We drive to the gym, Chloe singing the song she’s dancing to. I’ve heard it a thousand times in the last few months. The parking lot is already filling up, so I take a spot in the very back to leave better spots at the front for parents and grandparents. “Ready, Freddie?”
“I’m not Freddie. I’m Chloe!” My daughter giggles from the back seat.
Smiling, I grab the two fresh bouquets from the passenger seat and exit the truck. With my daughter’s hand in mine, we head for the door that’ll take us backstage. The entire room is full of laughing kids with happy giggles and excited eyes, and moms (and a few dads) trying to keep them under control.
“Let’s get you changed,” I say, glancing around for Haven but not seeing her yet. I’m sure she’s fretting about some tiny detail or overseeing the VIP section in the very front of the gym.
We head over to the dressing area with curtained rooms for changing. This isn’t something the previous owner had ever done, but after talking to Haven, she felt it necessary. Not every little dancer brings a mom backstage. Some have dads with them, and he can’t exactly go into the little ladies’ bathroom to help. So another mom is usually enlisted to assist a little girl get in a tricky costume since they’re usually unable to do so themselves. I bought a PVC pipe and Haven made cheap curtains out of discounted tablecloths and old material. The end result is private dressing rooms where dads can help their daughters get ready for today’s big day. We can tear them down and store them at the studio to reuse next year.
I help Chloe into her pink tights and black leotard. The tutu is her favorite part though. It’s black with tons of sparkles that shimmer when the lights hit it. “Is Mommy going to make it?” she asks as I lace up her ballet slippers.
“Your mommy wouldn’t miss this if she didn’t absolutely have to, sweetheart.” I stop tying and find her gaze. “You are the most important person in your mom’s life. You know that, right?” Chloe nods. “But your mom is also a superhero at her work. If someone comes into the hospital who’s really sick, Mommy may not be able to get away as quickly as she would like.”
“Because she has to help the man who’s sick.”
“That’s right. She plans to be here, okay, but if she can’t, it’s because someone needed her really bad.”
My daughter seems to think about that for a few seconds. “I hope Mommy can help them if they’re sick, because Mommy is the bestest nurse I know.”
I smile down at her. “She is, you’re right. And if she can’t be here, you know Dave will be here, and he promised to video tape it for your mommy.”
Chloe nods. “He said he’d cheer real loud for Mommy too.”
My throat tightens.
Co-parenting isn’t easy, and we don’t pretend to have it all figured out, but it’s times like these I thank my lucky stars that we’re all on the same page. Dave is a good guy, and even though their schedules aren’t easy to maintain, they make it work, still putting our daughter first.
“You bet he will be. I bet he cheers until his voice is hoarse,” I add, tickling her side when she’s all set. “You ready?”
She nods. “Can I see Miss Haven? She has to put my hair up.”
“Let’s go out and see if we can find her. I’m sure she’s getting anxious.”
Chloe places her hand in mine and leads me out of the dressing room. I glance back, making sure we have all of our clothes in her bag, and worm our way through dozens of kids. I finally spot the woman I love over by the big velvet curtain, talking to the sound engineer. The moment she sees us headed her way, she smiles. It’s one of relief and apprehension.
The first thing I do when I reach her is pull her into my arms and hug her tightly. I can practically feel the tension ebb from her body. “You have no idea how much I needed that,” she whispers.
“I only left you for like a half hour. What happened?”
She just gives me a small smile. “The electronics for the curtain quit working. The school’s maintenance man had to come work on it just as people started to arrive. The tablecloth for the desserts table arrived in blue instead of black, and the cake was late because the baker had a flat tire.”
I hold her by the upper arms and just take her in. She’s absolutely breathtaking in her own costume. It complements the ones the smaller kids are wearing. “Deep breath, Have. You got this.” Then I place my lips against hers and savor the feel of her against my skin.