“I ... I was afraid you’d ask that,” Peggy said. “I will, of course, if you really insist on it, but I wish you’d think about it awhile first. Paula has gone through so much—and put both of you through so much, too—just to prove something to herself. If you go to her now, her whole effort will have been wasted. I think you ought to let her stay in obscurity for just a few days longer until we open the show, and give her the chance she wanted.”
“I understand your point of view, Peggy,” Paula’s mother said, “but can’t you understand mine? All I want is to see my daughter and be sure that she’s safe and well!”
“Can’t you take my word for that, please?” Peggy begged. “You’ve waited so long, what does it matter if you wait another three days until opening night? If you do that, then Paula will get the chance she wants, and I won’t feel so miserable about having called you when she asked me not to. I just want everybody—you two and Paula—to be happy. Won’t you please wait and give her a chance to prove to herself that she’s as good as we all know she is?”
“Is she good?” her mother asked fervently.
“She’s wonderful!” Peggy and Randy said in chorus.
“I knew it! I knew it!” The famous actress beamed. “I knew all those good reviews weren’t just because of us....”
“Then you had your doubts too, didn’t you, Mrs. Andrews?” Randy put in quickly.
“Why ... why, not really,” Paula’s mother answered, taken aback. “But, still....”
“But still, even though you were sure Paula is a good actress, you never knew for a fact that the critics sincerely thought so too!” Randy said.
“In a way, I suppose you’re right,” Mrs. Andrews said.