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But the cost to h

“Go, please,” I said

He turned aalking through the crowd that went absolutely silent when he stepped on the stage They’d been waiting for this Waiting for him

They could have him

I had as

I turned and left before he got to the stage

24

Ethan

The croas big Standing roo in the back Dad was sitting up front, though S nervous and proud All the kids

Chelsea, too, tear-streaked and miserable

I turned on the microphone and stepped away from the speaker so there wouldn’t be any reverb I saw the cameras come up, of course I should have expected that

“I’le Christlad you could all join us here tonight My father and mother started the Inn and Christmas Tree Farm as a community and I am proud to be a part of that co special for you A Holiday Pageant that the kids have worked so hard on, organized and nurtured by Lexie Platzski” I wanted to claim her I wanted to sayherher into my life My mother would have been so disappointed in me I was still sick fro with me?

“Soht have met her at the front desk or the Ja to this co I didn’t realize that we as a fa She is authentic and real She is her own person in all the best ways I love her very much” My voice cracked and the room was silent “Get to know her and you will, too The way my family does The way these kids do Oh, and I’ after her, you’re co after me Now, let me introduce Santa’s reindeer”

There was so from people who knew about the video, but most people just applauded I stepped to the side, turned off theantlers, and to my surprise, Chelsea too, swept back the curtain and as promised, the shoent on

The crowd gasped and oohed and aahed The tere off rhyth in for one of the kids asn’t perforraphy

God, Lexie should be so proud of these kids

Ithe wall to the door where I’d left her, shaking a few hands as I went

“Your wife is a,” Avery’s mom and dad said as I went by them

“She really is,” I said and finally n of Lexie

There was thunderous applause all around e Chelsea, still in her reindeer antlers, but noith her veil thrown over the her quiet, pretty version of “Silent Night” Made more emotional by the crack in her voice and the way her breath shuddered because she’d been crying