All the girls nodded. There was such an openness in their expressions, that Willow felt humbled by their request. “Okay.”
Someone brought a chair from behind the curtains and placed it in the middle of the stage. Everyone clustered around Willow, biting their bottom lips and chewing their nails.
“This will be fun,” Willow said, trying to encourage the girls as much as possible. After nodding at the band, the first notes of the song rose into the air.
Fresh tears stung Willow’s eyes as the girls’ voices filled the stage with a pure, sweet rendition of, “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.”
For a group who hadn’t been singing together for very long, their harmonies were incredible.
The connection between the lyrics and the goals of the tiny home village weren’t lost on the audience. Most of the people Willow could see were dabbing their eyes, caught in the emotion of a song about unconditional love. About being there for each other, no matter what happened in someone’s life.
The tiny homes and the services The Welcome Center provided gave people hope. In their darkest days, when no one else gave them a chance to live a normal, safe, and healthy life, the community was opening their arms and welcoming them to Sapphire Bay.
As she joined in the chorus, Willow thought about Zac and the sacrifices he’d made to help the refugees. Her heart swelled with pride and a little sadness. Working in Afghanistan had changed his life, left him with challenges he couldn’t have imagined. She would do everything she could to be the person who carried him when he needed a strong pair of arms.
Goose bumps rose along Willow’s arms as Nora sang the last verse on her own. Her voice was pure and natural, everything the song needed to lodge itself inside the most hardened of hearts.
As the last notes drifted across the park, they dissolved like cotton candy in the cool mountain air.
For a few seconds, the audience sat silently in their seats, spellbound by the performance. When the applause began, it rang across the lake, echoing along the streets and into the town they called home.
Willow wiped her eyes and smiled at the girls. Their pink cheeks and wide smiles reminded her of when she’d started performing. She’d felt the same sense of wonder, the same excitement when an audience clapped and cheered. The same adrenaline rush that kept her returning for more.
Nora’s small hand settled in Willow’s.
“Let’s bow,” Willow said above the applause.
The girls stood in a single line. With their hands linked, they bent at the waist, smiling at the audience.
After a final wave, the girls rushed to the side of the stage.
Ryan was waiting for them. “Well done. That was fantastic!”
Nora and her friends couldn’t contain their excitement. They hugged each other and jumped up and down like overactive bunny rabbits.
Willow grinned at Ryan. “We don’t need to ask how they’re feeling.”
“I’m glad they enjoyed themselves. I’ll see you after the next song.” And while the girls talked nonstop to each other, Ryan returned to the stage.
“Who’s ready to go back to their seats?” Willow asked.
Six hands shot in the air.
“Let’s go. If we’re quick, you’ll be sitting down before Ryan starts singing.”
Emma met them at the bottom of the stairs. Her wide smile told everyone just how much she’d enjoyed their performance. “That was awesome. Congratulations.” And while the band played the opening chords of the next song, she ushered them toward their seats.
Willow waited until everyone was seated before returning to the stage.
The next forty-five minutes would be filled with beautiful duets and foot stomping country hits. But nothing would stop her from worrying about Zac.
Even though she trusted Pastor John’s judgment, she wouldn’t be able to relax until she saw Zac for herself.
For the first time ever, the end of a concert couldn’t come soon enough.
In the earlyhours of Saturday morning, Zac walked into Pastor John’s living room. His feet dragged over the wooden floor, reminding him just how long it took for the effects of the drugs and the panic attack to go away.
A bundle of blankets on the sofa moved.
