"I didn't do anything special."
"Yeah, you did. You were yourself."
When they disconnected, a smile curved her lips.
33
Three hours later, Sandra sat in the Baytown Middle School auditorium, smoothing her navy dress and trying to ignore the flutter of nerves in her stomach. The stage was decorated with spring flowers, and the familiar scent of pre-adolescent anxiety mixed with proud parent anticipation filled the air.
She'd arrived early to claim seats, saving spots for Terry, Toby, and Patricia. After a moment, Terry slid into the seat beside her, looking slightly harried. "Sorry. Last-minute crisis at work."
"Everything okay?"
"Nothing that can't wait." He reached for her hand, fingers warm and reassuring. "Thank you for being here."
"Wouldn't miss it."
Toby bounded down the aisle with his usual energy, plopping into the chair next to Terry. "Dad, did you see all the flowers? Emma says they spent all afternoon decorating."
"Very fancy," Terry agreed, ruffling his son's hair.
A moment later, Patricia appeared, moving gracefully down the aisle. "Hello," she said as she settled into the seat beside Toby.
"Mom!" Toby threw his arms around her with genuine enthusiasm. "You made it!"
"Of course I made it." Patricia hugged him back, and Sandra caught the fleeting expression of pure love on her face. Whatever Patricia's limitations as a day-to-day parent, she clearly adored her children.
Terry nodded at his ex-wife. "Good to see you, Patricia."
"You too, Terry." Her gaze moved to Sandra. "Thank you for saving a seat."
The first group of sixth graders took the stage, their voices sweet and slightly off-key as they sang a medley of folk songs. Sandra found herself smiling, remembering her own middle school concerts and the way her parents had politely endured them.
"There's Emma," Toby whispered, pointing at the left side of the stage where the seventh-grade chorus was gathering.
Emma had inherited Patricia's delicate features but Terry's determined posture. She wore the standard black dress with a white collar, her hair pulled back in a neat bun that made her look older than twelve.
"She looks so grown-up," Patricia murmured. Sandra caught the note of surprise in her voice, as if Patricia was seeing her daughter clearly for the first time in a while.
The lights dimmed, and the seventh-grade choir took the stage. Emma stood in the second row, her posture perfect, eyes scanning the audience. Her face lit up when she spotted all four of them sitting together.
As the first notes of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" filled the auditorium, Sandra felt the strangeness of the moment settle over her. Here she was, sitting between the man she was falling in love with and his ex-wife, watching their daughter perform while their son provided whispered commentary about which kids were his friends.
"That's Jimmy," Toby informed them in a stage whisper, pointing at a boy in the back row. "He's the one who taught me that awesome cannonball at the pool."
"Shh," Terry said, but he was smiling.
Emma's voice soared on the chorus, clear and confident, and Sandra felt goose bumps break out on her arms. This beautiful, smart, funny girl had somehow claimed a piece of her heart in just a few months.
"She's gotten so much better," Patricia whispered to Terry.
"Practices constantly," Terry whispered back. "Sometimes I have to tell her to give it a rest."
Sandra watched the easy exchange between them, struck by how well they functioned as co-parents despite their failed marriage. There was no tension, no lingering resentment… just two people who'd figured out how to put their children first.
When the final applause died down, Patricia stood first. "I'll go find her. Meet you in the lobby?"
"We'll be there," Terry said.
