A week or two later, Amy's voice had improved vastly, and Tess had gotten her an audition for a play. Andrew was called to take her in one sunny Saturday morning.
"Why won't you tell me where this thing is?" Amy asked, grinning at her new teacher. Tess smiled.
"You'll see, baby. But it'll be wonderful for you. Being in a play for the public is a truly rewarding experience…"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Amy said, elbowing her good-naturedly. "You've said that many times." Outside, Andrew honked the horn. "Oh—better go."
"Good luck, baby." Tess said, hugging her.
But the day quickly turned sour and Andrew pulled into the parking lot of the Theater. He turned in his seat and saw Amy staring at the building with a blank look in her eyes.
"You ready?" He asked.
"No." Amy looked at him, panicked. "Andrew, I can't go in there."
"Why not?" Andrew asked, though he had an idea already.
"I just—" Amy stared ahead at the fountain, the beautiful landscaping that everyone admired. But her thoughts were on the torture she'd endured while working there. Now, however, she wasn't going to be affiliated with the people in the restaurant. Now she was a part of a performance; at least she hoped to be. Maybe it would be all right… "No. It'll be ok. Let's go."
A day or two later, a letter from the Theater came in the mail. Tess forced herself not to open it, to just put it on Amy's desk until she was home from school. But as soon as she was through the door, Tess lost it.
"You got a reply, baby!" She said, grinning. "It's on your desk."
"What?" Amy was no longer on crutches, but she did have to wrap her knee with an Ace bandage every day and wear ankle braces. Nonetheless, she tried to run down the hall but only succeeded in a slight jog. Grabbing her letter opener, she ripped open the envelope.
"Dear Miss White, blah blah blah, we—oh my God." She choked, putting a hand to her mouth.
"What? What?" Tess could barely contain herself, bouncing Christopher up and down on her hip.
"You know how you put me down for Louisa because I didn't have any experience in this before?" She asked, referring to one of the characters in the Sound of Music. "Well, they said that they didn't find me right for that part."
"Oh, baby."
"But, they want me to be Liesel! I'm gonna have a solo!"
Tess squealed, reaching out to hug her. "That's wonderful!"
"The rehearsal schedule is pretty much every day, but seeing as I can't play basketball anymore, that shouldn't be a problem. Uh—have my parents called?"
Tess frowned. "No…"
"Ah, I'm sure they're busy. I'll see them when they get back."
"They still haven't called." Andrew said, a slight wave of anger riding under his voice.
"Now, baby, take it easy. They are good parents. But right now they've got a crisis to handle, you know that."
"Their daughter could be in trouble." Andrew said. "I told them that—I was a police officer, and they didn't take it seriously!"
"Now you listen to me, angel boy, and you listen good." Tess said, poking a finger into his chest. "Amy is going to be fine. You just keep working on that, and Monica and I will help wherever we can. She doesn't need her parents now, she needs you. You are the strong male role model that she always needed. It used to be her grandfather. Now he's gone, so the responsibility slides on over to you."
"Why not her father?"
"He's a professor. A real book type. She never really looked to him for support of any kind, much less her problems. Certainly not basketball. Trust me on this one; she needs you."
About a week before the production opened, Amy asked Tess, Monica, and Andrew into the living room after their daily workout session. They sat on the couch and watched as she selected a CD and put it in the player.
"Um, Andrew, you remember what we practiced?" Tess and Monica turned and stared at him. He laughed, getting up.
"I didn't think I'd have to make a fool out of myself in front of these two…"
A few days before, Amy had passed Andrew's temporary office near the locker room in the field house and heard something that made her turn around and go back. Standing at the door and listening, she heard a voice singing an old hymn softly but accurately. Amy opened the door and raised an eyebrow at her coach, grinning at him and joining in. Andrew had been shocked at the sudden audience, but in the end, they'd formed a beautiful duet…
"Hey, I'm not doing this alone." Amy said, breaking his reverie. He walked over to her, taking the sheet music she held out and whispering in her ear.
"You don't do anything alone."
Amy stared at him as the music began. What did that mean? But then Andrew began to sing the part of Rolf, nudging her to pay attention, and the room was filled with the sound of music.
