The night progresses, and poor Wayne doesn’t fit in the groups of young fathers who begin to line the walls as the girls start to play with their friends. He’s tucked in the corner on his phone, but when he hangs up, he heads straight to Cailin, leaning down and pointing to the door.
I follow his finger and am shocked when I see Adam—theAdam Jacobson—standing at the door in tight jeans with holes and a black shirt that clings to his body, revealing tattoos that cover both arms. His hair sticks up straight, and the black gauges in his ears stand out in our clean-cut, country community.
Cindy is talking to him, and by her expression, I can tell she doesn’t recognize him.
Why am I not surprised?
When she motions to Principal McAllister, I rush to the door, making sure he doesn’t say something he’ll regret before he realizes who just crashed our party. He’s close to his seventies, so I wouldn’t expect him to recognize Adam.
He takes pride in knowing who all the parents are here at Markham Elementary and is quick to make it known when people aren’t welcome. Since he doesn’t know Cailin’s father is a rock star who’s on tour, he has no clue who the man is that just walked in without a student on his arm.
Cailin is making her way to us as I step in front of Principal McAllister.
“Hi. You’re Cailin’s father, right? So glad you could join us.” I reach my hand out to him.
Principal McAllister gives me the side-eye for cutting him off but thankfully keeps his mouth shut once he hears me say it’s Cailin’s father.
Adam reaches his hand out to mine, securely gripping it. “You must be Miss Russo.” His crystal-blue eyes stay locked to mine, and his lips tilt up into a slight grin.
I’m glad Cailin jumping into his arms breaks our moment, so I can gather myself better.
“Daddy, how are you here?”
He wraps his arms around her, hugging her so tightly that she giggles his name as he bounces her up and down. “I couldn’t miss my little girl’s first dance,” he says when he pulls back to look at her in the face. He sets her down. “And this dress!” He motions for her to turn around.
“Do you like it?” she says, holding out the sides for him to see better.
“I love it, but you’re missing one thing.” He takes the small box he’s holding and opens it for her, revealing a beautiful dahlia corsage.
Cailin jumps up and down, clapping her hands. “Is that for me?”
Adam removes it from the box and places it around her wrist. “Now, it’s perfect. So, my lady”—he holds out his elbow to her—“may I have this dance?”
I turn to the rest of the crowd, only to see the spectacle they’ve created. Most of the parents here are my age, and though they might not like rock music, thanks to apps like TMZ, they know exactly who Adam is, especially after the riot that just occurred.
Adam seems unfazed by the buzz around him. I’m amazed he can act like no one cares that a huge rock star just entered our small-town elementary gymnasium. He swings his daughter around, holding his hands out to her as she steps on his feet, and they dance like it’s something they’ve done a thousand times before.
Whispers progress, and before long, cell phones are removed from coat pockets, and pictures are snapped. Worry of his secret getting out grips at my stomach, but when I see the way he’s looking at Cailin, it calms my nerves.
Right now, he’s just a normal dad who wants to dance with his little girl. Nothing should stop him from having this memory with his daughter.
“Who is this guy, and why are people freaking out that he’s here?” Cindy ruins the sweet moment when she snidely crosses her arms in front of herself.
“You don’t recognize him?”
She scrunches her face. “Why would I knowwhatthat is?”
Yep, that’s why we aren’t friends anymore. I need that reminder of how judgmental and snobby she really is every once in a while. The whole town is like this. My sister, Emily, is the only friend I have who lives here. She’s not as bad as some of the people, but she definitely has her moments.
This is just another reason why I need to make a plan for something else in my life—quickly. Thank God I have Maggie even though she lives on the opposite coast. I vent to her often, and she keeps me sane. I promised her this was my last year teaching here, and I plan on keeping that promise. I’m ready for what’s next.
I try to hide my irritation. “He’s a famous rock star. You should look him up. He’s the lead singer of the band Devil’s Breed.”
She flips her hair my way in an instant. “You really think I’d listen to a band with the worddevilin it? Please don’t tell me that’s his daughter. How did we let someone like that in this school?”
I open my eyes wide to her. “In thispublicschool, where everyone and anyone in our city is welcome to attend? You don’t have to be so rude. You don’t even know the guy, and his daughter is a sweetheart.”
She rolls her eyes. “Of course you would stand up for something like that. When will you grow up, Sarah?”
