Page 82 of Sweet Surrender
I hadn’t planned what I was going to say.
Why?
Because my speech wasn’t for everyone else. It wasn’t even for thecharity. It was for one person. Theonlyperson I wanted it to mean something to.
The woman who was sitting front and center of the stage.
Making my way to the microphone, I glanced around the room, brieflywondering if Liam really was out there somewhere or if Savannah had imagined it.
Before I’d come onto the stage, I’d fired off a text to Brian, instructinghim to find out where the fuck Liam Olsen was. I hoped he would have answers for me by the time my speech was finished.
Finding my sweet Savannah sitting next to Fox, her eyes fixed on meas she waited for me to begin. I tuned everyone out, focusing only on her.
“Good evening,” I paused to swallow down the nerves creeping upmy throat, but with Savannah waiting patiently to hear what I was going to say, she was all the encouragement I needed. “Firstly, I would like to not only thank all of you for your attendance tonight at such short notice, but to those of you who donated to such a worthy cause.”
I scanned the room again, searching out the faces of those who haddonated some incredible prizes to the auction. While I knew better than anyone that donating to a charity was in part to improve your reputation, I couldn’t take away how generous people had been.
“We have some amazing prizes on offer tonight as part of the silentauction. An all-inclusive week’s stay in a beautiful lodge in Aspen.” I nodded to Fox to thank him for his contribution. “Four nights in a penthouse overlooking Central Park in New York.” I found the owner of theNewYork New York Hotel and Casinoin the crowd and gave him a nod, one he returned. “A suite at the Allegiant Stadium to see the Las Vegas Raiders play.” I knew the person who donated this prize wasn’t able to make the event, so instead, I found Savannah. “These are just some of the prizes up for grabs tonight, and I would like to personally thank everyone for their generosity.”
I started clapping, and Savannah immediately joined in with abeaming smile on her face. The rest of the audience followed, and within seconds the event room was ringing with the sound of applause.
When the clapping died down, I returned my gaze back to Savannah.“I’ll be the first to admit that until recently, my knowledge of dementia was limited. Not just around the profound impact on the individual battling this illness, butalso on the devoted caregivers who stand by their side.”The room was silent, everyone listening intently to what I had to say, none more so than Savannah. “But someone close to me knows firsthand the heartbreaking reality of taking care of a loved one with dementia. It is because of her unwavering strength, courage, and compassion that I stand before you today, committed to making a meaningful difference.”
Although the lighting around the audience had dimmed, it was brightenough for me to see a tear roll down Savannah’s cheek, even though her lips were pulled into a small smile.
Savannah hadn’t spoken of her mom’s illness or her death, but Iknew from what she’d said the other day about her childhood that she had been close to her mom. I could only imagine how hard it was for her to watch the one person she loved more than anything wither away in front of her, powerless to stop it.
Holding Savannah’s teary eyes, I continued. “I didn’t get the privilegeto meet my mother-in-law. If I had, I would have thanked her for raising her beautiful daughter to be the incredible person she is today. When mywife was eighteen, and after her mother was diagnosed with dementia, Savannah made the selfless decision to put her life on hold so she could take care of her mom.”
Savannah’s mouth dropped open at the revelation that I knew aboutthis part of her life, even though she’d never spoken about it. Maybe now, she’d realize there really wasn’t a single thing I didn’t know about her.
“I didn’t know Savannah then, but I know the woman she is now. I’vewitnessed firsthand the depth of my wife’s love and devotion to those she cares about, and I know that Savannah would have sacrificed every minute of her time to take care of her mom without any help, not because she wouldn’t have accepted it, but because the help wasn’t available.”
By now, tears were streaming down Savannah’s face, and Fox hadreached out to hold her hand. If it had been anyone else touching my wife, I would have stormed off the stage and broken every bone in their hand, but I trusted Fox more than anyone else on this planet. He was just comforting her until I was in a position to take over.
I grabbed the mic and moved it from the stand, feeling the need tomove closer to Savannah. I took several steps until I was at the edge of the stage, mere feet away from the woman who had changed my world.
“Every day, up and down the country, there are remarkable people,like my wife, who selflessly sacrifice their own dreams and aspirations to look after their loved ones in the face of adversity. Tonight, we have the power to make a start in changing that.
“With your generous contributions, we can take enormous stepstoward providing vital support to families affected by dementia, as well as fund essential research aimed at finding a cure for this devastating illness. Your support tonight will not only provide much-needed assistance to those in need, but it will bring hope for a brighter future for all those affected.
“But the fight doesn’t end tonight, and that’s why I’m standing hereright now to make this promise.” I held Savannah’s eyes, wanting her to know how serious I was about doing my bit to change the future of those who were in the position she was once in. “I pledge to become an ambassador for this noble cause, ensuring that our efforts continue to inspire change long into the future.”
Tearing my gaze away from a stunned Savannah, I looked around theroom, meeting the eyes of as many people as possible. “Together, let us start this journey of compassion, hope, and determination to make a difference in the fight against dementia. Thank you.”
As I put the microphone back in its holder, Savannah jumped to herfeet, clapping animatedly. Around her, everyone joined in, and once again the room erupted with applause and cheers, only this time it was louder than ever before.
I bowed my head to the crowd, thanking them beforedisappearing off the stage, intent on getting my hands back on my woman.
Chapter 26
Savannah
Iwas out of my seat before Nash even disappeared off the stage.The words from his speech had lodged themselves deep in my heart, and if I thought there was still the slightest chance I could defy him, it was blown out of the water the minute he played his hand and declared his intentions to support the charity that meant so much to me.
I’d never be able to thank him enough. He was right, there werepeople up and down the country, in fact, all over the world, fighting each day to look after their loved ones who were battling dementia without any help.
The auction tonight would be a small step in making changes, butwith Nash’s pledge to take the fight into the future, there was only one place I wanted to be during that fight.
