SEBASTIAN
“Will you fucking hurry up! You’re going to make us late!” Jez yells from the hotel room door.
I pick up the last items left on the nightstand, tucking them into my pocket and look around the emptied hotel room.
I don’t want to leave. I’m scared to. I’m afraid that the memories won’t follow me, and when I close my eyes, I won’t remember the first time she stood there, wringing her fingers trying to lay down conditions of our arrangement.
Or the night she’d laid like a broken doll in my bed and I’d realized I’d loved her and would protect her for the rest of her life if she’d let me.
Or the few happy days we had, after coming back from Uluru, making love over and over again on every surface of the suite, every look, every word of hers spiking the desire in me,
“SEBASTIAN! We’re leaving RIGHT NOW!” Brad booms from the door and I know it’s time to go. I close the bedroom door behind me and make my way to them.
“You ready?” Jez asks, and I know that I’m not.
But time doesn’t stop for everyone and sometimes it’s just time to take a leap.
CADENCE
The school decided to let me come back after three weeks when it seems the scandal has died down.
Working herself to the bone, Sarah did everything she could to take over my classes, knowing I’d feel more at ease with her in charge of my kids, feeling safe leaving them with her.
She called me every day to tell me that the kids were so angry at the school for making me take time off and could not wait for me to come back. That some of the parents had even come to speak on my behalf.
I admit that those calls and words gave me purpose. I spend the time off making revised lesson plans, trying to find more ways to inject fun and different learning techniques into the lessons. I had a renewed need to impart the love of music in my students, to teach them that we are so lucky to be gifted with music in our lives and to not take it for granted but to keep exploring more and more ways to bring it into your world. Music of all kinds and genres.
Now, at the end my first day back, I can’t help but sink into my desk chair, exhausted. I’d forgotten when a full day of teaching could take out of you. I’m almost glad that we had to cancel orchestra rehearsal due to a clash in the schedule for most of the students.
“Miss Bray?”
A small voice calls my name and I turn to see Jenny, the orchestra’s first violinist, standing in the doorway.
“Jenny! How are you?” I wave her in and she pauses, biting her lip.
I haven’t had a chance to speak to her since she told me she had to quit orchestra and I had planned to arrange a meeting with her and her parents sometime next week. Seeing her makes me feel like I’ve been the most selfish teacher in the world, worrying about myself when I should’ve been caring for my students.
“Is everything OK, Jenny?”
“Yes, Miss Bray, I was just wondering, would you take a walk with me? I’m supposed to be at work, so I don’t have a lot of time, but I wanted to talk to you about my music.”
“Of course!” I slide my feet back into my shoes and get up, following her down the hallway.
“How are your parents doing, Jenny?”
“Actually, much better, Miss Bray. Things are still a little bit difficult at home, but we’ve had some help lately, that I think might help with me coming back to orchestra.”
“That is wonderful!” I turn to her and smile and she returns it with a smile that warms my heart.
“Yes, it is. I just want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart. For everything you’ve done for me.”
“I haven’t done anything special, Jenny...just believed in you.”
“No, you’ve done so much more than that...we are ALL so thankful to you. You are, I don’t know what we would do without you.”
And with those words, she pushes open school’s front entrance doors, and there, in the front courtyard of the school is a huge crowd. Almost the size of the entire school! There are students and teachers, parents and admin staff. And everyone is facing me, and smiling and waving.
And I think my heart almost explodes with love in that moment.
Behind the crowd I can see a makeshift stage, and on it, my kids, my school orchestra, jumping up and down and screaming my name.
I turn to Jenny, speechless. Jenny just grins and runs up onto the stage and takes her place in the orchestra.
Sarah breaks from the group and comes up to hug me.
“Oh my god. What is this?”
She just smiles and points towards the stage. Everyone follows her lead and turns to see the principal standing there in front of the microphone.
“Miss Cadence Bray, the school orchestra, and I and everyone at the school want you to know how much we value and appreciate all that you have done to bring music into our school and hearts.”
He waves to me and then turns toward the orchestra.
