Chapter 146: Chapter 146 The Performance That Changed Everything
Elara
The next day at work, I casually mentioned Orion’s talent show to Nancy. To my surprise, she didn’t even hesitate before agreeing.
"You don’t have to say yes just because I’m your boss," I said quickly, worried she might feel obligated. "If you don’t want to go, you can totally say no."
Nancy smiled warmly. "No, really. Whether it’s my boss or my parents, nobody can force me to do something I don’t want to do."
"Besides, Yardley helped me with something recently.And I actually really like Orion, so how about I treat everyone to dinner that night?"
I laughed. "That sounds great. We’ll all be free that evening. Just keep it casual. Nothing too fancy."
Nancy looked genuinely happy. "Perfect. See you then. I’d better get back to work."
I immediately texted Dominic to pass the news along to the pack house, so little Orion could stop worrying.
Author
When Orion heard the news, he was ecstatic. He spent the next hour trying on different outfits like he was getting ready for the Oscars.
He finally settled on a little navy blue suit. "Grandpa, do I look handsome in this?"
Alpha Hunter looked at the slightly too tight formal wear straining against his grandson’s sturdy body and sighed inwardly.
[The kid was built like a future football player, but that didn’t stop him from thinking he was the next secret agent.]
But Alpha Hunter would never crush a child’s dreams. "Very handsome! You’re going to be the star of the show!"
"Really?"
"Absolutely! I’d bet my favorite fishing rod on it!"
One grandfather willing to say anything. One grandson willing to believe everything.
--
On the day of the performance, Orion’s cheering section was absolutely massive.
Besides his grandfather, father, and Dominic’s crew, there was also the Nancy he’d been most excited about.
But as they stood outside the elementary school entrance with showtime approaching, there was still no sign of Nancy.
"Orion, Nancy just texted. She might be a little late. She’s stuck in some terrible traffic downtown, but she told us to go in first."
Orion’s face fell. "Oh... will Aunt Nancy still come?"
"She should."
Elara gently stroked the top of his head. "When your Aunt Nancy promises something, she doesn’t break her word. Come on, let’s head in first, okay?"
Hunter seemed puzzled. "Does Orion really like Nancy that much?"
Elizabeth had come today too. "She’s probably beautiful. Kids always love pretty aunts."
"Maybe we should see if she’s available," Hunter said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
[Single, pretty, and good with kids? That was rare.]
--
Orion was scheduled to perform second. He panicked that Nancy wouldn’t make it in time, so he rushed backstage to beg the teacher to let him go later.
But she was super strict and wouldn’t budge no matter how much he begged.
Elara could see his anxiety all over his face. "She said ten minutes. She’ll definitely make it."
The auditorium was still filling up when Orion suddenly grabbed his stomach. "Dad, I need to use the bathroom!"
Yardley stood up to go with him. "Let’s go. You need to hurry or you’ll miss your turn."
Yardley waited outside the bathroom when his phone rang with an urgent work call. With all the parents and kids walking around making noise, he called through the door: "Orion, Dad’s going outside to take a call. Come out and wait for me when you’re done."
"Okay!"
Yardley heard him answer, so he walked to a quieter spot to handle his call.
Meanwhile, Orion was dealing with nervous butterflies in the stall when he heard two bratty voices.
"What’s your performance?"
"Poetry reading. You?"
"I’m playing violin."
"Oh, same as that chubby kid Orion! You’re screwed. I heard he’s got connections. His dad’s supposed to be some big shot!"
"Big shot or not, they can’t just give him first place if he plays badly."
Orion’s face turned red with anger and embarrassment. He quickly finished, flushed, and yanked open the door. "I’m not chubby!"
But there was only one kid just walking into the bathroom. The two bullies had already run off.
In his rush to confront them, the tight button on his suit jacket finally popped off.
Orion felt like everything was going wrong. When he came out and still didn’t see his father, his eyes started getting watery.
Nancy came out of the women’s bathroom and found Orion looking completely crushed.
"Orion, what’s wrong? You look upset."
Seeing her kind face, Orion almost started crying. "Aunt Nancy, you made it!"
"Two mean kids called me fat and said I only get to perform because my dad has connections, but that’s not true!"
He looked down at his broken jacket. "And my button fell off."
Everything bad was happening at once. Nancy smiled gently. "Come here. Let’s step over here and fix your clothes first."
Nancy took off one of her earrings and used it like a button, hooking it through the fabric. From far away, you couldn’t even tell.
Orion looked down, amazed. "Aunt Nancy, you’re amazing!"
"It’s just a quick fix. Nothing special." Nancy pulled out a tissue and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Orion, remember this. What bullies say doesn’t matter. What matters is showing everyone how talented you are."
"Stay away from those mean kids. Don’t let them make you feel bad, okay?"
"I’ll be cheering for you. Just do your best, alright?"
The sad little boy instantly lit up with a huge smile. "Okay! Come on, Aunt Nancy, the show’s starting! I’m going to win first place!"
Nancy took his hand. When she looked up, her eyes met Yardley’s.
She didn’t know how long he’d been standing there watching. His intense stare made her cheeks get hot.
But Orion thought his father’s timing was perfect. "Dad, I need to go backstage and get ready! You take Aunt Nancy back to our seats!"
"Dad, take good care of Aunt Nancy for me, okay?"
Nancy’s heart started beating faster.
"Let’s go." Yardley’s tone was calm.
As they walked back through the crowded hallway, a student rushing past with his instrument case bumped into Nancy. She stumbled, but Yardley quickly caught her around the waist to steady her.
Once she was stable, his hands let go right away, but her skin still felt warm where he’d touched her.
Yardley stepped aside and pointed toward the wall. "You walk on the inside. Otherwise the little guy will think I didn’t take care of you properly."
