Free Starring Me by Krista McGee Page B

want, even see them. They’ll never forget who you are.”
    “This is home, Kara.” Ma dried her hands and sat at the kitchen table. “Your pop and me have lived here in Smithtown our whole lives. We want you to follow your dreams. But we just can’t go with you. Our roots are here.”
    “All right, Ma.” Kara joined her mother at the table. “If I were Addy, I’d tell you I would pray that you changed your mind.”
    “I like that Addy.” Ma smiled. “She’ll be nearby to keep an eye on you.”
    “She will.” Kara touched her mother’s hand. “But I’ll still miss you and Pop like crazy.”
    “And the others?” Ma dabbed her eyes with her handkerchief.
    “Of course. I’ve got the best family on earth. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
    Pop walked in and joined Kara and Ma in the kitchen. “What’s with the waterworks, ladies? This is a great day.”
    “I know.” Ma motioned for him to sit at the table with them. “But she’s our baby.”
    “Of course she is.” Pop patted Kara’s back. “That’s not going to change.”
    “But she’ll be so far away.” Ma’s tears flowed more freely. Kara felt her own tears spilling down her cheeks.
    “Two hours in a plane.” Pop hugged his wife. “That’s nothing.”
    “I’ll call every day, Ma,” Kara promised. “And I’ll show you how to use video chatting so I can show you around the house where I’ll be staying.”
    Ma dried her eyes. “I’d like that.”
    “And we can come down,” Pop said. “I’ve got another month and a half before school starts. Maybe we can take some of the grandkids and go to Disney for a couple days.”
    “That would be fun.” Ma smiled. “Emily would love to see Mickey and Minnie.”
    “She sure would.” Pop grabbed a cookie from the plate at the end of the table. “Can’t you just see her little eyes light up?”
    Ma laughed. “I sure can.”
    “So we’re all good now?” Pop asked. “No more tears? ”
    “Not until I get on that plane,” Kara said.
    “The phone is lighting up.” Ma picked up the receiver and dialed the number for voice mail. “With all the noise, I didn’t even hear it ring.”
    “It’s probably one of Kara’s friends wishing her good luck.” Pop gave Kara another hug.
    Ma started pressing buttons on the phone.
    “What is it, Ma?”
    “I’m trying to get it on speaker.” Ma handed the phone to Kara like it was a shard of glass. “You do it.” Kara pressed the speaker button.
    “So if you’re interested, please give us a call back at this number . ”
    “Who was it?” Kara pressed the Replay button.
    “I don’t know. It was for you. About the audition, I think.”
    “Here it goes.” Kara kept the phone on speaker and they all listened in.
    “Good evening. This call is for Kara McKormick.” The man’s voice was high and very proper. “I am Jordan Sands, a Broadway producer and director. We are holding auditions for a new musical. I saw your work on The Book of Love and I’d like you to be part of these auditions. They will be televised live, just like The Book of Love , with the winner being chosen by audience vote. We have had great success with this model in England, and we believe this TV show and the musical will be huge successes here as well. Mary Kegel has agreed to be one of the guest judges, as well as Robert Van Zandt.”
    Kara recognized the names—recent Tony Award winners and amazing actors. She and her friends had gone to see a musical that starred Mary Kegel the year before. Kara thought she was one of the most phenomenal actresses she had ever seen.
    “We will hold the preliminary auditions on Monday, so if you’re interested, please give us a call back at this number.”
    Kara saved the message and walked, in a daze, to the living room.
    “What do I do?” She sat on the couch.
    “This show would be on Broadway?” Pop sat next to Kara.
    “Right here in New York.” Kara stood and walked around the living room. “I