Then she closed the score.
Months later, when a younger choir student froze during rehearsal, Mr. Flores stopped the piano and asked if she wanted water or a break. The girl looked mortified.
Lily, standing two places away, whispered, “Take the break. The song will still be here.”
The girl nodded.
Lily watched her step down safely from the risers. No threats followed her. No one lost a part. No one was made responsible for everyone else’s time.
When rehearsal resumed, Mr. Flores lifted his hands and waited until every singer was ready.
Lily breathed with the group.
This time, when the music began again, the word meant only music.
Lily did not forget what happened under those lights. She simply stopped measuring herself by how long she could endure discomfort without speaking. That lesson stayed with her longer than any solo ever could.
