Chapter 52: Chapter 52

The hustle through the crowd back to Reid’s truck and the short drive to her house was a blur, though Melody was aware that all the way home he was holding her hand, his thumb tracing calming circles near her thumb, and before she knew it, she was standing in front of her closet peering inside, wondering what to do.

She knew she had an appropriate dress hanging in the back of her closet. She’d shoved it back there exactly two years ago when she’d been so disgusted by it she’d never wanted to see it again. Her father had picked it out for her. It was white with silver rhinestones, and though it was a little fancier than anything she’d worn for the festival before, it went perfectly with the song he’d written for her to sing that night. There were other garments she could have worn, but standing in front of the closet, she realized, if she was going to face her fears, she may as well face them completely.

Not having the hour it usually took her to get ready for anything, she pulled the dress out and slipped it on, barely managing the zipper on her own. She ran into the bathroom and fixed her makeup and pulled her hair up into a chignon, though it was a bit messier than she’d have liked. She grabbed some earrings out of her jewelry box and then ran back to her closet to find the matching shoes her father had also picked out for her. She remembered how he’d laughed that he’d put some glitter on his loafers so they’d match as she slipped on the silvery white heels.

Fifteen minutes later, she carefully made her way back downstairs. Reid was still standing where she’d left him, right in front of the door, and when he saw her, his expression shifted from worried to mesmerized. “Do I look like I just threw this on?” Melody asked as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Oh, my,” was about all he could manage at first.

“Reid, I’m not sure I can do this.”

“Melody, you look absolutely stunning.”

“Thank you,” she said, blushing. She knew he was at least one statement behind her, so she looked at him, wide eyed, waiting for him to catch up.

“You can, Mel. I know you can. But even if you fall off the stage or some nervous kid pukes on your shoes, the most important thing is that you are going to try.”

Melody couldn’t help but laugh, which she was sure was the point of his examples. “Do you think that one of those things might happen?”

“Nah,” he said, “so hitting a few sour notes won’t matter at all so long as you don’t have any vomit on those sparkly shoes.”

“The shoes are one thing, but if anything happens to this dress, the guy who talked me into this is paying for it!”

He began to laugh. “You’re so funny, Mel. Gosh, I love you.”

Melody froze, her eyes doubling in size. It only took him a moment to realize what he’d said, and even though there was color creeping up his neck, a much more serious Reid placed his hands on her hips, and pulling her close to him said, “I mean… what I meant to say was, you’re amazing, Mel. I’ve never met anyone so kind-hearted and generous, so intelligent and selfless. And for all of those reasons and a hundred more I don’t have time to list, I love you, Melody.”

More than ever before in her entire life, Melody felt like singing. She felt like dancing, like twirling around and shouting from the rooftops. Sliding her hands up his arms until they were resting on his chest, she said, “I love you, too.”

“You do?” he asked, quietly, just a few inches away from her now.

“Mmm hmm.” The scent of him was overwhelming, and her eyes fluttered from that ocean of blue to those soft lips.

“You sure about that?”

“Absolutely,” she whispered, completely caught in his gravity.

Reid leaned in, his mouth just a fraction of an inch from hers, and Melody closed her eyes, her breaths coming in short gasps, the fragrance of pine and leather making her heart staccato. When she thought she could wait no more, he closed the distance, and she felt the soft brush of his lips on hers. She ran her hand up to the back of his head and leaned in, hoping he sensed just how long she’d been waiting for this moment.

Once he released her, Melody took a step back, and looking into his twinkling eyes, she said, “Now that’s a Christmas memory I’ll never forget.”

Reid laughed. “Me neither. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She would never grow tired of hearing him say those words.

“Now come on, lady. I need to get you to the church on time.”

“Well, I am wearing white,” she reminded him with a giggle as he helped her slide into her coat.

“Maybe we’ll save that for next Christmas,” Reid said as they walked out into a gently falling snow.

Even though she was in a hurry, Melody stopped and looked up at the sky. The stars lit the expanse of the heavens, and the snow glistened in their light as it floated down to Earth. All around her, she heard the soft tinkling sound of the snowflakes as they fell, and in her heart, Melody could hear the music. She could hear the song in the falling snow.

***

Finding a parking spot was not easy, and Reid insisted on dropping Melody off at the church and then going to park the truck. She didn’t want him to be late, but she knew she had to be on time, and the program would be starting in just a few moments, so he wished her good luck and she ducked inside, trying to concentrate on his proclamation at her house instead of the butterflies in her stomach.

