A soft, lingering kiss.
Andthatis the moment my entire soul snaps in half.
My jaw drops. My eyes widen.
"What the—" I stand up so fast Cody grabs my hoodie.
"Sit down, you psychopath," Cody hisses, yanking me back into my chair.
Liam on my other side clamps a hand over my shoulder. "She's acting! ACTING! Don't go down there and beat his ass!"
I'm still glaring at the stage, wanting to punch Adam's stupid face.
Caroline keeps crying over the Nutcracker.
The audience is enthralled.
And me?
Yeah.
I'm plotting his fictional wooden death.
The lights soften to a shimmering pink as a faint chime rings through the theater—delicate, like the start of a dream.
Then, out of nowhere, a flurry of Fairies floods the stage, skirts glittering, wings catching every beam of light. They dance in tight, swirling formations around Clara and the wounded Nutcracker, their movement so fluid it almost disguises the fact that they're creating a literal shimmering wall between the audience and the two actors.
It's clever. They spin, flutter, dip, rise.
The orchestra swells, and as the Fairies break formation, the whole theater releases a collective gasp.
Where Clara and the Nutcracker once knelt...
...now stand the Sugarplum Princess and the Prince of Sweets.
My girl looks ethereal. Her dress sparkles like someone dipped stardust in cotton candy and decided to make fabric out of it. Her curls tumble down her back, the tiara sitting on her head like it belongs there. Adam, now very much un-wooden, stands tall beside her in red and gold princely attire.
Clara's eyes widen as she looks down at herself, touching the glittering bodice in disbelief.
Everyone onstage bursts into celebration — dancers twirling in bright flashes of color, the whole kingdom gathering around the Sugarplum Princess and the Prince. Performers sweep in from every corner, bowing, cheering, reaching toward her like she's the miracle they've been waiting for.
They're thanking her, honoring her, lifting her up — because she's the one who ended the Mouse King's reign and broke the curse that strangled their world for years.
Her courage — her heart — that's what saved them.
That's exactly what the whole scene shows.
Suddenly, the stage goes dark.
A hush rolls across the audience like we all got the same silent command.
When the lights snap back on — a single spotlight hits Caroline. Alone. Center stage. Arms lifted, one foot pointed behind her, frozen in a breathtaking opening pose.
The orchestra rises and she comes alive.
And honest to God, it's unreal. My brain short-circuits. Every thought I had—gone. It's like someone reached inside my skull and flipped the breaker.
She's weightless. Effortless. She moves with this impossible ease, like gravity's something other people deal with. Like the music is comingfrom herinstead of following her.
