Reunion (18 page)

“Maddy this is so great. I can’t wait to hug you! This is turning out to be an amazing day!”

“Oh Sav you have no idea.”

I got dressed into my new outfit for the show. A new black pencil skirt and my new black heels. It made my 5 foot 5 frame look a little taller. I wore a white cotton blouse with the capped sleeves and V neck with ruffles going down the front. I curled my hair and it cascaded down my back and shoulders. I think I looked pretty good. Not as good as the wealthy moms of the children I taught but Ann Taylor was more than good enough for me.

When I got to the school, I gave some of the non-choir students jobs to do. I assigned ones to be ushers, and ones to give out the programs. I had to remain back stage to make sure the kids went to their right spots on stage and I had an ear set on so that I could give the lighting producer direction. I peeked out from around the curtain to see my friends and family seated in the first row. The show started by grades. The first and second graders would go first. They would sing 2 songs and then the band would show off their musical talents in between. The third and fourth grades went next. They followed the same pattern as the younger ones. There was a brief intermission and I ran out to the lobby really quick to see everyone. They all hugged me and I asked how they all thought it was going.

“Oh honey.” Mom said. “ It’ wonderful! It’s done so professionally. I’m so very proud of you!”

“Aw thanks mom. It is turning into such a great night!” Mom replied. “ Oh Savannah, you have no idea!”

What the hell. She was the third person to say that to me. Wait. First Ty, then Maddy , now mom! I think I figured it out! After the show when we were going to go out for drinks, Tyler was going to propose to Georgia! That was it! It had to be. We were all going to dinner after the show. I was so happy! I grabbed Georgia and hugged her tightly. “What the hell Sav. You’re wrinkling my shirt. I winked at Tyler. He gave me a puzzled look back. “I have to get back guys. Enjoy the rest of the show!”

The band went on first followed by the fifth, and sixth graders. The seventh and eighth graders were the finale. Their program was called the Soundtrack of Their Lives. I allowed them to group up with 6 friends and they needed to pick a song from the past 10 years. I had to approve all the choices and make sure the selections were ok with their parents . I was never one for conservative choir pieces and I thought giving them the option of more currant music would appeal to them more. I made them do research on the artists and write a report on the meaning of the lyrics. Some of the 8
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grade boys wanted to do more rock where the girls just wanted Katy Perry and Justin Bieber. That wasn’t going to work. The idea was for them to come together as a group and agree upon something that they all could work with. There were four groups. The songs they chose were U2’s “ Beautiful Day” , Celoo Green “ Forget You”, Black Eyed Peas “ I Got A Feeling”, and from one of my personal favorites Coldplay’s “Fix You”. It was time for me to introduce them.

I walked onto the center of the stage where a Microphone and stand stood.

“Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen. I’m Savannah Garrett Head of Music Education here at Chestnut and I’d like to welcome you to our program’s finale. Our 8
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Grade students have been working very hard on their song selections and have chosen songs popular in the last 10 years. The children have learned how lyrics to songs can speak to us and make us wonder about the words being used. The children have dissected the lyrics and have made their own interpretations on why the artists chose to write what they did. The students were taught to actually listen to the lyrics and really understand what the artists were trying to say. I’m so very proud of each and every one of them and being new here at Chestnut I can honestly say this part has been the most fun for me thus far. Please welcome Chestnut Academy’s 8
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grade and the Soundtrack of our lives.”

Applause erupted and the large red velvet curtains opened to reveal the twenty four 8
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graders dressed in white shirts, gray vests, and black pants and skirts. They stood on three leveled risers. They looked wonderful and I was so proud. I stood on the side on the stage and reattached my headset so I could tell the lighting guys which way to turn the lights for each song.

They began with “ Beautiful Day” and the arrangement was great. There were enough parts for boys and girls. Their harmonies were almost flawless. “ Forget you was next and there were a lot of male parts and we made the girls do mostly background vocals with a little skit to go along with it. The audience ate it up. Next was “ I Got a Feeling” and we had the audience participate which was fun for them. I peaked around the curtain to see smiles from everyone sitting. I gave myself an internal “Yes!”.

