If for Any Reason (Nantucket Love Story #1) - Courtney Walsh Page 0,96

the kids in the lead roles. She knew she’d likely have some sour grapes to contend with (every show had them) but overall, these kids seemed like they were here to have fun.

They spent the morning doing a read-through of the script. They listened to the songs and explained what each group was doing and when. Halfway through, they stopped and played an icebreaker game, and then Emily split all the kids up into pairs—one older with one younger.

“Everyone gets a ‘big’ or a ‘little,’” she said. “And this is your buddy for the whole show. You can send each other notes of encouragement, ask each other questions if you’re unsure about something, and basically just watch out for each other. If you’re a big, we’re expecting you to act like a good role model for your little and all the other littles. This is important—you have to remember, someone is always looking up to you.”

She found Jolie’s eyes squarely focused on her.

Someone is always looking up to you.

She’d be smart to remember that herself. These ideas had come pouring out of her in their planning meetings, but even she wasn’t sure where they’d come from. This hadn’t been modeled for her, but every time she thought about standing up in front of a group of kids, of leading them, it became increasingly more important that she didn’t muck it up.

By lunchtime, Emily expected to feel exhausted, but she was surprisingly energized.

“That was so fun,” Marisol said, cracking open a lunch box. She took out a sandwich and bit into it.

“Is that peanut butter and jelly?”

Marisol grinned. “Jealous?”

Emily laughed. “Someday that white bread will catch up to you.” Emily pulled her salad from her bag and opened the container. Her eyes scanned the room and fell on a little boy, about nine, who was sitting off to the side by himself, quietly eating his lunch. The boy looked around, wide-eyed panic on his face.

“Which one is that?” Emily asked. “Colin?”

Marisol followed her gaze to the dark-headed, pale-skinned boy. “Aww. Yes, that’s Colin.”

As far as she could tell, he was the only one sitting alone. Emily took her salad and walked over to the boy. “Hey, Colin. Can I sit by you?”

He looked up at her, eyes still wide. He nodded.

“Did you have a fun morning?” She ate a forkful of her salad.

Colin gave a halfhearted shrug.

“I noticed you’re sitting over here all by yourself.”

“Yeah.” He stuck a Cheeto in his mouth.

“Do you like to be by yourself? Because that’s super cool if you do, but if you’d rather be with some friends, I bet you could find a few here.” She scanned the large, open room. Kids sat at tables, in circles on the floor; some even stood while they ate. Mostly they talked really loudly and laughed a lot.

But not Colin. He ate another Cheeto. “Nobody asked me to sit with them.”

Her heart stuttered for a split second, and she wished just one other kid would notice him over here by himself. “Did you ask anyone to sit with you?”

He looked down, his face forlorn, and shook his head.

“Hm,” she said. “You know, sometimes I think we have to put ourselves out there.”

“Out where?” His face twisted like it was the weirdest thing he’d ever heard.

She motioned out across the wide-open room. “Out there. With the other kids.”

“But what if they don’t like me?”

Emily shrugged, swallowed her bite, and looked at him. “Not everyone is going to like you, kid. But you’ll never know if you don’t take a chance to get to know them.”

Colin looked skeptical.

“Come on, little man. You can do it.”

It struck Emily that she had no idea where this advice was coming from. The words she lived by would suggest Colin was safer over here in the corner, eating his turkey sandwich by himself.

“Be cautious with your heart.”

And yet, looking at him, Emily only felt sad that this was the choice he’d made—to be alone—when he could be a part of this incredible group of friends.

Slowly he packed his plastic baggies back into his lunch box.

Emily pointed over to a small group of boys and girls about Colin’s age. “Why don’t you go sit right over there in that circle?” She prayed she wasn’t steering him in the wrong direction. She prayed he was welcomed with smiles and giggles and kindness. She prayed he fit in.

Had she been praying those same things for herself?

He stood, and Emily handed him his lunch box. “I’m not sure