Page 73

Abraham held out his hand. I pushed it aside, giving him a hug. “We’re well past formalities.” He chuckled as he returned the sentiment. “Thanks for helping out.”

“It’s what we do.” Such a simple statement, but it manifested the magic of Firefly. There wasn’t a question or hesitation. They simply pitched in because that’s what a community does. It warmed my heart.

“I’m still shocked Firefly made such a big deal for a play.”

A group of Lost Boys ran by, waving to Laurel as they went. Two dads stopped and gave me a handshake before giving Laurel a hug. Compliments and awe all around before they exited.

“For those kids, it is,” Laurel said.

Abraham put his arm around my shoulders. I could feel him transform from a jovial dad to a sagely father. “You said something about wanting more than being an action hero? This is how you leave a legacy.”

“You’re hitting me right in the feels.”

He patted my shoulder before heading toward the door. Abraham exited on his poignant words. The man knew how to make an exit. When I looked at Laurel, she held her hands up and gave a shrug. What happened to the jokester? I’d be thinking about his words for the rest of the night.

The theater had gotten warm. Between the stage lights and the wall-to-wall people, I had sweat through my shirt. I felt gross, but an accomplished gross. I turned to see a tiny human lunging at me.

“Ooph.” Ollie wrapped his arms around my chest. The little human held on with all his might, determined to squeeze the air from my lungs.

“Ollie. Careful,” Laurel said. “He’s a city boy. They break easily.”

“That was awesome,” he said. Ollie had done an amazing job. The confidence he lacked at the start had been kicked to the curb by his enthusiasm. “I can’t wait for the fall play.” He finally let go. “Are you going to direct, Ms. Wright?”

“It’s a real possibility.”

“Are you going to be her assistant, Mr. Wilde?”

Assistant? Laurel covered her mouth as she giggled. I suppose I could live with the title. “I’m going to give you a strong maybe.”

“Maybe?” Ollie didn’t like the answer.

“I have a big project coming up.” I leaned down, whispering in his ear. “We’re going to need extras. That’s if you’re up to the challenge.”

When I stood up, he gawked, jaw gaping. “Really?” He turned to a gentleman with a massive grin on his face. “Dad, did you hear that?”

“I did. How about you head to the car. I need to talk to Mr. Wilde.”

That didn’t sound good. He was six inches taller than me and I’m pretty sure his muscles came from hard work. I imagined him as a mechanic or maybe a professional weightlifter. Then again, I could see him owning a bakery, his muscles built from lifting bags of flour.

Ollie ran to the door and gave a slight woohoo as he exited. Laurel spun about, giving us the slightest privacy. If things turned nasty, she better??—

“I want to say thank you.”

“Oh.” Ollie’s dad shared his awkwardness. It was almost as if I was looking at the kid’s future. Dad held out his hand. I gripped it and gave him a hearty shake. He pulled me forward, giving me a pat on the back.

“Ollie told me what you said to him.” He ran his hand through his hair as he avoided eye contact. “I’m a single dad. When your kid tells you…” He hadn’t said the word out loud yet. I remember my dad going through the same trials. “Ollie’s special, and I’m doing my best. I didn’t know what to say.”

Decades earlier, I sat at the kitchen table, staring at my dad's face as he processed the words. After the fights with the other boys, I confirmed a suspicion. As seconds turned to minutes, I only needed him to recite three words.

Once upon a time, I had been Ollie. “I love you.” His dad's eyes shot up, confused by my sudden confession. “That’s all he needs to hear from his dad.”

“I’m glad he has role models.” He gave me another pat on the shoulder. “All he can talk about is wanting to be an actor. I’ll be coming to you with a lot of questions.”

Ollie’s dad stopped to tap Laurel on the shoulder. She acted as if she hadn’t heard the whole conversation. He held out his hands and gave her a bear hug. She might not have noticed, but he lingered—definitely breaking the three-second rule. I waited until they finished their exchange and he left.

“Ollie’s dad is into you.”

“Chris!” She checked over her shoulder, making sure everybody had left. “You think so?”

I gestured up and down her body. “Who wouldn’t want a piece of this?” She linked arms with me and rested her head on my shoulder. “I definitely think you should hit that.”

“I’ll think about it. With Will going off to college, dating wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.” It was hard to imagine an hour earlier the auditorium had been filled with cheers. “Are you happy you did it?”

I nodded. “No regrets.”

We turned to look at the stage. Without the people, I could hear the stage speak with groaning floorboards.

With no direction, I let her rope me into this production.

With it over, I could see the bigger picture.

The pieces of the puzzle fit seamlessly.

Bobby connected to Laurel and Abraham. Ollie clicked in place next to Amanda and her comic.

Firefly didn’t deliver an earth-shattering sign from the heavens.

Trail magic happened a little at a time until it was impossible to ignore.

“We should go,” she said. “Time to go home and celebrate by the fire.”

“You head out. I’m going to stay for a few.”

She raised an eyebrow, but heeded my advice.

Laurel reached the doors and gave a wave before exiting.

Alone in the theater, it was like watching phantoms. I could almost see Bobby laughing as he painted trees.

Laurel spun her hair before smacking the clipboard against her forehead.

Even Will chased the kids across the stage.

Then there was Ollie, so close to a younger me that I imagined myself sitting in his seat.

In two months, Firefly had given me everything I could have asked for.

I reached for my phone. It was time to take the plunge.

Chris: Will, I have your story. Ready for your first big scoop?