Isobel squeezed her hands once more. ‘Go shine.’ She left to take her seat in the front row of the audience.
A minute later, the curtain rose.
From the first moment Bridie stepped into the light, the world fell away.
Her voice – strong, clear, aching with truth – filled the space. Every line landed. Every note soared. The audience leaned forward, spellbound, as if afraid to miss a breath.
In the stalls, her blended family sat scattered but united.
Claire dabbed at her eyes, pride shining openly. Isobel sat perfectly still, hands clasped, tears tracking silently down her cheeks. Rufus and Reggie – both in costume, standing on the stage, both fathers in their own way – exchanged a glance thick with emotion.
Oliver stood in the wings.
He watched Bridie – not just the girl he had always loved, but the woman she had become. Commanding. Alive. Home.
Their eyes met for a fleeting second, long enough for Oliver to mouth,I love you.
Bridie turned back to the stage lights.
The final note rang out.
Silence.
Then—
The theatre erupted.
Applause crashed over the stage like a wave. Cheers. Whistles. Feet stamping. People on their feet, clapping until their hands must have hurt.
A standing ovation.
Bridie stood there, chest heaving, stunned, as the cast gathered around her. She bowed once, then again, then laughed as tears spilled down her face.
The Little Theatre by the Sea was alive.
And as Bridie looked out over the faces that had helped rebuild it, she knew something with absolute certainty.
This wasn’t the end.
It was the beginning.
Chapter 60
When the curtain finally fell, Bridie walked off the stage to greet the audience as they left their seats. She thanked them for their support and for buying tickets to see her show. They congratulated her and the cast. Lili passed her a bouquet of flowers. All the time, Bridie was keeping an eye out for her grandad.
She’d reserved a seat for him, hoping he’d make it down for opening night. He was the one who’d always, always supported her, and she so wanted him to be there.
She’d kept looking for him while she was on stage, scanning the audience, but the bright stage lights made it impossible to see much beyond the orchestra in the pit.
She was still looking, as people congratulated her, to see if he was there. Then she was stopped in her tracks by Jade.
‘Bridie, I just needed to tell you what a super-fantastic show this was. It totally exceeded my expectations. I know I said you’d never get a show off the ground, but I was angry with Jack, with you, because … well because I thought he loved you. I was afraid he’d leave me for you, so I said really mean things to you on the phone. And I’m sorry for that. Truly. I secretly wanted you to succeed. I really did. Milo and Ilovelive theatre. I go to lots ofshows in London, and I take Milo when he is on school holidays, don’t I, love?’
Milo smiled shyly. ‘Yes, Mum. I love the theatre. Now that Dad loves the theatre too, do you think we can tell him you signed the permission slip and I joined the drama club?’
‘Yes, sweetheart. There you see, I told you that every cloud has a silver lining.’
Bridie smiled. She said, ‘Milo, it is lovely to meet you.’ Although she’d met him already, outside the theatre after the fire, that wasn’t the time to say hello to the scared little boy who thought something had happened to his dad.
