Page 14 of Every Star that Shines

A woman with short auburn hair and a determined set to her chin stood up in one of the side section rows near the front.

“Question?” Delanie said.

“Yes, hi. I’m Amber Leclerc. I was just wondering if you’ll be reviewing any of the casting choices. My Celeste is in Grade Eleven and deserves a main cast role like the Blue Fairy, not Judy the Puppet.”

Delanie glanced at the rows of senior high students, and noticed a pretty girl covering a face as red as her long tresses of hair with two hands while her companions giggled. Her heart pinched for the girl. She glanced back at Celeste’s mother.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Leclerc, but I trust the judgement of Violet, Anne, and Molly, and stand in support of their decisions.” She turned to take in the whole room. “And I want to remind everyone that every role is important, even the chorus. We couldn’t put on a play without every one of these roles being filled.”

“And one might almost think that kind of question could have been asked privately,” Violet said to Amber in a voice full of both steel and velvet.

Amber’s face flamed almost as bright as her daughter’s, but she didn’t sit down. “I’m just wondering, Miss Fletcher, after all that’s happened to you recently, if your judgement might also be in question.” She arched a brow. “We do have the Internet, even in Peace Crossing, you know.”

Delanie’s throat closed, and she couldn’t think of a thing to say. She stood there frozen, staring into Amber’s condemning eyes. What was happening? She never froze! But in the face of Amber’s accusations, the weight of her collapsing career nearly crushed her, and she could only gawp like a fish yanked from the water.

Violet frowned at the woman. “Please have a seat, Amber. You may come talk to us later about your concerns. Now,” she said, turning to the room at large.

The kids had started to get restless and noisy again, and Violet once more did her call of Hi-ho, Silver! This time, now that the little kids knew what to do, the response of Away! just about deafened Delanie. Amber huffed, but did as she’d been told.

Violet took over, getting the kids and parents oriented as to what to expect from the production, the schedule, and how they would proceed. Delanie glanced at Caleb, wondering if he had heard about her recent cancellation, then scolded herself that she even cared. But it wasn’t only Caleb she had to worry about. She was sure the judgement of every person in that room was bearing down on her, especially the parents and the older kids, who probably all knew about Delanie’s humiliation. How stupid had she been to think she could retreat to Peace Crossing for a couple months and lick her wounds in a place where no one would know what had happened to her?

Her heart thundered in her ears as she glanced around the hall, but thankfully, most people were listening to Violet. Anne still wasn’t there. Happy for the excuse to avoid eye contact, she pulled out her phone and sent Anne a text, but didn’t get a response back. If Anne was driving, that made sense. Delanie would have to call her once the kids dispersed.

Violet assigned different chorus groups to different locations around the building to start learning their songs, and then reminded the parents that there would be a parents’ meeting in fifteen minutes in the basement. Bless her—Delanie had forgotten to even mention it.

Violet dismissed the kids to their groups, and volunteer parents took charge to herd the younger ones to their practise areas, where those who had volunteered to help with music would start teaching them their songs. Delanie sighed in relief, her knees still weak. First hurdle down.

“I’m going to call Anne,” Violet said to Delanie, moving toward the side door that led backstage. “This isn’t like her. You can get to know the cast while you wait,” she said, indicating the kids, most of them older teenagers, who were making their way to the front rows. Emma sat cheerfully where she’d been, her legs short enough to swing from the folding theatre seat.

“Thank you,” Delanie said, chewing her thumbnail. If even Violet’s optimism had faded, her own brewing concern might have merit.

Just then, a woman with a dark brown ponytail hurried down the aisle, working her way against the flow of retreating kids, her phone clutched in her hand.

Violet spotted her and paused. “That’s Anne’s sister, Erin,” she said under her breath to Delanie.

The look on Erin’s face made Delanie’s gut clench. Something was obviously very wrong.

“Anne was in an accident on the bridge,” Erin said without preamble as soon as she reached them. “Liam was with her. He’s fine, but she’s in surgery. I don’t know how serious it is. Frank—that’s her husband,” she said to Delanie, “didn’t know much. I have to go to the hospital. If my wife can’t make it here to pick up the kids before rehearsal ends, Monica Toews will take them.”

“Oh, my,” breathed Violet. “That’s terrible. Poor Anne. I’ll be praying she’s okay. Please keep us posted when you have time.”

“Thanks,” said Erin, then spun on her heel and hurried along the now much-cleared aisle.

Delanie swallowed. First Nan, now Anne? What was happening around here?

And how was she, a newbie, supposed to direct a play without an experienced producer to help her out? Violet knew a lot, but she had enough on her hands with just the music. Delanie wasn’t the praying type, but she couldn’t help breathe a little petition to the Universe that Anne would be perfectly fine, even if she was embarrassed that her reasons were mostly selfish. She sent up a final word to make it clear she wanted Anne to be okay for her own sake, too, not just Delanie’s. She didn’t know if the Universe cared about the motivation behind the prayer or not, but better safe than sorry.

Pushing her trepidation aside, she turned to face the kids she’d be leading for the next seven weeks. Whether she knew what she was doing or not.

Caleb shambled down the stairs toward the lower hall behind Dave and Monica along with the other parents. Watching Delanie at the front of the room earlier—uncomfortable, though he doubted many but him could tell, yet fiercely pushing ahead with her task—reminded him of why he’d fallen in love with her so long ago. Delanie had always been fearless.

No, that wasn’t true. She had fears, just like anyone else. She just didn’t let them stop her. It was a trait he admired . . . and, if he were honest with himself, even envied. If he’d been a little more fearless, maybe he would have gone to Vancouver with her a decade ago. How different would his life have been then?

“Can you believe that woman?” came Amber Leclerc’s voice from somewhere behind him. “Just because she’s Molly’s granddaughter doesn’t mean she’ll make a good director. What does she know about theatre, anyway? They should have asked me to do it.”

Whomever she was speaking to made a non-committal sound in her throat.

Caleb clenched his jaw. When he stepped off the last step, he turned around enough to meet the woman’s eyes.

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