His throat was so dry, it threatened to seal shut, but he still didn’t drink the wine. He set the glass down on the white tablecloth. He couldn’t toast to family, not when he’d thrown away his one chance at a family of his own.
“Is everything all right?” Charles asked. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
Theo cleared his throat, but the words froze in his mouth. Charles frowned.
“Perhaps we’d better move on to the signing.” He reached into his briefcase for his copy of the contract, but Theo held up a hand.
“Charles, I’m so sorry, but I can’t sign the contract.” Theo could hardly believe those words had come out of his mouth. He’d worked so hard for this moment, and now, like the steak and shrimp, the victory had turned to sawdust.
Theo hadn’t been lying when he’d told Charles that life meant so much more with Nina and Jack in it. He hadn’t been lying whenhe’d kissed Nina. He’d only been lying to himself when he tried to believe that none of it mattered.
In an instant, it all came flooding back. Nina’s laughter. Jack’s gap-toothed grin as he acted out superhero moves in the living room. The feeling of warmth and contentment that had spread through him when Nina took his hand outside Charles’s door. How right it had been to fall asleep with her in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder.
None of this meant anything without them.
“What do you mean?” Charles looked flabbergasted. “We’ve been through every word of the contract with a fine-tooth comb, and our teams have, too. Are you having second thoughts? Is there something wrong with it?”
“No,” Theo said, “there’s something wrong withme. I wanted this contract so badly, I was willing to do almost anything to get it. Including lying.” He stood. “I asked Nina and Jack to pose as my family so that you’d believe we’re the same and have the same values. I only met them two months ago. They weren’t my real family.”
“No,” Charles shook his head, “it isn’t possible. I saw how much you love both of them.”
“Idonow,” Theo admitted. His heart thrummed as he realized how true it was: he didn’t just care about them. Helovedthem. With that realization came redoubled resolve. He couldn’t go through with the contract. Not like this. There was something else he needed to do. “But I didn’t when I first moved them into my house. It was all a ruse. Over the last few weeks, it became real — but I couldn’t believe it. I wanted my work to be mypriority forever. I thought if I just buried myself in Epsilon, it would always be enough for me. It isn’t.”
He sighed. “I don’t deserve this contract with you. But more importantly, I shouldn’t be here right now, at all. Jack’s performing in a concert tonight, and I should be there. I have to make things right with my family.”
Charles stared at him, his expression inscrutable. “It was all a lie?”
“It started off that way,” Theo gripped the back of his chair, his knuckles turning white. “I’m so sorry to have misled you, Charles. I truly consider you a friend. But this isn’t the way we should move forward, and I have somewhere to be.”
“Go,” Charles said. His tone was firm but not as cold as Theo had expected. “Hurry.”
That was all Theo needed. He left the contract he’d worked so hard for unsigned on the table and hurried out into the cold November night. He’d just shattered a huge dream in his wake, but he was on the way to a better one. If he could convince Nina to give him a second chance, that is.
It was raining as Theo held up his hand for a taxi. Luckily, one stopped almost immediately, and he jumped in.
“Holyoke Academy, please. As quickly as you can.”
The driver nodded and they set off. Theo glanced at his phone. The show had already started, and Theo could only hope he’d arrive in time to catch Jack’s performance. As they drove, he could think only of Nina. Would she hear him out, or would she dismiss him as coldly as he’d dismissed her?
He couldn’t blame her if she did.
But whether or not Nina agreed to give him a second chance, Theo owed it to himself, and to her, and to Jack, to try. He would see Jack sing. He would keep his promise. Everything else had to come later.
The taxi pulled up in front of the school, and Theo hurriedly handed over a wad of bills. It was too much for the short ride, but he had no time to count out an exact amount.
The school doors were open. Theo raced up the steps and inside, following lights to the auditorium at the back of the school. He slipped through the doors, shutting them quietly behind him, and focused his attention on the stage.
His heart skipped a beat. He’d made it just in time. The elementary school choir was filing onto the stage, looking adorable in black pants, white tops, and colorful socks. A few of them waved to people in the audience, and Theo saw Jack’s eyes scan the crowd. He smiled at someone a few rows in front, who must have been Nina, then kept looking. Theo stepped out of the shadows so Jack could see him, and the little boy’s eyes lit up as he waved at Theo.
At least Theo had done this much right. At least he’d kept his promise to a little boy who deserved it.
As Theo found a seat at the back, the director stepped onto the stage and introduced the choir. Then they began to sing. It was an old song that Theo faintly recognized, something about love and family and being home for the holidays. He was almost certain he could hear Jack’s sweet voice rising above the others as they sang. The young boy looked radiant, just like the superheroes he idolized.
The elementary school choir sang three songs before filing off to be replaced by a group of high schoolers. Theo listened to them too and clapped appropriately, though his thoughts began to wander again. He scanned the audience for signs of Nina, but he couldn’t see her in the darkness.
At the end, all the kids came onstage for a final song. Three kids stepped forward, one each from the elementary, middle, and high school choirs — and the representative of the elementary choir was a beaming Jack. They sang a short piece together, then stepped back into the crowd. When they finished, Theo clapped so hard he was certain his hands had turned red. He was as proud of Jack as if he were his own son.
The lights came on, and the performers headed backstage. The parents stood, stretching, and started to file towards the hallway where the kids would emerge. Theo stood near the doors, scanning each face until he found Nina’s. She was wearing a green dress and had her hair up, and she was smiling and talking with the woman next to her. When she saw Theo, though, her expression closed, and she said something to the woman before coming towards Theo.
