They moved through the crowd to greet Jill who was positively radiating joy. ‘Wasn’t Callie incredible?’ she said as they reached her. ‘I knew she’d be wonderful.’

Mimi’s head snapped towards her. ‘You knew she was going to be singing tonight?’

Jill’s face dropped and her voice faltered. ‘Well . . . I mean, she only mentioned it to me very, very recently.’

Mimi opened her mouth to reply but Pete spoke over her. ‘There are our girls.’

He pointed through the throngs of parents and children and Mimi craned her neck to see. Tara and Callie were both moving through the crowd towards them. They all met up and Mimi’s eyes roved between her daughters. She wanted to gush about Callie’s voice, but originally, tonight had been all about Tara. She leaned down and pulled Tara into a tight hug. ‘Fabulous dinging on that triangle,’ she said.

Tara hugged her back and then pulled away. ‘Thanks, Mum, but did you hear Callie? She was awesome!’

‘I know! She was amazing.’ Mimi turned to Callie and saw her daughter duck her head, embarrassed.

‘Why didn’t you tell us you were going to sing?’ said Mimi. ‘Sweetheart, your voice has grown so much. It was absolutely beautiful.’

Callie chewed on her lower lip. ‘Thanks. Sorry I didn’t say anything. I — I wasn’t even sure I was going to go through with it up until the last minute.’

Mimi stopped herself from saying, but you told your grandmother.

‘Well, I’m so proud of you. It was an incredible performance.’

‘Hundred percent,’ said Pete, reaching out to high five her.

Mimi saw Callie exchange a quick look with Jill. Something seemed to pass between them, but Mimi couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

Then Callie said quietly, ‘I wish Grandpa could have been here, too.’

‘So do I,’ said Jill. ‘He would have been enthralled by your voice.’

Pete shoved the knuckle of his index finger into his eye. ‘I agree,’ he said, his voice turning a little hoarse.

‘And her boyfriend was really good too,’ Tara piped up, somehow completely missing the poignant moment between the family.

Mimi remembered the tenderness between Callie and Jordan at the start of the performance. She’d been so taken by Callie’s voice that she’d almost forgotten about it. She tried to sound casual as she spoke. ‘So . . . Jordan’s your boyfriend?’

Callie shoved Tara. ‘He’s not my boyfriend,’ she said. ‘He’s a boy and he’s my friend. Tara just doesn’t get the distinction.’

‘I do too!’

Mimi couldn’t help but feel relieved. It wasn’t that she’d have a problem with Callie having a boyfriend, it was more that she didn’t want there to be yet another thing Callie had kept from her.

‘Anyway,’ said Callie, ‘you guys mind if I go? I need to find Peyton.’