“They loved it,” Emma said, bouncing in her chair. “The director said he’d never seen a better audition.”
“Hedidsay that.” Marcus dabbed at his mouth with his napkin, looking down at his plate for a moment. “Ren’s a lot like me. Lost his parents. Loves to dance.”
“You’re going to be amazing,” Emma said. “And all the drama kids love you. We get to be ourselves with them, right?”
“They get me,” Marcus said, smiling, as he made jazz hands.
Last March, they’d gotten the call about Marcus’s mom. She’d died in a crackhouse in Burlington. Overdose. Fentanyl,the authorities has said. Marcus had taken it hard. With Reese and Roan’s encouragement, Marcus had been in therapy, working through issues and grief about his mother. Reese was amazed how well he was doing, considering. This play would be just what he needed.
Still, there would always be a hint of sadness in Marcus’s eyes. Losing his mother wasn’t something he would just get over simply because things were going better for him. Roan could attest to that. Regardless, Reese had observed how Roan knew exactly how to draw Marcus out and get him to talk about what was really going on inside of him. Cody had stepped up too, acting like a big brother, taking Marcus with him wherever he went, letting him just be instead of acting like everything was fine. Sadly, Cody knew the pain of losing a mother too. She wished neither of them had suffered in that way, but she and Roan were doing their best to make sure the boys felt loved in their home.
“Your mom would be proud of you,” Grace said to Marcus. “The lead in the play. Doing so well in school.”
Marcus nodded, his brown eyes soft. “Yeah, I think so too. At least the person she was before the drugs took over her life.” He looked at Roan, then at Reese, before addressing the rest of the table. “I’m learning in therapy that her addiction didn’t mean she didn’t love me. She hadn’t meant for it all to go that way when the doctor prescribed pain killers for her broken leg. That’s when it all started. Before that, she was a good mom. She loved me.”
“Of course she loved you,” Reese said, her voice thick. “And you’re honoring her memory by living your best life. Chasing your passions. Doing well in school.”
Marcus nodded slowly. “If it weren’t for you and Roan, I don’t know what would have happened to me.” He lookedaround the table. “You’re all like family to me now. I hope you’ll all come to see our play.”
“We’ll be in the front row,” Roan promised.
“Oh my, yes, we will,” Grace said, dabbing at the corners of her eyes. “The entire Hayes clan will be there.”
“We better get our tickets now,” Walter said. “Our clan seems to be growing by the day.”
Reese turned to Cody. “Your turn, superstar.”
Cody rolled his eyes but couldn’t hide his smile. “You guys know what mine is. I won state in cross country last week. Placed first in the 5K.”
The table erupted in cheers, even though they’d all been there when he crossed the finish line. Baby Nora startled at the sudden noise, looking around until she found her mother’s eyes.
“It’s all right, sweetie,” Julia said. “That’s just your loud family.”
Nora grinned and reached for another noodle.
“First in the entire state,” Roan said, his voice full of pride. “Recruiting letters are coming in from colleges. UVM, Syracuse, Boston College. Schools want him.”
“That’s incredible, Cody,” Mauve said. “What are you thinking? Do you want to run in college?”
Cody shrugged, but Reese could see he was pleased. “If they offer a scholarship, then yeah. I love running. Finding the gym changed my life. Well, and you guys, obviously.”
“You’re going to kill it in college,” Emma said to Cody. “And not just running. Tell Grace and Walter about your computer science class”
“Oh, yeah, well, I’m learning to write code,” Cody said. “And my teacher thinks I have talent in it.”
“You’re gonna be one of those rich dudes, and we’re all going to be super jealous,” Emma said.
“You and Marcus will be on Broadway by then,” Cody said.
“Wouldn’t that be amazing?” Emma asked.
“Dream it and it will come,” Reese said, fighting the lump in her throat. “And I can’t wait to see what the future holds for all of you. Roan and I will be here for every moment.”
“What about you two?” Emma asked, looking at Reese and Roan. “What’s your good news?”
Reese and Roan exchanged a glance.
“We do have some news,” Reese said.
