Page 47 of Encore Echoes


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She lifted her hand to the necklace again, feeling the delicately crafted magnolia under her fingertips. “Bring the show good luck,” she whispered to it.

Beverly, Maxine, and Dale walked up to her with friendly smiles on their faces. A welcome sight. “Looks like a great turnout,” Beverly said as she glanced around the bustling lobby.

“I’m… surprised. I thought that no one would come.”

“Well, Miss Eleanor suggested that we all do. And she’s right. Your past is no business of ours. You’ve done right by our theater and we’re proud of you.” Beverly gave her a hug, which she accepted gratefully.

“Yes, we are.” Maxine nodded in agreement. “You’ve done a wonderful job. It’s great to have the theater open again.”

Dale looked at her closely for a moment, his eyes narrowing, his expression thoughtful. Then he snapped his fingers. “I know where I’ve seen it before. The pendant. It was in a stack of photos in a box at my shop. Old photos from the theater. One of the actresses was wearing it. He frowned for a moment. “It was from a scene from Old Man River. I’m almost certain.”

“Was a Vera Whitmore wearing it?”

Dale nodded. “Yes, that was it.”

“I have a program framed over there on the wall. She was a star in the show.”

“VeraWhitmore?One of Miss Eleanor’s relatives?” Beverly’s eyes widened.

“She was my great-aunt.” Miss Eleanor walked up to them, staring at the pendant hanging around her neck.

“She was?” Tori touched the pendant, feeling the weight of history in it.

“I hadn’t seen that in years until you showed me it at Coastal Coffee. I thought it was… lost.” Miss Eleanor’s voice cracked just slightly with the last word. “I was so surprised to see it again. I should have told you it was Aunt Vera’s. She was just always so secretive about it. Although, I know it meant a lot to her.”

Dale frowned. “I think there was some actual write-up about this piece of jewelry. I’m just sure I saw something. I’ll have to go back and do some research. I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thank you.” Tori gave him an appreciative smile.

Miss Eleanor’s eyes filled with sadness as she continued to stare at the necklace.

Tori reached up to unhook it. “Then you should have this. It’s your family’s.”

“No, dear. That pendant belongs to the theater, not me.” Miss Eleanor put on a smile that didn’t erase the sadness in her eyes. “Anyway, Miss Duran, break a leg. I’m sure the opening will be a huge success.”

“Thank you. I hope so.”

Miss Eleanor gave a small wave, still lost in her memories, and turned to make her way into the theater.

Beverly turned to Maxine. “I knew Miss Eleanor recognized it when she saw it at the cafe. I’m glad she told us about it now.”

Dale gestured to the theater doors. “So, should we go in?”

“Yes. And let Tori get back to her work,” Maxine agreed, giving Tori a supportive smile.

She returned the smile, grateful for their support. She stood in the lobby, greeting people and scanning the crowd, looking for Gavin. But there was no sign of him, and her heart sank a little at his absence.

With a quiet sigh, she turned and headed backstage to see if she could be any help there. It was better than standing in the lobby hopelessly waiting for something that was never going to happen.

The organized chaos of the dressing room welcomed her with a familiar embrace. This was her element, the world she knew best. Tonight was too important to be distracted by personal disappointments.

Tori paced back and forth backstage, listening to every word of the play. She held her breath when the lead actress tripped over her lines in a pivotal scene, but luckily another actor improvised smoothly, covering for her. She let out her breath, realizing that no one in the audience was any the wiser.

The lighting technician was spot on, each spotlight and floodlight carefully angled to highlight the actors exactly as planned. Not a squeak or pop from the sound system. The actors’ voices rang clearly throughout the theater.

Before she knew it, the final act was drawing to a close. She let out a deep breath of relief. Soon the sound of thunderous applause filled the theater. The star of the show motioned for her to come out on stage. She hung back for a moment until another actress came over and grabbed her hand, dragging her onto the stage.

The cheering grew even louder, and she basked in the familiar sound of applause as tears gathered in her eyes. She’d done it. After all the struggles and setbacks, the beloved theater was back open, and the show was a success.