It’s a busy day of costume fittings and working with the props crew to find the last few things we need. I don’t get much time to talk to Cole, but whenever I have so much as a free minute, I’m looking through that blue notebook for some kind of proof that the cold hand around my wrist belonged to Glory. Because I know I can’t go to the police with evidence like wind chimes and childhood memories. And there’s no way I’m leaving here without writing the final scene.

I’m surprised when my dad calls that evening after dinner. I’m walking down to the barn, and I let Lex and Val and Jude go on ahead so I can have some privacy.

“Hello?” I say, and a few seconds of silence slip by. I almost hang up. I figure it was an accidental call. But then I hear my dad’s voice.

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” I say. “Busy.” I’m trying to figure out why he called. Because he definitely isn’t a chatter.

“Your play is this weekend,” he says.

“Yeah. Friday night.”

“And then you come home. When? The next day?”

“Yeah,” I say again. “I fly home on Saturday morning.”

It’s quiet for a few more seconds.

“It’ll be good to have you home,” he says. And that catches me so off guard that I almost don’t hear the next part. “It’s too quiet here. Tu me manques.”

I miss you.

I don’t say anything.

“What part do you have?” he asks me. Not that he knows anything about the play. But it’s nice that he’s asking.

“Eden,” I tell him. “It’s the lead.”

“Eden,” he repeats. “That’s nice.” A few more moments of silence. “That was your mother’s favorite name.”

“Really?” That seems so weird.

“She wanted to call you that, but I didn’t want to.” He stops and sighs. “I don’t remember why now.”

I wonder if Willa knew that. If that’s why she chose that name. To honor my mom. Or if it was just a coincidence.

“Break a leg,” Dad tells me. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”

I start to tell him that I miss him, too, but he’s already hung up.

I hurry down to the barn. It’s our last night working inside before we move out to the amphitheater for three nights of tech rehearsals. And we’re working the last scene in the play. The final meeting between Eden and Orion.

Willa already has everyone gathered up in the front row when I slip into the theatre. She turns to smile at me. “This is it,” she tells us all. “One last scene. It’s short and sweet. No long, drawn-out goodbye for our two lovers. But there’s so much to think about.”

Jude sets it up for us. “Okay,” he says. “This the last moment of the play. Eden and Orion meet one last time at the bench by the river. And if I say anything else, I’m gonna cry.”