“But less than anyone else in the show. Just two songs! I will butcher them, no doubt. But I’ve been here from the start. I know the part. I can fill in. As for the dancing… it’s not like Moritz is a featured dancer in any scene. It’s fine. I’ll hide in back.”

“Our options are limited,” I say.

“I can’t sing, but I will act the shit out of his death scene,” Fitz says.

“I’m into it,” Emerson says, and I feel like a Proud Mom, watching her find her voice.

“It won’t be a perfect show,” Henry says. “But… they never were in the first place.”

“It’s not like the school committee won’t see us giving it our all,” Danica reasons.

I… totally agree.

“All in favor of Fitz playing Moritz?” I ask.

Everyone’s hands fly into the air and I’m even madder at myself because it took one conversation to figure this out! A conversation that never would’ve happened if I didn’t jump to conclusions. I inhale to steady my shaking breath. An impossible show made possible then impossible again is now possible once more—thanks to the team of people, friends, who love it as much as I do. I thought making Melted a musical would ruin it, but it became so much more than I could have dreamed. So it’s not going to combust because Fitz will sing two songs off-key. Two songs.

I won’t let it.

I guess it’s only fair that the success of Melted will require a directorial miracle.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

The rest of the week passes in the blur of Fitz’s transformation into Moritz. I have to accept that Reid was not wrong removing Fitz from the musical. Because she shines with every monologue she delivers but cannot keep up with the choreography at all. So we have to reblock most of the dance numbers and dial back the difficulty of “Hate Is a Closed Window” so it’s less dancing and more walking in rhythm. Still, it’s fun seeing Danica and Fitz performing together. Even better that they’re not playing siblings.

It’s kind of a hot mess in those spots, but we’re making the best of it.

I mean, that’s how theater was always supposed to be. Silly. Fun. Us.

The night before Melted makes its debut, I am terrified in the best and worst possible way. I hope the school committee sees the heart in this show, despite our less than professional performance tweaks. But no matter what happens tomorrow, we made something out of nothing. HAVE A HE(ART) will have its moment. We’ll raise money for an important cause. The show will go on.