Page 118 of Your Second Chance
They waved to me as they moved into the crowd, Mrs. Astor leading Scarlette toward the stage with ease. I watched them go, my heart swelling with pride at how quickly Scarlette seemed to warm up.
I made my way to the back of the auditorium, where Luna had saved us seats. The lights dimmed, signaling the start of the program.
“Tonight, we’ll be going in grade order, starting with our youngest performers.” The woman’s cheerful voice cut through the hum of the crowd. “First up, we have our wonderful preschoolers and kindergartners. The preschoolers will be on the left side of the stage”—she gestured with a flourish—“and our kindergartners will be on the right. They’ve been working so hard, and I know you’re all going to love what they’ve prepared.”
And then, like a shot in the quiet auditorium:
“Scarlette!”
Luna’s voice boomed so loudly and enthusiastically that even the preschoolers froze mid-step, their tiny heads turning toward the sound. The audience collectively swiveled to look at us.
I whipped around to face Luna, my face burning with embarrassment. “Are you serious right now?” I hissed, elbowing her in the ribs.
“What?” she said, completely unfazed. “She looks adorable!”
“She can hear you, Luna.Everyonecan hear you,” I snapped, my voice barely above a whisper as I sank as low as I could in my seat.
I tried to look anywhere, but at the stage or the sea of judgmental stares. Instead, I stared hard at my hands, pretending I wasn’t associated with the human megaphone sitting next to me.
“Relax.” Luna leaned back with a grin. “I’m sure the kids needed a confidence boost.”
The principal, clearly a pro, barely missed a beat as she continued her speech, but I was sure I saw her lips twitch with suppressed laughter.
Meanwhile, Scarlette, unbothered by her aunt’s theatrics, had already taken her spot and was beaming proudly, completely in her element.
Luna leaned closer, snapping a photo of me on her phone. “This one’s a keeper. I’ll tag you.”
I shot her a glare. “Tag me, and I’m disowning you.”
She grinned wider. “Okay, fine, but I’m sending it to Oll.”
“I hate you so much,” I grumbled as she nudged me.
The program began seamlessly, the preschoolers and kindergartners stepping into their spots with an excited energy that filled the room. Scarlette stood next to Mrs. Astor, helping her and moving her hands to the songs.
I wanted to record everything for Ollie. He would love watching this. He should be here; he’d have loved every second of it. Every moment felt like one I didn’t want to forget.
When the program was over, Mrs. Astor moved Scarlette so she was standing over with another classmate.
She stepped forward, her warm voice filling the room. “Before we bring out the first graders, we’re going to take a big group photo with our preschoolers and kindergartners,” shesaid. “If any families want to get a good shot, I’ll step out of the way.”
“Nova.” Luna nudged me, but I ignored her, standing up with the other parents and pulling out my phone to get a better view.
“Nova,” Luna repeated more insistently.
“That little girl sitting next to Scarlette—doesn’t she look so much like her?” I asked, pointing toward the stage.
The two girls shared similar features, especially their hair, with identical curl patterns framing their small faces. But what truly caught my attention were their eyes—strikingly similar shades of blue. Blue eyes weren’t exactly rare, but there was something uncanny about?—
“Nova,” Luna said sharply, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“What?” I snapped, finally looking down at her.
Luna grabbed my hand and tugged me back into my seat. With most of the parents standing, gaps in the rows made it easier to see the people a few rows ahead. That’s when I spotted her.
A petite blonde with curly hair stood a few rows in front of us. Even from this angle, there was no mistaking who it was.
“Am I seeing things, or is that Auburn Hart?” Luna whispered, her voice dropping to a stunned hush.
