The morning sun filtered over the weathered sidewalk outside Winslow Elementary as students hurried through the halls, excited for the school’s annual Talent Week. Near the trophy case stood Sophie Lane—a quiet girl known more for her silence than for standing out. She wore well-worn shoes and carried a hand-me-down backpack, her gaze often tucked behind a notebook filled with lyrics. But that morning, something shifted. Sophie walked up to the sign-up sheet, studied the long list of names, and calmly added her own: “Sophie Lane – Singing (a cappella).”
Whispers followed almost immediately. “Sophie? Singing?” one student said in disbelief. Another laughed, not expecting much. But Sophie simply walked away, holding her notebook close—pages soft from years of writing and rewriting her favorite songs.
That evening, in the small trailer she called home, Sophie sat on her mattress, softly singing an old Appalachian lullaby. A cassette player crackled in the background. Her mother stood in the doorway, listening quietly before saying, “You know, I once dreamed of singing too—but I never tried.” Sophie whispered, “I’m scared.” Her mother gently rested a hand on her shoulder and replied, “Maybe it’s time someone sings anyway.”
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