Page 103 of His Surrender

Then it was time for the Disney medley.

Foster rose from his chair and stepped forward where a microphone stand stood. Ivan grabbed my leg and squeezed. He was being such a dad. Foster took a breath and lifted the clarinet to his lips. A strap was around his neck to hold the instrument as he played. The first note rang out, followed quickly by the second. Ivan’s nails dug into my leg when Foss messed up on the third note. But Foster recovered and kept going.

Mom was recording it on her phone, and when his solo ended, before the rest of the band came in, she yelled, “Well done, sunshine!” in Russian.

Foster smiled at the audience and rejoined the section to continue the song.

Once the concert ended, people left the stands and gathered on the gym floor while others stepped out of the room and into the cafeteria that was on the other side of the wall. Mom threw her arms around Foster and kissed his cheeks. Dad clapped him on the back and congratulated him on a job well done. Ivan hugged him, and then I ruffled his hair.

I searched the crowd for Remi before finding him speaking with parents about ten feet away. They talked, and he listened with a kind smile. I strode over just as I heard the man say, “Thank you for all you’ve done for Dillon, Mr. Barnett. Being in band has helped him straighten up.”

“Dillon’s a great kid,” Remi responded, blushing at the attention.

When he was alone again, I stepped toward him. “Hi.”

“Hi,” he said, reaching to grab my hand.

“Ready to meet my parents?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Holding his hand, I led him over to them. “Mom, this is Remi.”

“It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Foley,” Remi said, sticking out a hand.

She gently knocked his hand aside and pulled him in for a hug. “No shaking hands. You’re family now. Please call me Natalia.”

Dad then shook his hand. “I’m Alan. You’re still comin’ over to the house after this, right?”

“Yes, sir,” Remi said.

“Good. Good. Nat’s cookin’pirogfor supper. She only brings that recipe out for special occasions.”

“I’m sure it’s wonderful,” Remi responded, polite as ever. “I can’t wait to try it.”

Johnny approached next and spoke to Remi before introducing himself to my family. Mom invited him to dinner too, which he accepted.

Ivan, Foster, and my parents left shortly after, but I stayed to help Remi clean up the gym floor. We had to take the chairs back to the band room and then disassemble the stands the choir had used.

“Thanks for your help,” Remi said, once we’d stacked the last chair in its place. “You didn’t have to.”

“I wanted to.” I kissed his cheek. “I do believe my mother is smitten with you by the way. She doesn’t makepirogjust for anyone.”

“Whatisit?” Remi asked. We exited the band room and moved down the hall toward the exit.

“A type of Russian pie that can be sweet or savory. Mom makes hers with cabbage and chicken.”

“Sounds great.”

Remi and I arrived a little after two that afternoon, and Mom greeted him with another big hug. When she had asked me about Remi, I had said he’d lost his mother when he was young. She had then said that she’d just have to show him extra love because of it.

“Come, come,” she said, looping her arm through his and taking him to the kitchen.

Remi looked at me over his shoulder with wide eyes. I smiled and followed after them. Mom had already prepared most of the pie before we got there, and she showed him how to make the rest of it before she put it in the oven to bake.

“I think your momma has kidnapped your boyfriend,” Dad said, coming to stand beside me. Mom had taken Remi over to the wall of family photos and was telling him about each picture.

“She’s so excited,” I said. “Makes me feel kind of guilty for not bringin’ a man home sooner.”