“I’m sorry.”

“There are no judges left.”

They tried again. One, two, three. One, two, three. They moved beneath the chandeliers while blue and gold lights circled the empty tables. Eli counted under his breath.

Maddie guided him when he lost the rhythm. Twice they nearly tripped over the train of her dress. Then they stopped trying to perform. They simply danced.

Maddie closed her eyes. For the first time that day, she did not imagine what the guests would think. She did not see Tyler’s empty chair or the messages waiting on her phone.

She felt the cool floor beneath her feet, Eli’s steady hand, and the music her mother had loved.