The lights came on and revealed the guests on the stage.
Ginny Tompkins, Dylan Dubois, and Marc Torres.
I sat across from them with the microphone in my hand, ready to start the interview. I couldn’t see Dex’s face on the floor, but I was certain he was stunned. When I told his patients about my idea, they were all on board, happy to help. I’d expected Dylan to say no, but he didn’t, and now we had a ridiculously famous guy just sitting there…like it was no big deal.
I wasn’t confident like Dex was, so being on the stage, all of these rich and affluent people looking at me, wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I pushed through it—for Dex. “I have the honor of working with Dex every single day as his executive assistant. I basically run his life, make sure he eats, because if I don’t, he’ll literally starve.” The audience laughed at my joke, and that made me feel a little better. “I’m not a doctor, but I get to witness the work Dex does every single day, so I wanted to share what it’s like to be part of this remarkable endeavor that Dex has built.” I turned to the patients across from me. “Let me introduce you to a couple people Dex has helped. When I contacted them for this event, every single one of them jumped at the chance to talk about their experience with Dex. First, we have Marc Torres, who was one of his first patients when he returned to surgery. We have Dylan Dubois, whom you probably all recognize…”
Dylan spoke into the microphone. “Dex is the man.” He lifted his hand and gave a peace sign.
The crowd laughed.
“And we have Ginny Tompkins,” I said. “Who’s got to be the sweetest little thing ever.”
Ginny kicked her feet before she brought the microphone to her lips. “Hi…” Her cute little quiet voice filled the room, making everyone chuckle in fondness. “Dex fixed my heart. I was really scared, but he promised I would be okay…and now I can ride my bike and play with my friends on the playground. I have this line down my chest, but…I’m happy.”
Oh my god, she was so freaking adorable. And so brave too.
“Thank you, sweetheart,” I said. “That’s nice of you to say.” I turned to the audience. “Ginny had a hole in her heart, but her parents couldn’t afford the surgery, so she had to live with this disability, unable to breathe, for five entire years. It sounds like I’m describing a totally different country, but this is happening in our backyard. Her family came all the way from California to see Dex, and Dex successfully repaired the hole in her heart, fixed a damaged valve, and gave Ginny the life every little girl deserves.”
Ginny looked into the darkness of the audience, like she was searching for something. “Is Dex here?”
Dex rose from the audience, and the lights swung to highlight his face. “Right here, sweetheart.” But instead of looking at her, he was looking at me, staring at me with that same hard expression, that deep and potently emotional gaze. “Can I join you?”
“Sure!” Ginny scooted over in her large chair so they could sit side by side.
Dex walked up onto the stage then took a seat beside her, the two of them shoulder-to-shoulder.
Ginny hooked her arm through his then looked up to give him a smile.
He gave her an affectionate nudge in the side, like they were two peas in a pod, like she was a daughter to him.
I paused to take it in, to appreciate this man even more, before I turned to Dylan to continue.
By the time everyone filtered out of the ballroom, it was probably close to midnight. Everyone wanted to talk to Dex, and since there were about five hundred people in attendance, it took a very long time.
I would help the staff clean up when it was over and start gathering the decorations that the vendors were nice enough to loan to me for free as long as I returned them in the condition in which they came.
I went over to the Hamiltons to say goodbye. Dex was on the other side of the room, talking to a couple with his hands in the pockets of his slacks, still animated even though he was probably exhausted. “Thank you for everything, Deacon. Everyone enjoyed that speech as much as I did.”
“Happy to do it.” He gave me a gentle pat on the back.
“I can tell it meant a lot to Dex.”
“Well, it means a lot to me that it means a lot to him. They say you can never be a prophet in your own land, but I feel like I’m one in mine.”
Cleo came over. “Can we help you—”
“No.” I held up my hand. “I’ve got this. You’re not on the clock, Cleo. Remember.”