“Drew Murphy is stuck in traffic, and he asked me to direct the choir until he gets here.” Her hands shook as she gave him the CD. “Here’s the music.”
“Got it.” Brian took the CD and turned to the equipment.
Kacey spotted Mayor Fairmount and dashed over to him. “Excuse me, Mayor.”
“Yes?” Mayor Fairmount spun to face her.
“I’m Kacey Williams. Drew Murphy is stuck in traffic, and he asked me to direct the choir.” She took a deep, trembling breath, hoping to calm her frayed nerves. “I-I’m ready whenever you want to make the introduction.”
“Oh good. Let’s get this show on the road.” The mayor walked over to the microphone near the tree.
Kacey joined the children and put her shaking finger to her lips, indicating that they should be quiet. When she turned toward the crowd, her stomach plummeted, and her throat began to close up.
Calm down, Kacey! You got this!
Then Drew’s voice echoed through her mind:Kacey, you can do this. I have faith in you.
Drew believed in her, and she was determined to make him proud.
She found her mother, Dani, and Travis standing beside Travis’s parents in the crowd with Kelly perched on Travis’s shoulder, waving.
“Welcome, everyone, to the annual Splendid Lake Christmas Tree Lighting Festival,” the mayor began. “It’s my favorite festival of the year. Now join me in welcoming our community children’s choir as they sing us into the Christmas season. Kacey Williams is standing in for our choir director, Drew Murphy, who is on his way. Let’s give our choir a round of applause.”
While the crowd clapped and cheered, Kacey took a deep breath in through her nose and worked to stop her hands from quaking as she opened the music folder. She looked over at the children and pointed to her eyes, indicating that they needed to look at her.
When the opening to “Jingle Bells” sounded through the speakers, Kacey smiled. She could do this! She just needed to pretend that the entire town wasn’t watching her. And just like that, she found confidence deep inside herself.
She directed the children to sing, and their voices rang out over the speakers on either side of the tree. She smiled as they sang in unison, their little voices blending almost perfectly!
“Jingle Bells” ended, and they went straight into “Joy to the World.” Kacey smiled as they continued to serenade the crowd. When the song ended, the mayor flipped the switch, and the tree lit up in all its colorful glory. The crowd oohed and aahed as the children began to sing “Silent Night.”
When a tall figure filled her peripheral vision, she breathed a sigh of relief. Drew appeared beside her with a sheepish expression on his face.
“Thank you,” he whispered.
She nodded at him and then moved off to the side. She hugged her arms to her waist and smiled as the children finished the performance with “Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and then “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”
When the choir finished, the crowd clapped and whistled for them. Drew gestured at the kids, and they all took a bow as the crowd clapped and yelled louder.
Drew motioned for Kacey to come back up front, and she joined him. He turned toward her. “You did a wonderful job, Kace.”
“I don’t know about that, but thank you. When you’re done here, bring the choir in for cocoa and cookies at the bakery. It’s on the house,” she said.
“Thanks. I will.”
Kacey hustled back to the bakery, where her mother and Dani were already serving more customers cookies and cocoa.
“You did fantastic, Kacey,” Mom said as she handed a customer a receipt.
Dani nodded. “It was great.”
“Thanks. I actually overcame my stage fright. I’m going to get some cocoa and cookies ready for the choir. I’ll pay for it, Dani,” she told her sister.
Dani waved her off. “Don’t worry about it.”
Kacey had pushed a few tables together and set out cups of hot cocoa and a few plates of cookies by the time Drew led the choir members and their parents into the bakery. “Come and help yourselves, kids. You all did a fantastic job.”
The children thanked her as they each sat at the table and dug in.
