Vanessa:Who’s Charlotte? Are you dating someone?
I don’t answer. Instead, I text back:
Tonight’s important for Sophie. Can you make it? Curtain’s at 7:00.
Vanessa:Should be there.
I stare at that for a second, then type:Hope you can. It means a lot to her.
The school auditorium smells faintly of popcorn and floor wax, that mix of nerves and nostalgia every parent recognizes. The lobby’s crowded but hushed: parents chatting in low voices, ushers handing out programs at the door.
I spot Erin and David near the entrance. Erin’s holding two programs and David’s got a bouquet.
“Hey,” I say, shaking David’s hand.
He grins. “Ready for the big debut?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I say. “Sophie’s been practicing that duet for months.”
Erin smiles. “Maya too. They’ve been counting down to this all school year.”
Across the way, I catch a glimpse of Sophie near the side hall leading backstage, already in costume, her hair pulled back in neat curls. She’s talking with Maya and Mr. Kenner, but her eyes keep flicking toward the lobby like she’s still hoping to spot her mom.
When she glances my way, I lift a hand and give her an exaggerated thumbs-up. She laughs, and gives me one back. She straightens a little after that, chin up, shoulders squared, and I hope she remembers she’s supported no matter what.
Erin waves behind me. “Charlotte!”
I turn, and there she is, coming through the lobby doors in a soft blue sweater and dark jeans, hair loose around her shoulders. Nothing fancy, but she doesn’t need it.
“Hey,” she says quietly as she walks up, a small smile tugging at her mouth.
“Hey yourself,” I say, unable to stop my own. One look from her, and the noise around us fades like it always does.
She joins Erin and David, the three of them chatting easily. Erin’s already teasing her about how “half the school thinks the Foxes’ PT staff is famous now,” and Charlotte laughs, head tipped back, genuine and unguarded.
That sound hits something in me I don’t want to name. Not here.
We move toward open seats in the third row. Charlotte slides in first, Erin beside her, then David. I take the seat next to him on the aisle. From here, I can see Charlotte leaning toward Erin, laughing at something she says.
As the lights begin to dim and the curtain starts to rise, I hear the familiar sound of heels near the doors.
Vanessa slips in, polished as ever. Hair perfect, smile already camera-ready, phone in hand.
For a second, I’m too surprised to move.
Then I lift a hand in a small wave. She spots me, smiles back, and slides into a seat a few rows behind us.
Relief hits harder than I expect.
She actually came.
And for Sophie’s sake, that’s what matters.
The first act moves in a blur of color and stage lights. The kids are good, better than I expected, honestly.
Sophie’s confidence builds with every scene. In the ensemble numbers, she and Maya stay in sync, and the crowd claps and laughs at the right spots. I’m counting down until Sophie and Maya’s duet in the second act.
From a few seats over, I can see Charlotte watching so proudly. Every time Sophie hits a cue, she smiles. It’s subtle, but it does something to me—to see her care like that.
