Protecting Rayne

by Emily Bishop

  “My drum teacher last summer,” he says.

  Finally.

  “You seem very good,” I tell him. “I can tell you’ve been practicing for a long time and that you really like the drums. How long have you been playing?”

  “Since I was six.”

  “I see. I learned to play the guitar when I was your age.”

  David falls silent again.

  “If there’s anything you need—”

  “Sorry but I’d like to concentrate on practicing,” he cuts me off.

  Right. That’s my cue to leave. At least I lasted more than ten minutes.

  I stand up, the leaflet in my hand. “I’ll give this to your dad. Keep up the good work. You’re doing great.”

  I leave the room, sighing but trying not to feel down. Hopefully, after the recital, David will have more time and then he’ll warm up to me again.

  I go back to the bedroom, finding Randall there, sitting on the bed and looking at some papers while he watches TV.

  “How was it?” he asks.

  “Better,” I say as I sit on my side of the bed. “But I think we still have a long way to go.”

  He looks at me. “At least you’ve started again.”

  “Yup. My visiting rights have been restored.”

  Randall chuckles.

  “By the way, this is the leaflet for his school recital on Thursday.” I hand the piece of paper to him. “You’ll go, right?”

  “Of course.” He looks at it. “And so will you.”

  I sit against the pillows. “I’m not so sure I should go.”

  “Why not? Did David tell you he doesn’t want you to go?”

  “Not directly.”

  “I’ll take that as a no. You’re imagining things again.”

  “I just feel like he doesn’t want to be seen with me, especially in school. What will his friends think? That his nanny is now his mommy?”

  Randall touches my hand. “Who cares what they think?”

  “David may. He’s the one who has to see them every day at school. What if they tease him?”

  “They don’t know you were his nanny before. I don’t even think David tells his friends that he has a nanny.”

  “But he still doesn’t want me there. Maybe if I go, he’ll think I’m really trying to be his mother and–”

  “Sabrina.” Randall squeezes my hand. “You’re my wife. That makes you David’s stepmother. You’re his mother now so you have every right and reason to be there and to cheer him on, whether he likes it or not.”

  I sigh. I’m not yet used to this mother thing. I’m not even used to this wife thing. I’ve only been married for two days.

  Already, I’m finding it difficult to be a mother to him here at home. How much more in public where everyone can see? And in a school which is filled with experts on motherhood, what will the other moms think?

  ***

  “You’re so young,” the mother who’s sitting beside me in the school amphitheatre says. “How old were you when you had David?”

  “Oh, I didn’t,” I tell her. “I’m his stepmother.”

  “I see. No wonder I’ve never seen you before.”

  “Michelle isn’t going to be happy when she hears Mr. Brewster is married again,” the woman on her other side, who’s wearing a striped blouse and a blue skirt, says. “She was hoping to get Mr. Brewster this year.”

  My eyes grow wide. So, it’s not just the nannies who throw themselves at Randall, huh?

  “Shh.” The woman beside me holds a finger to her lips. “Don’t be rude.” She turns to me. “I’m Fiona, by the way. I’m Kimberly’s mother. She’s in the same class as David. And this is Tracy. She’s Alex’s mother. Alex is a year older, and he’s the brightest in his class.”

  “Oh, don’t say that,” Tracy scolds.

  “It’s true,” Fiona says. “Alex is smarter than Emily. Everyone knows she only won that last quiz show because the history teacher has a thing for her mother.”

  Tracy gives a look of disgust then offers me her hand. “Pleasure to meet you.”

  I smile as I shake her hand. “I’m Sabrina.”

  “By the way, nice dress, Sabrina,” Fiona remarks.

  Is it? For the afternoon, I decided to wear a faded denim dress with buttons in front – maybe Randall’s right and I do like buttons – and some embroidered flowers. It comes with a brown belt, too, and I’ve worn it with a pair of black, suede ankle-high platform boots.

  “Nice shoes,” Tracy adds.

  “Thanks. You, too.” I glance at her white sandals. “And nice pedicure.”

  “I’ve got a great nail artist if you’re interested.”

  “And I have a great hairdresser,” Fiona says.

  I nod. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  “Oh, look.” Tracy puts her hand on Fiona’s lap. “There’s that Paula. I thought she wasn’t going to show up. I bet that’s her new boyfriend. She…”

  I no longer listen, turning to Randall.

  “Seems like you have new friends,” he says.

  “Not really,” I whisper.

  I’m not sure I want to be friends with mothers who gossip too much and are too concerned about their children’s performance at school or their looks. Are all the mothers like this?

  “Coming to these things alone must have been tough, huh?” I ask him.

  Randall looks at me and holds my hand. “You have no idea. That’s why I sometimes bring Tess, just to scare them off or keep them at bay.”

  I chuckle, imagining Tess glaring at the mothers.

  Just then, the show starts. Some of the parents start filming and click away but Randall and I just sit and watch, enjoying the kids’ performances, some of them dancing, some of them singing, some reciting poetry and others playing musical instruments.

  Finally, Josh goes on stage, playing his drums as an older girl sings.

  “That’s Josh,” I whisper.

  “Who?” Randall asks.