“I’ve waited so long to tell you this, it didn’t feel right until your teacher was here, but Miss Bray singlehandedly raised over $50,000 for the school music program, which means that you will all be going to the Nationals this year in Canberra!”
I watch as the entire orchestra jumps up and starts screaming and hugging each other. I think my face almost splits from grinning with pride, I just want to run up there and join them.
Sarah, as always, can read my mind, and gives me a nudge. “Go! Go to them! You belong up there, this is your moment.”
I run up through the crowd of people and up onto the stage, the kids running over and we all embrace in a great big group hug. I barely even notice the tears streaming down my face. I’d missed them so much the weeks I’d been away, worried about how they would feel about me when it was time to come back. Seeing them now, so happy, the worry and insecurity gone from their faces, it made it all worth it. I glance up at the sky for a moment and mouth a silent “Thank you, Sebastian.” He and he only made this possible.
“And one more thing...” I hear Greg start to say and the kids suddenly all sit back down in their places, picking up their instruments. “The school orchestra now would like to thank Miss Bray and their parents with a special performance. Miss Bray, will you join me in your VIP seat?” He grins at me and points to a chair by the front of the stage.
I saunter over and give Greg a little pat on the arm, I can’t help but feel more lighthearted than I have in weeks. The joy of my kids is contagious, and I just let myself become drunk in it.
I sit down and I watch as Timothy, one of the band leaders, comes to the front of the stage and takes up the conducting spot. He mimics me calling for silence and attention by doing a special wave of the conductor’s baton and putting his index finger to his lips, and everyone who’s seen me do it at the school performances laughs. He turns and winks at me and I poke me tongue out at him, secretly proud.
He lifts his arms and everyone is silent in anticipation.
And then they start to play.
From the first note, it’s beautiful. This orchestra I’ve created from students who are here by the power of nothing but their own passion for music. It’s so beautiful I just lose myself in it for a moment.
And then I realize, what they’re playing it’s a piece we’ve never practiced before.
But it’s a piece I know like the beat of my own heart.
No. How can they....no.
I shake my head, but the notes keep coming, sweet, simple, pure notes, like...I’ve said it before, like moonlight over water.
They’re playing “Cadence’s Song”.
And just as my eyes draw tears from my aching heart, a giant cheer erupts from the crowd. I’ve heard that cheer before. I look up, my breath catching in my throat.
It’s them. Jez, Marius, Brad.
But no Sebastian.
And my heart sinks.
I watch as the three members of the Rock Chamber Boys stop centre stage, position their instruments and join in with the orchestra. Their parts ring out clear above the band, and even in my disappointment, I can’t help but fall in love with their performance.
How had they even arranged to do this?
And how had they done it, without him?
And as if the gods have heard my question, the band and the orchestra fade away, and a single cello starts to play.
I search the stage, but he’s not there.
And then I see him, standing alone in front of the stage in the grass. One man alone, but creating a symphony of sound just from his cello and his bow.
He’s just like he was that first time I saw him on stage, eyes closed, hair over his face, lost in his own performance.
And just like that first time, he lifts his head and locks his eyes on mine.
I feel an explosion in my chest and I press my hand against my heart to stop it from breaking through my skin.
With the last few notes, I know. This song is mine, this man is mine and always will be.
The final note rings out and the crowd erupts into a chaotic applause.
I’m rooted to the spot and can’t move. He smiles and reaches into his pocket and holds an object in his hand for a moment before throwing it up onto the stage at me. I reach out and grab it, gripping it tight, afraid to drop it.
I’m frozen and just keep staring at him. He doesn’t move or say anything, his eyes dark and searching mine.
“What is it?” I hear a voice ring out, and it’s Sarah, of course. I think everyone laughs, but I’m not sure.
I open my trembling hand. It’s the rosin box. And all the memories come crashing back. I open the box and take out the little jar of rosin, wrapped in a little note.
I unwrap the note. And almost drop it.
“Marry me, maybe?” The clear black letters say.
Oh my god.
I look down to where he is standing, but he’s not there. Panicked, I search the crowd but he’s not there.
