***Sophia's Presentation***

The school auditorium smelled like paint and nervous energy.

Parents filled the seats. Whispering. Shuffling programs. Students stood near their displayed artwork. Some confident. Most terrified.

Emma scanned the room. Looking. Searching.

There.

Sophia stood near the back. Next to a large canvas covered with a white cloth. Her face blank. That terrible emptiness she wore like protection.

But when she saw them walking in. When ...