“I saw the flip.”
“The whole room saw the flip,” Eli added.
Finn’s eyes danced. “So now we can get cheeseburgers, right? You and Mom and me.” His face—so open, so bright with trust—made my throat ache.
There it was.
A silence even louder than applause, and my ache turned to a raw wound.
Chase’s eyes flicked to me, apology already baked in. The veneer of grown-up busywork, of obligations settled onto his shoulders. The spell of the play had snapped,reality shoving its way in. “Buddy, I wish I could. We’ve got some inspections at the resort first thing in the morning. I’ve got to make sure we’re ready. But I’m sure glad I was here tonight.”
Finn’s hope was a live wire in my hands. “Finn, honey, Chase has lots of big projects, remember?” My smile was sugar and splinters. “But you and I can still grab those burgers on the way home, and you can tell me how you remembered all your lines.”
Finn’s smile wavered. He managed a valiant nod, the corners of his mouth folding down, then back up. “Oh. Okay.” He looked at Chase anyway. “But maybe you can come next time?”
Chase reached out, smoothing one of Finn’s wayward scales. “Definitely. Next time, for sure. You were great tonight. I mean that.”
Finn’s arms locked around Chase’s waist in a sudden, desperate squeeze. Chase hugged him back. Then he stood, already stepping away, voice rough. “I’ll see you soon, okay?” He pressed a quick kiss to Finn’s forehead, then offered me a look—half-plea, half-sorry.
“Drive safe,” I said, the words hollowed out.
He disappeared into the crowd. I pulled Finn into my side, biting down on my own disappointment. I could feel Mom watching and Eli’s quiet scrutiny. I made myself bright, glittery, parade-perfect for Finn—smiling, joking about bun-patty ratios, and carrying us both out into the sticky night.
But inside, all I could feel was that public sting, the jagged edge of not enough, the certainty that none of the conversations we needed most could happen in a cafeteria, under the lights, with everyone watching. And if I couldn’t fix it for Finn, I’d at least make sure he felt loved, holding his small hand tightly in mine as we stepped out into the night.
