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I was in the process of calming my racing heart when it stopped altogether at the sight of an unexpected guest on stage with Mr. Henderson.
"Now, before we bring out the staff who helped plan this amazing concert for you tonight, I have the distinct honor of introducing you to a very special surprise guest this evening," Mr. Henderson said, his cheeks rosy and high on his face as he squeezed Cameron's shoulder.
No one would have noticed other than me, but I could tell Cameron hadn't slept all weekend. To the untrained eye, he looked dapper in his beige suit with baby blue and dark brown accents. But I saw the faint bags under his eyes, the downturn in his smile, the crease between his brows.
It was then that I realized it didn't matter how angry I was, or how much I knew we weren't meant to be together anymore - I still didn't want to hurt him.
It was going to kill me to do it.
But I couldn't focus on that for long before the more pressing question forced its way to the forefront of my mind.
Why is he here?
"Please join me in welcoming Senior Project Manager at Reid's Energy Solutions and husband to our very own Mrs. Charlie Pierce. Here with a very special announcement that I know will end this beautiful concert on the highest of notes." He paused there, hoping the crowd would catch his intentional pun, and though he only earned a few chuckles, he seemed proud. "Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Cameron Pierce."
There was a warm welcome of applause as Mr. Henderson shook Cameron's hand and exited the stage, joining the rest of us behind the curtain at stage left. He smiled at me with a raise of his eyebrows, as if I was in on the secret, but I had no idea why my husband was on stage, or what his "special announcement" was.
Reese reached my side as soon as Cameron started talking, casting a questioning glance in my direction. His eyes asked me why Cameron was there, and I could only answer with a blink.
"Thank you, Mr. Henderson," Cameron said as the crowd quieted. "And thank you, parents, faculty, staff, and students of Westchester for allowing me to interrupt the end of your much anticipated spring concert. You'll have to forgive me for my nerves, public speaking is far from my forte."
He smiled a little then.
"My wife is almost as shy as I am, but she still manages to talk to a crowd full of people like they're her best friends. I've always envied that about her. And no, don't worry, I'm not picturing anyone in their underwear - although I did have a nightmare last night that you all would see me in mine."
The crowd laughed, and under my aching chest, my heart surged with an unwelcome warmth.
"Speaking of my wife, I'm not sure if all of you know her personally, but for those of you who do, you know that she's the most kind-hearted woman who ever existed." There were smiles and nods of encouragement from the crowd, and Cameron kept their attention as he continued. "She's taught some of your children, and from what I've gathered, many of them remember her long after they leave kindergarten - which speaks more highly of her than I ever could."
"We love you, Mrs. Pierce!" a student yelled from the crowd, and everyone laughed and clapped to mirror his sentiment, which made Cameron's smile grow even wider.
"Yes, she's pretty amazing, which is why I have to tell you that my heart was broken when she came home from school last Friday with tears streaming down her face. As I'm sure you can agree, when we see those we love the most hurting, all we want to do is make whatever the source of that pain is go away. We want to make everything better." He swallowed. "I have to admit to you all that I failed at that, but I'm here to try again."
The crowd was silent, completely rapt, hanging on to every word Cameron said.
I hung on with them.
"You see, there is a student in her class this semester who she has really connected with. We all know that a teacher doesn't become everyone's favorite and stay in the hearts of students without being more than just their teacher. Charlie is a friend to her students, and I know she has been a very good friend to one student in particular this year." He paused. "Jeremiah Lawrence."
My heart kicked, the force of it so hard that my hand found my chest as if to stop it from escaping altogether.
"Some of you may already know, but Jeremiah and his family suffered a horrible tragedy last week during the snow days. While the rest of us were thankful for mornings spent sleeping in and afternoons building snowmen, they were struggling to find hope after they lost their home and all the belongings inside it to a fire."
///
There was a wave of gasps and sympathetic whispers from the crowd, and Cameron shook his head, his hands gripping the edge of the podium where he stood.
"I can't imagine what they've gone through over the past week, and I know there is no way to ever truly replace all that they lost - not just their sentimental belongings and the home where so many memories had been made, but their sense of peace and comfort, too. To have something you love so much ripped away from you like that," he said, and I heard the underlying implications behind it. "It's something no one should have to live through."
I swallowed, my eyes filling with tears. Reese glanced at me but I couldn't meet his gaze, couldn't look anywhere but at my husband as he poured his heart out on stage.
"But, one thing I've come to learn the past eight years that I've been married to one of the finest teachers at Westchester is that this isn't just a school," Cameron said. "This is a family. We all go through challenges that hurt us, but they strengthen us, too. Sometimes we get hurt." His voice caught, and for the first time, he found my eyes backstage. He held my gaze as his own eyes glossed over. "And sometimes we even hurt each other. But at the end of the day, we're a family - and that will never change."
Someone started a slow clap in the crowd, and everyone joined in slowly. I didn't have to look to know mine and Cameron's eyes weren't the only wet ones in the house.
He tore his gaze away from mine and sniffed, shaking the emotion from his features as he addressed the crowd again. "And so, as a part of the Westchester family, I'd like to invite Jeremiah and his family up to the stage at this time."
It was quiet a moment before the crowd began clapping again, and slowly, Jeremiah, his mother, his father, and his grandparents emerged, slowly parting the sea as they made their way to the stage. They stood next to Cameron, all of them wearing sad, worn smiles and eyes heavy with exhaustion just like Cameron's.
Cameron pulled the microphone from the podium and bent to Jeremiah's level, squeezing his shoulder. "Jeremiah, I'm so sorry for everything you've been through. And I know how scary it's been, losing your home, and then hearing the possibility that you might lose your school, too. But, Reid's Energy Solutions isn't going to let that happen."
Jeremiah's eyes widened as his parents looked to each other in confusion, questioning Cameron in their next glance.
"I'm so honored to be the one to tell you that we are going to sponsor a new home being built for you and your family, right on the same lot where your old one existed. You can have it built the way it was or with whatever upgrades you want - just say the word. And," he added over the commotion of the crowd. "The next three years of your tuition is on us, too." His eyes found the parents then. "We hope this will help you find comfort again, and allow you plenty of time to get back on your feet without any worry that Westchester won't be your home anymore. Once a family, always a family."
He went to say something else, but was cut off by Jeremiah throwing his little arms around his neck and hugging him tight as he sobbed. The crowd erupted into a thunderous applause, everyone coming to their feet, but I couldn't tear my eyes from Cameron's face as Jeremiah hugged him.
Because I knew he was thinking about our son.
I blinked, opening the floodgates on the tears I'd been holding back as my hands covered my mouth. I couldn't swallow, couldn't breathe, couldn't do anything but stand there in the eye of the emotional tornado sweeping through everything I thought I knew and completely destroying it.
Reese wouldn't take his eyes off me, and when I finally allowed myself to return his gaze, I knew he'd ask the question I couldn't answer.
"Charlie."
His hand reached for me but he stopped himself, letting it fall back to his side as the crowd continued to cheer. He glanced at Cameron on stage, and when his eyes found mine again, I saw the absolute terror behind them. I saw the same fear I felt, the same shock and confusion.