Mama wasn't dressed. Lu couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her mother in a robe and slippers with her long hair falling in a single braid down her back. No matter how early breakfast was, Mifalda appeared wearing a housedress, with her hair pulled back in a bun at the nape of her neck and secured with large tortoise-shell hairpins. But not this morning.

How did she know? Lu thought. I was so quiet, so careful. How does she always, always know?

Her mother didn't look up. In her hands was the book of music Lu had accidentally left on the kitchen table. Only the day before, Maestro DiTullio had noted all of her key and tempo changes on the page of the song she was planning to sing so the accompanist at the audition in New York would know how to play it for her. Mama was holding the music book so hard, she was wrinkling the cover.

Lu braced herself for the battle about to happen. She tried to tell herself that it was better to get it over with, but she knew it wasn't. She liked to be peaceful on the inside when she sang, and a fight would make her feel all jangled up. But there was no way out.

“Good morning, Mama, ” she said.

Her mother dropped the music on the table and drew in a deep breath. Before she could start yelling, Lu beat her to the punch and confessed about the audition. “I'm going to New York today to sing, Mama,” she ended breathlessly. “I'm going to be an actress. And this is my big chance.” She pulled herself up to her full height and waited for the bomb to go off.

But Mama surprised her. There was no explosion, no yelling. Her mother was staring at her calmly, as if in some way she'd been expecting this. Had she? Did Mama understand? It was a startling thought. Mama always seemed to be made out of rock, an obstacle that Lu had to get around to live her own life. Did her mother know what it felt like to be young and have dreams? Could she be proud of the daughter everyone else said was so talented? Tears stung in Lu's eyes. Oh, Mama, if you can just be on my side, she thought, I'll make it all up to you. You'll be the mother of a Broadway star, and all the sacrifices you've made will be worth it.

“So,” her mother said. Her voice was as calm as her face, but all of a sudden the calmness wasn't comforting. It was scary. “This ‘big chance’ of yours, how did it happen?”

“I don't… understand …” Lu stumbled.

“Who is he?” Mama demanded. “Who is the man who gave you this ‘big chance’?”