Then, from the very back of the auditorium, a voice called out—steady, warm, unmistakably familiar.
“You got this!”
The sound echoed across the room, breaking through my fear like sunlight breaking through heavy clouds. I blinked, startled, and looked toward the back row.
He stood slightly out of breath, still wearing his work jacket, bits of snow clinging to his shoulders and hair. His cheeks were red from the cold, but his smile was full and bright, like he had been waiting all day for this exact moment. He clapped with both hands, louder than anyone else in the room, as if his applause alone could hold me steady.
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