Everything for Mr. Demers

Prologue

The young violinist played with intriguing velocity as she climbed the scales with her teacher at the piano. Stage light fell to a modest blue and the rest of the string instruments followed. The audience were completely entranced and roared with applause when the piece slowed a pillowy end. The little girl in white on stage took a quick bow and swatted the thick curls out of her face desperately in search for her mother in the dark theater. It was hard to see but Milani was on the front row, a single and independent woman who would drop anything just to see her daughter perform.

"Aimee!" She yelled and waved over the crowd.

"She doesn't see you." Her nanny Nadine mused also trying to get the girl's attention.

"That's alight. We can meet her backstage-great job on her hair by the way."

The theater's reddish hallway was beginning to fill up with people. They dressed in formal attire, velvet and jewelry. Some broke into waiting groups discussing which little prodigy would take the stage next. Like any proud parent, Milani beamed hearing her daughter's name amongst the crowd. She looked down at her daughter who was trying her best to hide between her and Nadine.

"Don't you want to say hello to the people who came to see you?"

Aimee shyly shook her head. She was very quiet for an 8 year old.

Nadine smiled at her cuteness. "Are you hungry? I think there's an IHOP nearby."

The girl's eyes lit up and she grabbed the women's hands dragging them through the crowd and out the double glass doors. It was a brisk morning in November. The sky was thick with clouds and steam rose from the gutters along the road. The gothic church across the street rang its bell and for some reason the city gardeners were out tending to the rose bushes. Other than that, the cobblestone sidewalks were vacant. Aimee's giggles echoed through the air.

"So what exactly do you have going on at work today?"Nadine asked. She was both a nanny and Milani's best friend. It came to be that way since the two were the same age and agreed on just about everything. She was great with Aimee as well.

"Another worthless meeting. I'd hate to have to leave her so early in the morning." She watched Aimee run a stick against the side of the orchestra building.

"10 o'clock isn't early."

"I suppose not." The women shared a quick laugh when Aimee came running into Milani's arms. "What's wrong, honey?"

Buried in her mother's coat, the little girl pointed at a tall woman and her smaller replica walking towards them.

Milani squinted. "Unbelievable."

"What?" Nadine suddenly became curious as the mystery twosome stopped right in front of them.

"Hello Milani. Long time no see."

"Claudia."

Nadine was clearly interested in the relation between the two women. Their height was slightly varied and they wore the same fur coat. The chocolate color contrasted well with Claudia's pale skin unlike Milani who just blended in.

Claudia noticed the wardrobe similarity as well. "Nice coat."

Milani said nothing.

"I heard little Aimee here is the best violinist in the city."

"Yes well-"

"Gretchen plays the flute." She patted her daughter's strawberry blond head. "Some say it's one of the most difficult instruments to play." She fixed her bun looking passed Milani down the street as if the conversation was odd news.

Part of Milani wanted to tear that perfect bun right off her head. "Perhaps, though I've always believed that the difficulty of the musician's section was more impressive than the actual mechanics of the instrument. Maybe that's why no one has ever heard of sweet little Gretchen. " She forced a smile at Claudia's frowning daughter.

The blond woman pressed her red lips together secretly upset that she couldn't rebuttal. She kept her poise. "My husband couldn't come to the recital today. He's a busy man as I'm sure you know." Seeing the hurt in her rival's eyes she finally acknowledged Nadine. "Is this your sister?"

Milani glanced at her friend. Nadine was shorter, more youthful and wore her hair in two puffy ponytails. "No. This is Nadine, Aimee's nanny."

Nadine pleasantly offered her hand and Claudia barely shook it. "Ah, Aimee's second mother. Charmed. Well, it's getting to be around that time. I'll be seeing you Milani." She grabbed Gretchen's hand, who was making snooty faces at Aimee, and pushed between the two women.

Nadine whistled. "I didn't know women that snobby still existed."

"She's always been that way." Milani felt as if she had been punched in the chest.

They followed Aimee, who had forgotten about Gretchen, across the street to the church playground. Knocking slush off the frozen swing set, the woman sat next to each other while Aimee collected crumpled maple leaves. The knees of her white leggings her turning brown but she didn't care.

Her sitter figured she should take a bath as soon as they got home. "So that Claudia person. Who is she exactly?"

"The reason why I'm single. The reason why I continue to be single."

Nadine raised an eyebrow and rested her cheek against the hand gripping the swing. "She stole my fiancé…Aimee's father."

"What?" She completely turned to Milani. "Spill."

"It's a long story."

"Aimee's tutor comes at 1 o'clock."

Milani sighed contemplating with the cold grass and nodded to herself. "Alright. But this isn't something to be repeated. Not to your friends, family and especially not the police."

Nadine blinked at the mention of the authorities but nevertheless leaned closer for drama was never out of style in this town.