Mrs. Hargrove had stopped rehearsal halfway through “Amazing Grace” because the tenors were lagging behind the piano. Everyone groaned dramatically except for one boy sitting three rows behind me.
Charles laughed.
Not rudely.
Warmly.
Like the world genuinely amused him.
After rehearsal, while most children rushed outside toward their parents, I stayed behind gathering sheet music into careful piles across my lap.
Then a voice behind me said:
“You sing louder than everyone else.”
I turned.
Charles stood there holding two hymn books against his chest.
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