Serendipitous: Harry's Story

Lost Anyway

"I know she's not even six yet but... I remember the day she was born and..." Hope looked up at Harry, her eyes slightly watering despite what she'd promised herself. She would not cry when Belle graduated kindergarten. She had so many more graduations to go, but Hope still could feel her emotions rising because Belle wasn't really a baby anymore. "This is supposed to be Ian and Lacey's job, not mine to nearly cry because she'll be a grade schooler next year!"

Glancing over at Hope with Landon in her arms, Harry slipped a hand loosely on her hips, gently resting his hand there. He was pleasantly surprised when instead of freezing up, Hope leant against him, resting her cheek on his chest with a small sigh. Smiling ear to ear, Harry went back to watching Belle in her circle of classmates as their teacher went through instructions.

An hour later the ceremony finally started. Harry sat between Ian and Hope, both camera happy though Hope's camera phone was a sad comparison to Ian's Nikon.

There were five separate classes, each were doing their own specially prepared performance. Hope, Harry, and Lacey all shared a look though as the first class began. They were all playing Beethoven's Symphony 9 on glockenspiels.

"In kindergarten I made macaroni necklaces." Hope whispered to Harry as she began to question once more what kind of school exactly did her sister and brother in law send her niece to. Harry laughed as he nodded in agreement.

"The in-laws suggested it!" Lacey defended herself, barely above a whisper. "And suggest is a light way of putting it."

"This is nothing, we did a reenactment of the last supper, Da Vinci style." Ian said to his horrified wife.

"You let me listen to your parents because?!"

It only got better from there. One class did a reenactment of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar Act III, Scene III, Caesar's assassination. Thankfully condensed and without weapons. Not to mention the kids were I western garb, giving it a cowboy theme in order to match the Hacienda theme. By the time Belle's class came along, Harry and Hope talked about the incompetence of their own childhoods, sharing stories on the lack of Beethoven and Shakespeare; there was plenty of music of course, oh and cartoons, but definitely no Shakespeare, laughing all the while.

Despite the mispronunciations, lisps here and there. Trouble on the certain consonants, Belle's class was utterly adorable during Somewhere Over the Rainbow and well, Belle was literally belle of the ball as she was also the class' Dorothy, basket and stuffed dog to boot. Harry wasn't sure if Ian had even put the camera down the whole performance.

"Cameron Edwards," the teacher spoke up. Harry's brows rose as the snotty red head boy from that Valentine's day dance nudged Belle before climbing over her, taking the dark blue ribbon that Hope had fastened on Belle's Dorothy braid with him. He continued nonchalantly to the teacher to get his stuff and a handshake, ignoring Belle's furrowed brows and her little fist shaking in front of her with anger. But the audience just laughed at the adorably scene, unlike Harry who narrowed his eyes and watched the brat.