Everything was going so well. The last song was “ Fix You”. This was my favorite of all the songs the students did. Just as I was ready to give the lighting guys my instructions the whole stage went black. That wasn’t supposed to happen. Oh God please don’t tell me there was a power outage. I spoke into my headset. “ Hey Tom, Phil you guys what is going on. There is supposed to be a spotlight on Patrick Brown. He starts the song. Is there something wrong with the power?” No one was answering me. I turned to Kelsey who was there to help and she just shrugged. I looked over at Mr. Lawson and he looked at me nervously and walked away. What the hell was going on? Suddenly I heard from the stage the students humming. Humming? Was I correct? Did I hear humming?

“Bum bum bum bum bum….” That’s what I was hearing. What was that tune and why were the kids humming it? This wasn’t in the program. Something was seriously wrong. I looked towards the back of me and Kelsey was hiding behind one of the curtains. What the hell was she doing.? Suddenly the spotlight came on my student Patrick Brown was at the center of the stage. He had the best voice in the class but I still could not imagine why he was standing there. When the spotlight hit him he looked straight out to the audience and began to sing.

He started singing “Can’t take my eyes off of you.” I was so confused. I kept trying to talk to the lighting guys then tried to talk to the soundboard guys. I was being flat out ignored! Patrick finished the first verse of the song.

What in God’s name was this boy doing. Why was he singing that song? THAT Song! Before I could answer my own question I saw Patrick step back and the spotlight went directly to the opposite side of the stage. Out of the shadows of the side of the stage holding a microphone was a man and before I saw him walk onto the stage I heard his voice and he began to sing. I couldn’t see his face but the voice was familiar.

The man began to song the second verse of the song and I saw him step into the spotlight. What the holy hell …. My jaw fell open. It was Sam. He began to walk over to the center of the stage with his one hand on the microphone and his other hand on his heart. Suddenly a spotlight fell upon me. I shook my head and squinted from the blinding spotlight. I began in a shout/ whisper “ Sam Reynolds what the hell are you doing!” He just smiled and continued to look at me and sing. I felt someone behind me and it was Kelsey. She gave me a shove and I stumbled in my heels onto the stage. I was mortified. I put my hand to my face and closed my eyes tight. This wasn’t happening. He hated my guts. I did the worst possible thing anyone could do to another human being and now he was serenading me! I opened my eyes when I heard the kids begin humming in union. “ Bah Bah dah dah bad ah dah dah dah…” and the trumpet from the pit band began to play along with the kids. I looked out into the audience at that point and saw my friends and family gleaming up at me. My mom began to cry and that’s when Sam stopped singing and went to his knees.

You know that one moment in your life when you feel like time stands still. When you can see objects move around you but they feel as though they are moving in slow motion. All you can do is hear yourself breathe and the sounds of your heart pumping blood in your ears.

Your hands tingle and your mouth goes dry. You look into the persons eyes that you love the most in this world and you thank your lucky stars that those eyes are looking back at you.

The singing stopped and I just heard the soft sounds of the piano. Sam put down the mic and grabbed my hand. He looked at me and said the words I’ve been waiting for so long to hear.

“My Savy. From the first time I knocked you down in our high school hall way I knew you were mine. I knew I wanted to spend my life with you. 17 years old and I just knew. There has never been another woman who could sass me, give me the business, talk me down off a ledge, make me laugh, make me cry, make me a better man more than you. You are the reason I live, I breathe and I love. I need to see you every day. I need to wake up with you looking at me with those eyes. I need to see those eyes as the last thing I look at before sleep. I need them to be the last things I see before I die. I need you to be my wife. Savannah, marry me?”

My hand flew to my mouth and I felt the warm tears trickle down my hand. Sam reached in his pocket and pulled put a blue velvet box. He opened it. I looked down at the sparkling diamond in front of my eyes. Then I looked into the sunset of his eyes. The eyes I’ve loved for so long. I couldn’t speak. All I could do was shake my head…. Yes!

