had to remind myself that this sweet little boy was not going to throw punches at me. And I was in public. It was just bad form to beat people up in public.
I handed over one of my crepes. He stared at it with want. I only smiled, encouraging him to take it. Finally caving, he accepted it.
He was so adorable.
My heart ached at that thought, a surprising rush of grief hitting me hard.
Chapter Three