When Melody reached the sanctuary, she saw her mother seated with the rest of the adult choir members in the first few rows next to Mr. Haywood. Melody waved, and by the expression on her mother’s face, she could tell Mrs. Gregory had spoken to her. Sarah mouthed, “You look gorgeous!” and Melody silently thanked her before rushing back stage.

“Oh, Melody! Thank heavens!” Mrs. Gregory said as she rounded the corner. “My goodness! Look at that dress. You look like an angel.”

“Thank you,” Melody said, slipping out of her coat and tossing it on a nearby chair. “My dad bought it for me.”

“It’s lovely,” Mrs. Gregory said, squeezing her arm. “We are just about to go out on stage.”

“Miss Melody!” Michael shouted running over to her. This time he did not hurl himself at her. Instead, he stopped about a foot away and gazed up at her, saying, “You look so pretty!”

“Thank you, sweet boy,” Melody said.

“Are you going to play the piano for us?”

“I am,” she assured him.

“Yay!” Michael shouted, no longer able to keep himself from squeezing her midsection. “I love you, Miss Melody.”

“I love you, too, Michael,” she said, hugging him back.

“All right, children. It’s time,” Mrs. Gregory said. “Now, go out on stage and take your places.”

Melody could hear the church pastor saying a few words to the audience, likely introducing the children’s choir, and she took a deep breath, trying to focus on what Reid had said—all she had to do is try.

“I placed all of the sheet music on the piano already,” Mrs. Gregory explained. “I’m sure you know the right order by now, but they should all be in the correct sequence.”

Unable to speak, Melody only nodded.

“Thank you again for doing this,” she continued. “Your father would be so proud of you.”

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Melody said, “Thank you,” which is all she could manage, and after Mrs. Gregory was several steps in front of her, she finally managed to get her feet to move.

“One step at a time,” she thought to herself. She saw the piano there, saw the music, saw the bench waiting for her, and as Mrs. Gregory said a few opening words, she slipped onto the bench and looked at the music for the first song.

She knew all of these carols by heart, had played them each a hundred times, and could likely play much more complicated renditions than these with no sheet music at all, but tonight, she would focus on one song, one chord, one note at a time. At Mrs. Gregory’s signal, Melody readied her hands, saying a silent prayer for guidance, and began to play.

Melody expected her fingers to be stiff and out of practice. She assumed it would be difficult to begin again, but as the notes began to flow from her fingertips, she realized the memory of the music was still inside of her. She had forgotten the pure joy of filling the air with song, the magic that sparked to life when her fingers chose just the right keys and placed them together in harmony. The music came to life through her hands, and soon her heart and soul took over, moving through each measure with precision and passion.

Once the first song was over, Melody paused and took a deep breath, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Not only had she conquered her fear, she’d proven to herself that she was capable of doing the impossible—of accepting her new reality and embracing the challenge of remembering her father while building everlasting memories with the remaining loved ones in her life.

The thought made her look out into the crowd, and even though it was dark and the stage lights were harsh, she could still see Reid’s smiling face. He had come into her life when she needed him most. The fact that Michael had managed to bring them together was nothing short of a miracle and further proof to her that God answered prayers and healed wounded hearts in ways she could have never imagined.

Melody continued to play each of the songs in order, and when it was Michael’s turn to say his line, she gave him her full attention. “Do not be afraid. For you have found great favor with God. Luke 1:30.” His sweet voice rang loud and clear, and it spoke to Melody’s heart in a way that familiar verse had never spoken to her before. Who was she to be afraid when the Creator of all things commanded her not to be?

By the time she began to play “Silent Night” to end the children’s portion of the show, Melody felt as if she might float right off the stage. For the first time in two years, her soul felt free from the chains of guilt she’d woven around herself. She knew in her heart her father was in heaven smiling down upon her. At that moment, she felt as if she could do anything.

When the song was over, Melody flipped the last piece of sheet music over and realized that was not the last song on the stand. She gasped when she saw that Mrs. Gregory had also set a copy of the last song her father had ever written there before her. It was the song he was going to play for Melody to sing that night, the night he died. Melody wasn’t even certain how Mrs. Gregory had gotten a copy, and suddenly she felt the fear she’d banished begin to creep back into the recesses of her mind.