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Elise let go of her mom’s hand and turned to the voice. “Mike!” She beamed with pride, as he stood in the doorway of the tent, bent over, his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. Getting up, she went and stood between the aisles. “You made it!”
“Mr Taylor, this is highly irregular.” One of the contestants crossed her arms, angry.
Trying to ignore the woman’s protests, Elise waited for him to stand up. When he did, he started walking toward her, the audience following him with their eyes as he walked along the gap between the aisles. A lump in her throat threatened to strangle her.
“I hear what you’re saying, Mrs Redfern, but I’m stopping the clock for a moment.” The judge got to his feet, watching the scene for himself.
Before she knew it, Mike was standing in front of h