And then I feel a hand on the back of my neck. I spin around just as he drops to a knee. His hand reaches for the jar and he opens it, and like in a dream, pulls out a white gold diamond ring. He takes my hand and I can’t help but notice how small mine looks cradled inside of his.
“Cadence.” He says, I’m instantly dizzy from the sound of his voice saying my name. God, how I‘ve missed it. “Marry me? I can’t do this without you.”
I look up into his eyes, and I wonder how I managed to get through the last three weeks without him.
“Do what?” I ask, already knowing my answer.
“Life.”
Instantly, he looks hazy to me, and I realize I‘m looking at him through tear-filled eyes. Happy tears because I know I’m about to be his forever.
“Yes.” I say.
And now everyone knows it too.
He grins and slides the ring onto my finger and pulls me into his arms and kisses me. God, I’ve missed his kiss, the feel of my body fitting completely with his, the sweet salty taste of his lips. The way he moans when our tongues touch.
Suddenly, we hear the orchestra and the band break into the “Wedding March” and we pull apart and laugh. The crowd continues to cheer and we reward them with another kiss.
Finally, when the need for breath takes over, I pull away and whisper, “I love you, Sebastian.”
“I love you, too, Cadence.”
“How did you do all this?” I look around us, amazed that he could pull it all off. From the stage to the crowd to teaching the orchestra the song.
“Don’t you know by now? I’m a romantic.” He winks at me, and my knees do the wobble thing.
“You’re a pain in my ass, more like! Why’d you wait so long?” I pout.
“I don’t know, baby, I didn’t know what I know now.”
“What’s that?”
“There’s no living without you...”
I smile, before he continues “Without you telling me what to do!”
“Hey!”
“Just kidding. I’m so sorry it took so long, I’ll make it up to you.” He tickles my ear with a kiss.
“I’ve heard that before.” I poke my tongue out at him, and then yelp when he pinches my ass.
There’s a squeal from the speaker and we turn to see Greg back at the microphone. He gives me a big thumbs up and I feel a surge of gratitude towards him for allowing all this.
He grabs the microphone from the stand and starts to address the crowd.
“Well, what a day! And would you believe, I have one last piece of news! I would also like to announce a brand new music scholarship program we will have at the school, starting right now. Each year, one of the most gifted music students will have their music lessons and equipment paid for, they will have one-on-one mentoring with the some of the world’s best musicians and will be invited to perform as their guest performer at one of their concerts – and this year, the inaugural recipient of our Rock Chamber Boys scholarship is JENNY YU!!!”
There’s a squeal from the orchestra and we see Jenny jump up from her seat, screaming and covering her ecstatic face. She runs over to me, almost knocking Sebastian out the way and we jump up and down hugging each other tight. Finally, we calm down and I tell her, “I didn’t do this. I think it’s the band you need to thank.”
She turns and just stares appreciatively at the band. “Thank you, thank you SO MUCH.” She gushes.
Marius starts to turn red and brushes her thanks aside, grabbing his viola and yelling out, “Who’s ready to PARTY!!”
The crowd screams and the boys break out into The Black Eyed Peas’ “Let’s Get It Started” with the orchestra playing along.
I feel Sebastian pull me back against him, his face in my hair. I sigh. Wholly and completely happy.
“Did you do all this for me?” I wave my hand out over the stage and crowd.
“Yes. For you, for me, for music. For everything that matters to us.”
“You’re a big ol’ softy, aren’t you?” I turn, wrapping my arms around his neck.
“Yes, well...parts of me.” He wiggle his eyebrows at me and I burst into a fit of giggles. “Other parts are big’ ol’ hard-y for you.” He finishes, and suddenly, I want him so much I can’t breathe.
“Oh, care to prove it?” I grin at him.
He pulls away me and leads me down the stage stairs. “You name the time and place, baby.”
“First one back to the hotel gets first orgasm!” I challenge him, pulling away from him and heading for my car.
He stops and grips my hand, pulling me back into his arms, “Er, small change, I’ve moved out of the hotel.”
“Wait, what?” I stop in my tracks, suddenly scared. “Where are you going?”
He smiles and presses a soft kiss to my forehead “I’m going home. With you.”