Work had called her in for an extra shift, and I knew she hated missing things, but knowing didn’t make the empty seat hurt any less. I swallowed hard and told myself to be brave. Kids had performed alone before, and the show would go on whether I felt ready or not.
When the lights dimmed and we filed onto the stage, my hands trembled. The spotlight felt hot and sharp, and the auditorium seemed impossibly large. As our group began singing, I waited for my cue, trying to ignore the growing knot in my stomach.
Then, from the very back of the auditorium, a voice called out—steady, warm, unmistakably familiar.
“You got this!”
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