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We make our way through the crowd, exchanging smiles and high-fives with the other proud parents and supporters. Backstage, it’s a whirlwind of activity, with performers rushing to change out of costumes and gather their belongings.

And then, there she is. Chloe, her face flushed with triumph, her trophy clutched tightly to her chest. She spots us and lets out a squeal of delight, running to throw her arms around Dan.

“Dad! Rachel! Did you see? I won!”

Dan lifts her off her feet, spinning her around. “We saw, honey. You were incredible up there. I’m so, so proud of you.”

I pull them both into a hug, my voice thick with emotion. “We both are, Chloe. You shone like a star tonight.”

She beams at us, her eyes sparkling. “I couldn’t have done it without you. Without both of you.”

As we walk out into the cool night air, Chloe chattering excitedly about the upcoming nationals, I slip my hand into Dan’s. He squeezes it gently, and I feel the warmth of it spread through me—not just through my fingers, but deeper, into the quiet parts of myself that used to feel so uncertain, so incomplete.

There’s no fanfare now. No audience watching. Just the three of us under a star-scattered Maine sky, our breath visible in the crisp air, the smell of salt and pine carrying on the wind. Chloe walks a few paces ahead, her trophy swinging by her side, already humming what might be her next song. Dan’s arm slips around my waist, and we fall into step without needing to say anything.

And I know, with absolute certainty, that I’m home. Not because of where I am, but because of who I’m with. Love didn’tarrive as I expected it to—not loud, not dramatic—but quietly, insistently, until it became the foundation beneath my feet.

We don’t need to chase applause. We have something better. We have each other.

Tomorrow will come, full of deadlines and logistics and to-do lists. But tonight, under these stars, I have everything I need.