"Why won't you tell me where this thing is?" Amy asked, grinning at her new teacher. Tess smiled.
"You'll see, baby. But it'll be wonderful for you. Being in a play for the public is a truly rewarding experience…"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Amy said, elbowing her good-naturedly. "You've said that many times." Outside, Andrew honked the horn. "Oh—better go."
"Good luck, baby." Tess said, hugging her.
But the day quickly turned sour and Andrew pulled into the parking lot of the Theater. He turned in his seat and saw Amy staring at the building with a blank look in her eyes.
"You ready?" He asked.
"No." Amy looked at him, panicked. "Andrew, I can't go in there."
"Why not?" Andrew asked, though he had an idea already.
"I just—" Amy stared ahead at the fountain, the beautiful landscaping that everyone admired. But her thoughts were on the torture she'd endured while working there. Now, however, she wasn't going to be affiliated with the people in the restaurant. Now she was a part of a performance; at least she hoped to be. Maybe it would be all right… "No. It'll be ok. Let's go."
A day or two later, a letter from the Theater came in the mail. Tess forced herself not to open it, to just put it on Amy's desk until she was home from school. But as soon as she was through the door, Tess lost it.
"You got a reply, baby!" She said, grinning. "It's on your desk."
"What?" Amy was no longer on crutches, but she did have to wrap her knee with an Ace bandage every day and wear ankle braces. Nonetheless, she tried to run down the hall but only succeeded in a slight jog. Grabbing her letter opener, she ripped open the envelope.
"Dear Miss White, blah blah blah, we—oh my God." She choked, putting a hand to her mouth.
"What? What?" Tess could barely contain herself, bouncing Christopher up and down on her hip.
"You know how you put me down for Louisa because I didn't have any experience in this before?" She asked, referring to one of the characters in the Sound of Music. "Well, they said that they didn't find me right for that part."
"Oh, baby."
"But, they want me to be Liesel! I'm gonna have a solo!"
Tess squealed, reaching out to hug her. "That's wonderful!"
"The rehearsal schedule is pretty much every day, but seeing as I can't play basketball anymore, that shouldn't be a problem. Uh—have my parents called?"
Tess frowned. "No…"
"Ah, I'm sure they're busy. I'll see them when they get back."
"They still haven't called." Andrew said, a slight wave of anger riding under his voice.
"Now, baby, take it easy. They are good parents. But right now they've got a crisis to handle, you know that."
"Their daughter could be in trouble." Andrew said. "I told them that—I was a police officer, and they didn't take it seriously!"
"Now you listen to me, angel boy, and you listen good." Tess said, poking a finger into his chest. "Amy is going to be fine. You just keep working on that, and Monica and I will help wherever we can. She doesn't need her parents now, she needs you. You are the strong male role model that she always needed. It used to be her grandfather. Now he's gone, so the responsibility slides on over to you."
"Why not her father?"
"He's a professor. A real book type. She never really looked to him for support of any kind, much less her problems. Certainly not basketball. Trust me on this one; she needs you."
About a week before the production opened, Amy asked Tess, Monica, and Andrew into the living room after their daily workout session. They sat on the couch and watched as she selected a CD and put it in the player.
"Um, Andrew, you remember what we practiced?" Tess and Monica turned and stared at him. He laughed, getting up.
"I didn't think I'd have to make a fool out of myself in front of these two…"
A few days before, Amy had passed Andrew's temporary office near the locker room in the field house and heard something that made her turn around and go back. Standing at the door and listening, she heard a voice singing an old hymn softly but accurately. Amy opened the door and raised an eyebrow at her coach, grinning at him and joining in. Andrew had been shocked at the sudden audience, but in the end, they'd formed a beautiful duet…
"Hey, I'm not doing this alone." Amy said, breaking his reverie. He walked over to her, taking the sheet music she held out and whispering in her ear.
"You don't do anything alone."
Amy stared at him as the music began. What did that mean? But then Andrew began to sing the part of Rolf, nudging her to pay attention, and the room was filled with the sound of music.