  I don’t answer, simply watching. I have to say he’s good but not as good as David sounded during practice.

  I see David watching Josh’s performance from the side, and he doesn’t look happy. In fact, he looked like he was about to cry just before he disappeared.

  I squeeze Randall’s thigh. “I think I’ll go talk to David.”

  “Okay.”

  I go to backstage, where I find David sulking, his leather jacket on a chair.

  “David, what’s wrong?” I ask as I kneel in front of him.

  “I don’t want to play anymore.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because Josh is better.”

  “He is not.”

  “It’s unfair. His older sister is singing with him while I only have the tape. People will think he’s better.”

  Well, David has a point. Performing with someone live is better.

  Performing live, huh?

  Suddenly, my eyes rest on someone’s guitar and I have an idea.

  “David?”

  “What?”

  “What if I perform with you?”

  His eyes grow wide. “You’ll do that?”

  I approach the nearest teacher. “Is it all right if I sing with my son?”

  She glances at David then at me with a puzzled expression, as if she can’t believe David is my son but she nods.

  “Yes. The kids can perform with a family member.”

  I go to the boy with the guitar. “I know your guitar is very important to you but do you think I can borrow it for just a little bit?”

  The boy nods.

  “Thanks.”

  I take his guitar, strumming it as I go back to David.

  “Do you even know how to sing?” he asks, the look on his face doubtful.

  I smile as I pinch his cheek lightly. “I guess we’ll find out.”

  Family

  Randall

  “She told me she could sing but wow, she really blew us all away, didn’t she?” I shake my head in disbe
lief at David as I squeeze Sabrina’s hand, all three of us sitting at the corner table of one of Houston’s finest restaurants.

  I still can’t believe that Sabrina performed with David. I was surprised when I saw her suddenly on the stage with a guitar. I thought she only talked to David and that she was taking so long because she went to the restroom. I was starting to worry about her, in fact.

  The moment she started strumming that guitar, I could feel the magic in the air. As soon as she opened her mouth to sing, I felt like the whole world just stopped. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I was just staring, gaping, completely mesmerized. She hit every note perfectly but that wasn’t what amazed me. Rather, it was the passion with which she sang and how comfortable she was standing up there, like she was born on stage.

  I was so amazed by her performance that, at the end of it, I just got up on my feet and whistled and cheered. I wasn’t the only one, though. Everyone was aware that they had heard something extraordinary. Everyone was in awe of Sabrina’s talent.

  I still am in awe. I knew there was something special about her but this? It makes me want her even more, makes me even happier that she’s mine. How on earth did this amazing woman walk into my life?

  Now, I understand why she wanted to pursue music. She should. With her talent, it would be a crime not to. She deserves a recording contract. She deserves to be heard. She deserves to be a star.

  In my eyes, she’s already a star.

  “She was so cool,” David says, pride and admiration in his eyes and in his voice as well. “Everyone was talking about her.”

  “Oh, shush.” Sabrina says, lifting her hands and waving us off. Then she turns to David, pinching his cheek. “And I was only good because I had the best drummer in the world.”

  David smiles.

  “That you were,” I tell him, squeezing his hand. “I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “Did you get to talk to Josh?” Sabrina asks. “What did he say?”

  “He said you were cool and that I was cool.”

  “Cool.” Sabrina gives him a high five. “I guess that makes you friends again.”

  “Yeah. He was asking if he could come over to the house so he could play drums with me and hear you sing some more.”

  “And what did you tell him?” Sabrina asks.

  David’s eyebrows crease. “That I’ll think about it.”

  “Okay.”

  “How did you learn to sing like that?” David asks curiously. “Did anyone teach you?”

  I must admit I’m curious to know, too.

  “No. I just started doing it. I just kept singing, usually alone. I guess I got better as the years passed.”

  Maybe but something tells me she was already immensely talented to begin with.

  “Can we do that again?” David asks eagerly. “Please?”

  Just like that, Sabrina has won him over. To think that she didn’t have to do all those challenges. All she had to do was sing.

  “Hey, before you ask Sabrina anything, aren’t you supposed to tell her something?” I remind David.

  The smile on his face disappears as he bows his head.

  Sabrina opens her mouth, about to console him, but I lift a hand to stop her.

  There are just some words that need to be said.

  “I’m sorry about the mean things I said,” David says softly.

  Sabrina shakes her head. “It’s all right. I understand how you felt.”

  “And thank you for coming to my recital and for singing.” David looks at Sabrina. “It was so much fun. Can we do it again?”

  “Of course.” Sabrina hugs him. “And you’re welcome.”

  David’s face lights up again.

  I feel a warmth in my chest. Finally, David has someone he looks up to and trusts. Finally, he has a friend, who also happens to be his stepmother.

  David’s happy. Sabrina’s happy. I’m happy. This really calls for a celebration.

  Just then, our food arrives – steak for me, prawns for Sabrina and some roasted chicken with lots of gravy for David.

  “That looks delicious,” Sabrina says as she looks at David’s plate.

  “You can have some if you want.” David pushes his plate toward her.

  “How sweet.”

  What a big change, indeed. Now, this is how everything should be.

