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He came over and the surroundings snapped back into focus just as Momma was thanking Jenny.

“Everyone’s here and knows the plan, Andre. Wade also checked in and they’re ready to start.” She looked at her watch. “We’ve got about three minutes.”

“Thanks so much, Jenny,” Andre said, sounding calm.

She smiled and nodded before moving over to a podium next to the stage entrance.

“Hey.” Andre turned to me. His smile was soft and private despite the surrounding bustle. “You ready for this?”

“As I’ll ever be.” I returned his smile.

Every muscle ached to embrace him, but the bustling backstage area held me back, although I suspected the town grapevine already knew about our date.

“It’s going to be great.” He squeezed my arm, the brief contact sending zings through me. He then turned to Momma. “Grace, always good to see you. I can’t wait to see the program you’ve put together for the weekend.” He leaned in close. “Don’t tell anyone else, but the evening performances you’ve got are what I’m looking forward to the most.”

She beamed. She’d been working on the lineup for months. “The response to it has been incredible.”

“Andre,” Jenny called to him.

“Looks like it’s time. I’ll see you out there.” Before he left, he squeezed my arm again and my heart fluttered with happiness.

Momma waited until Andre was out of earshot before raising an eyebrow. “Last night was good?”

My moms knew about the date and my apprehensions and they’d admirably restrained their questions earlier. After witnessing the looks between Andre and me, though, Momma deserved some info.

“Yeah. Best date ever.”

“I’m so glad.” She squeezed my shoulder. “I won’t ask more about it now, but Mom and I want to know as much as you want to tell us.”

“We’ll catch up. I promise. Though maybe not until the weekend is over.”

“Of course.” She smiled and gave me a brief hug.

We joined Mickey, Olivia, and Mayor Axelrod at the side of the stage so we could watch while we weren’t on stage.

Andre stepped up to the microphone first, his welcome speech hitting all the right notes about community and inclusion. He made public speaking look effortless. I hoped I could channel some of that.

The crowd had grown considerably since I’d come backstage. Familiar faces dotted the audience. Liam sat with Mom in the front row, an empty seat next to them. Had they saved that for Momma? Tommy, Milo, Mimi, and others from hockey camp were a few rows back, with Dixon and Oscar near them. Caleb, Kyle, Miles, and Cole had also arrived and were part of the standing crowd.

Olivia followed the mayor’s welcome remarks. She offered details about the vendor marketplace, art installations, and crafting activities. Momma was up next, outlining the theater programming. Her passion for the arts showed in every word and even gave me goose bumps as she described what was ahead. Mickey’s rundown of the food offerings had my stomach growling despite my nerves, which was the last thing I needed.

I tried to focus on what each speaker shared, but as each one of them finished and my time drew closer, I was increasingly worried I’d mess up. The folded papers in my pocket felt like they weighed a hundred pounds.

I made and released fists a couple of times, focusing on the movement as I counted through my breathing exercises.

I peeked out from backstage again, finding Andre, who stood at the back of the stage while the speeches were happening. His smile reminded me of Liam’s advice to pretend I was only talking to him. I’d have to imagine it since he wouldn’t be in my line of sight.

Suddenly Mickey was walking toward me, having finished. He stopped in front of me and put his hands on my shoulders. He said nothing as we locked gazes, silently calming me. I smiled and he nodded.

“And now it’s my pleasure to introduce our grand marshal,” Andre said. “Ethan Gallagher was born and raised here, learned how to play hockey here, and has played in the big leagues with several teams over the years. He always comes back to Maplewood in the offseason to spend time with friends and family and run a youth hockey camp. And even when he’s away during the hockey season, he supports this community in so many ways. Please welcome Ethan to the stage.”

The walk to the microphone felt like skating through mud. Applause washed over me as Andre met me at center stage with a huge smile and shook my hand. His touch was even more steadying than Mickey’s had been. Taking my place, I put my hands on the sides of the podium and worked to not grip it too tightly.

“Thank you, everyone, for that incredibly warm welcome.” My voice cracked on the first words. I paused, took a breath, and found my moms and Liam in the crowd. “To be honest, when I was asked to be the grand marshal of this year’s Pride festival, my first thought was, you’ve got the wrong guy.”

The words started flowing more naturally, just like they had during the practice sessions. I talked about growing up here, about my moms, about learning how to play hockey at school and at the place I now called home.

My voice broke again, though, as I talked about the camp where we brought so many young people together. This time it was pure happiness as I shared how proud I was of our players coming together across different languages and skill levels. I caught Milo’s and Tommy’s bright smiles as I took a breath.