Sam leaped to his feet and grabbed me and picked me up. I wrapped my arms around his neck and felt his tears on my cheek mixing with mine. Sam picked up the mic from the floor and yelled into it.

“She Said yes!”

The cheers from the crowd erupted and I looked out at my mom, sister, and all my friends. They were all cheering and crying and Tyler was whistling through his fingers. I looked to the side of the stage where Kelsey and Mr. Lawson and Hattie were cheering. I knew they were in on it. I mouthed a Thank You to them and they blew a kiss to me. I looked at Sam again and he came towards me and placed the sweetest, most romantic kiss on my lips. When the kiss broke I began to cry again.

“Sam how? You hate me. What I did was unforgivable. I broke your heart.”

He smiled at me and took my face in his hands.

“Baby I could never hate you. My love for you is too strong for hate. I forgive you and now we can move on. We will never forget but we can go forward.”

“ Let me guess? Everyone knew this was going to happen right?”

He smiled with his far head pressed against mine.

“ You got it! This was our path Savy. I couldn’t let us go down the wrong one.”

Sam pulled me into his chest and I breathed him in. I felt safe and whole again. My future was holding me. How could this man still love me? Was I worthy? I came to the realization that I was. After years of not being able to accept that. I really was. I had this man’s love and trust. I had his heart and he had mine. Just like we did at the age of 17. You can’t put a time limit or an age on how you love and how you feel. There is no specific age about when you are supposed to fall in love or when our hearts get broken or when we are to forgive and forget. We are all worthy of love and forgiveness. It just takes time.

EPILOGUE

2 years later

“And the airplane goes weeeeee through the air and into the mouth and that’s how we eat our pees”

“You know that never works and she is going to spit them right back out on you in about… oops too late.”

I went a grabbed a towel from the sink and walked over to Sam and began to wipe off his shirt full of green.

“ You look like the priest in the “ Exorcist” my love.”

Sam turned to look at me and rolled his eyes.

“ Mommy’s quite the smart ass isn’t she baby girl.”

“ Don’t curse in front of her Sam. Oh my! Yikes.”

“ Whats up? Was that a big kick baby? You ok?”

“Oh yea I’m fine. Your son must have some strong legs.”

“Well maybe he will be a kicker some day. Or a quarterback.”

“No freaking way. Quarterbacks are dumb jocks. I think I like lawyer or doctor instead.” Sam slowly got up from the table and came towards me with that look in his eye.

“Hey keep your distance mister. That’s the look you gave me the night we conceived her and this one.”

I pointed at my growing belly. It didn’t stop Sam from circling his arms around my ever expanding waist and giving me one hell of a kiss. We heard laughing coming from the highchair and we broke our kiss to find our 15 month old daughter blowing kisses to us. It was the cutest thing in the world.

He turned from me towards her.

“Aw does daddy’s baby girl want a kiss from mommy and daddy. Come here precious.”

He picked her up out of the highchair and the three of us hugged each other in the middle of the kitchen. My daughter patted my belly and said in a baby sort of way, “ Baby.”

“Yes that right honey. Your baby right. Baby brother. “

I kissed her chubby little cheeks and gave her a squeeze.

“We should go clean her up. Everyone will be here soon.”

“I’ll get her cleaned up. Everything is ready. Why don’t you put your feet up Savy. Your mom is on her way.” Sam kissed my forehead and made his way up the steps with our daughter. A few minutes later my mom walked in.

“Hi honey. How are you feeling?”

“Hi mom. I’m good just tired”

“Well of course you are. Your 7 months pregnant and you have a toddler. I’d be surprised if you weren’t. Where is my little sweetheart anyway?”

“Sam took her upstairs to change her. She wrestled with her peas again.”

“Oh that stinker.” Mom giggled.

My mom began her decent into the kitchen to put out the food for our guests. We were having some friends over and Georgia and Tyler over. They had just gotten back from their honeymoon last week and we wanted to see the pictures. Maddy was coming with Kyle and Joey and their youngest Jake. Lil was coming with Rob and their 3 month old daughter Grace. Trish and her husband Paul and Ella and her boyfriend Steve were coming too.