  Suddenly, I have an idea.

  “Before we eat, I’d like to propose a toast to Sabrina.” I lift my glass of wine.

  Sabrina and David lift their glasses, too – Sabrina’s with champagne and David’s with a fruit shake.

  “To the woman who’s just full of surprises,” I say.

  “To the best singer in the world,” David adds.

  “To the two most charming men,” Sabrina says, glancing at David before looking at me.

  “To our family,” I say.

  Sabrina pauses, disbelief in her eyes. Then they glisten as she smiles.

  “Cheers.”

  “Cheers!” David lets his glass clink with Sabrina’s then mine.

  “Cheers,” I say before taking a sip.

  Sabrina does the same, our gazes meeting over our glasses. I can just see the warmth, joy and gratitude in hers.

  I set down my glass. “Well, since we’re a family, why don’t we do something as a family? What do you think, David?”

  “Great.” David’s face lights up again. “What do we do?”

  “What do families do?” I touch my chin.

  “We can go somewhere,” Sabrina suggests as she eats a piece of prawn. “Somewhere fun like an amusement park.”

  “I know.” I pick up my utensils. “We can go to the Downtown Aquarium.

  ***

  The Downtown Aquarium is one of the top attractions in Houston. It’s like an arcade, a restaurant, an aquarium and an amusement park in one. We decide to see the exhibits first – the Sunken Temple, the Shipwreck, the Louisiana Swamp and the Rainforest, which David particularly likes.

  “I want a pet frog,” he says as he looks at the colorful rainforest frogs. “Can we bring one home?”

  “No,” I tell him immediately. “These frogs are on exhibit, David, and they’re endangered. They’re not for sale. Besides, remember that time you found a frog in the garden?”

  “The one I put in Annie’s hair?”

  I frown. “Yes, that one.”

  If David hadn’t brought it up, I wouldn’t have remembered that nanny’s name but I remember that she was so freaked out, she fainted.

  “You put a frog in someone’s hair?” Sabrina looks at him in horror.

  David nods.

  “Made her faint, too,” I tell her. “After that, I asked the gardener to make sure there weren’t any frogs in the garden so that the incident would not be repeated.” I look at my son. “And you think I’ll get you a frog?”

  “I promise I won’t do that to Sabrina,” David promises.

  I believe him. Even so…

  “These frogs are actually poisonous, David,” Sabrina says. “You can’t have one as a pet, especially not if you have a dog. If Zombie ate it, he could die. You don’t want that to happen, do you?”

  David shakes his head and sighs. “Okay. No frogs.”

  I heave a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for Sabrina. She really does know what to say.

  “Can I have a small gator, then, just like the one in that swamp exhibit?” David asks.

  “No,” I tell him, pinching his cheek. “No wild animals for pets.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because wild animals belong in the wild,” Sabrina explains.

  David frowns.

  “But hey.” Sabrina lifts his chin. “I read in the brochure that you can win stuffed toys at the arcade here and they look just like exotic, wild animals. How about you try to bring some of those home, huh?”

  David smiles. “I’m sure I can do it.”

  ***

  David can’t, though; the games too hard.
He wasn’t able to get a prize at the shooting game, the ring toss game or the whack-a-mole game. Now, here we are at the balloon dart game, and he’s still struggling. Sabrina has tried to play and win for him but even she can’t do it.

  “Maybe it’s just not our lucky day, kiddo.” She pats him on the shoulder. “Sorry. Maybe we can just buy one at the gift shop?”

  David frowns. “But I wanted us to win one.”

  Sabrina looks at me and I sigh. “All right, I’ll try. I’ve played darts before.”

  “Really?” David looks hopeful.

  “Now, don’t get your hopes up,” I tell him. “These games are meant to be hard. That way, people will keep spending money.”

  “But they can be beaten, too, right?” David says. “Otherwise, why put prizes on display?”

  “To get people to play.” I pay the man at the stand. “Some people don’t like to take a chance if they don’t know what the reward is.”

  David just blinks.

  “But hey, David.” Sabrina places a hand on his shoulder. “Even if your Daddy doesn’t win, it’s okay. At least, he did his best. Sometimes, that’s what matters.”

  David nods. “Okay.”

  “If you win, though, I promise I’ll wear whatever you want me to wear tonight,” Sabrina whispers in my ear.

  Whatever I want her to wear?

  I suddenly imagine her in one of those pieces of Victoria’s Secret lingerie or a bikini covered in chocolate and my heart flips, heat stirring in my crotch.

  Fuck.

  I have to win this.

  At first, I miss, distracted by the images I just had, which have done more harm than good. But during the second round, I win.

  “I won!” I tell David as I give him a hug, unable to believe it.

  “Yay!” David cheers.

  “I knew you could do it.” Sabrina grins.

  “You know what this means, right? You have a promise to keep,” I remind her.

  She blushes.

  “What are the two of you talking about?” David asks as he clutches his stuffed alligator.

  “Nothing,” Sabrina and I say at the same time.

  David narrows his eyes in suspicion.

  “Hey, why don’t you and I play a video game tomorrow?” Sabrina places an arm around him. “That’s the kind of game you’re good at, right?”