‘Yes,’ said Emily. She dug around in her pocket and pulled out a small cardboard box, which once would have contained a piece of jewellery. She opened it and showed Kitty the tiny milk tooth nestled inside. ‘The tooth fairy left the tooth behind so I can put it under my pillow again when I stay with Daddy.’
Daddy. The name caught Kitty in the heart. She looked at Nick. He was beaming, his eyes glistening with pride and unshedtears. Kitty experienced a deep longing to hold him, to celebrate both the mundanity and significance of the moment, but she had a class of children needing her attention and now was not the time.
‘Emily, why don’t you sit with your friends? We’re on first with our song, and afterwards you can sit with your mum and dad.’
Emily didn’t need asking twice. She ran to the blanket, plumped down beside her friend Beth, and launched into a detailed account of her life since leaving Saffron Bay.
‘I’d better get this lot ready,’ said Kitty, pointing behind her.
‘Of course,’ said Carla. ‘We’ll leave you to it, but it’s good to see you again, Kitty. Maybe we could catch up after?’
‘I’d love that.’
‘I’ve heard a rumour there’s going to be an after-party at The Ship,’ called Nick over his shoulder as he and Carla walked off to find a place to sit.
Everyone quietened as Margot climbed onto the stage and tapped the microphone. ‘Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the Saffron Bay Summer Extravaganza.’
A cheer went up from the crowd, and Margot waited for the whooping and hollering to stop before speaking again.
‘We’ve been blessed with some wonderful weather, and you’re in for a treat with tonight’s performances. We’ll begin with musical performances by the children from Saffron Bay Primary School, followed by music and comedy from our very talented locals, before the pièce de résistance, our whistle-stop production of Shakespeare’sRomeo and Juliet.’
A bubble of anxiety travelled from Kitty’s stomach to her chest. She’d been so focussed on getting her class organised, she’d almost forgotten about the play. Now the nerves were here, she worried she’d not be able to shake them. There was no time for worrying, though, as Margot announced:
‘Without further ado, please welcome to the stage, Class 1, with their performance of “You Are My Sunshine”.’
Kitty and Sam led the class up onto the stage to rapturous applause. Alice took her place at the keyboard, and the children sang. As their voices soared, Kitty glanced out into the crowd and her heart burst with emotion. Rae and Zoe were in the second row, grinning at her and waving. Kitty waved back, swallowed down her tears and joined the children’s voices,you’ll never know, dear, how much I love you… She stood a little taller. Whether it was Kitty, Cathy or Catherine on that stage no longer mattered. What mattered was that she wasn’t hiding anymore.
Chapter 61
‘What’s wrong?’ asked Kitty.
Nick paced up and down the backstage area, evading May and Paige’s attempts to cover his face in foundation and add “a dash” of eyeliner.
He was going to be sick. ‘I don’t think I can do this.’
‘The play?’ asked Kitty. ‘Nick, it’s the key moment of the Summer Extravaganza. You can’t pull out now.’
‘I’m not good enough.’ He tugged his hair as his heart hammered in his chest.
‘What are you talking about?’ said Kitty. ‘We’ve been practising for weeks.’
‘Remember I told you I went to drama school?’
‘Yes, you told me, although not much about it.’
‘Because they kicked me out.’
‘They kicked you out?’ said Kitty. ‘Why?’
Nick shrugged. ‘I couldn’t keep up. I found the scripts too challenging. Or maybe I was lazy.’
Kitty walked closer, taking his hands to still him and stop his pacing. ‘Nick, you have dyslexia, or at least we think you havedyslexia. You weren’t lazy. You weren’t stupid. If your tutors had known about your dyslexia, things would have been very different. The fact you struggled had nothing to do with whether or not you’re a good performer. Don’t you see that?’
Nick stared at her. ‘You truly believe in me, don’t you?’
Kitty smiled. ‘Now I do. You’re a different man from the Nick Andrews I met for a drink that first day.’
‘Only thanks to Emily,’ said Nick, ‘and you.’
