We all stood there, staring each other down in confusion. Cosimo was the first one to speak. "How do you know her?" He asked Lucio and Amedeo. 

Amedeo looked at me as he spoke. "I met her at Caffè e Dolci this morning. The owner brought us the same order and we started talking. We found out we're both Italian, and she welcomed me to San Francisco." He chuckled. "I probably would've stayed longer and potentially missed the audition if my phone hadn't rung." Amedeo looked back at Cosimo. "How do you know her, Cosimo?" 

Cosimo grinned. "We met on the cable car while I was on my way here. I nearly fell on top of her twice; once because I almost didn't make it on the car, and the other because I'm a doofus. We also found out we were both Italian, talked about San Francisco, and then I made her miss her stop because I was chatting her up so much." He gave me an apologetic look and mouthed an 'I'm sorry.' "And then I was so caught up with our meeting that I ended up taking the car another two blocks before realizing I also missed my stop." The boys all burst out laughing. Then, Amedeo and Cosimo both looked at Lucio. "And you?" 

Lucio looked at me and stood up from his seat, walking towards me. "We literally bumped into each other on the street." He laughed. "Now I understand why you asked if I was Italian, since you had just met two other Italian men that day." He continued on with his retelling of the story, the smile never once leaving his face. "I was super embarrassing while I was trying to compliment her, and I was sad because I thought we would probably never see each other again." His eyes brightened and those golden specks shined. "Until now." I broke out in a smile.

The other two stood up from their seats as well and gestured to the seat next to them all. "Would you care to sit with us? We don't know anybody here but each other." I nodded. "That would be great, since I don't know anyone here but you three either." All of their faces brightened as I squeezed into the seat and they sat down after me. Lucio was sitting right next to me, our shoulders almost touching. Amedeo and Cosimo both looked over at me. "What a coincidence we all met this morning!" They turned to talk to one another, and this is when Lucio turned to me. "Coincidence or meant to be?" His look lingered on me before he also turned his attention to their conversation. I felt a blush coming on. 

The judge walked onto the stage and clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. All the people in the theatre whipped their heads around to give her their full attention. She looked very professional and put together, wearing a navy-blue pantsuit, black stockings, and her short black hair pulled back in a sleek ponytail. "Welcome everyone to the Solstice Theatre Annual Opera Showcase auditions." We all clapped for a moment. "As you probably all know, this is a very important performance meant to showcase the best opera singers in the state. Many talent scouts from around the world attend our showcase to seek out new talent. We've had former participants garner lucrative contracts for here in San Francisco, New York, Paris, and Italy." At the mention of Italy, I immediately perked up and smiled hopefully. The three men turned to look at me, a knowing look on their faces. It was as if they were saying, Ah, so that's her dream.

The judge continued. "I will call you up in random order to sing a 30 second song of your choice. Please make sure to bring your sheet music to the accompanist, state your name and song title, and then begin when you're ready." She left the stage and seated herself near the front of the stage, behind a counter. She put on a pair of skinny, black glasses and began looking through a clipboard holding a list of the auditioners. "First, number 341." I heard rustling and saw that Amedeo was getting up from his seat, a nervous look on his face. Cosimo was patting him on the back and encouraging him and Lucio was pumping his fists in excitement. I caught Amedeo's eye. I gave him a supportive smile and two thumbs up. He relaxed a little bit and chuckled, then gathered his sheet music and went up the stairs to the stage. He gave the accompanist his sheet music and moved to the center of the stage. 

"Go ahead and slate." The judge told him. He cleared his throat and gave everyone his movie-star smile. I swear I saw a girl swoon. "Hello, my name is Amedeo di Luca, and I will be singing Una Storia Importante." The judge motioned for him to start. He nodded to the accompanist, who began playing the score.

You could tell he was a bit nervous, but the emotion that he put into the song more than made up for it. His voice was deep, smooth, and full of luscious vibrato. It moved my heart and made me believe he had truly been heartbroken and chose to sing about his feelings on this stage to us. With every verse, his voice grew more and more romantic and soft until he finished. Everyone clapped loudly. We probably would have stood up and cheered if we could. I clapped incredibly loudly for him and his performance. I leaned over and whispered to Lucio and Cosimo, "He's amazing!" They both nodded. "We know." Lucio said. 

"Very nice, Mr. di Luca. You can take your seat now." Amedeo retrieved his sheet music and walked off the stage. He sat back down next to us, bringing his hands to his mouth and exhaling loudly. He was so nervous, but he did great. Lucio and Cosimo playfully punched him on the arm and complimented him. I leaned over and made eye contact with him. I whispered, "That was amazing." Amedeo smiled gratefully. He reached his hand over and grabbed mine, squeezing it. "Thank you." I was flustered at the sudden touch. He let go of my hand and we all turned our attention back to the judge. 

"Next is number 756." The judge announced. Cosimo jumped out of his seat. He cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "Showtime!" He whispered, grabbing his sheet music and waltzing up to the stage. He gave the accompanist his sheet music and stayed, talking with her for a second. You could tell she was laughing and smiling. Cosimo was just that kind of effervescent personality. He walked up to the middle of the stage and smiled. "Ciao, I'm Cosimo Galli and I'll be singing Libiamo Ne' Lieti Calici." The judge nodded and motioned for him to begin. He motioned to the accompanist with a flick of his hand and a wink, who began playing the jaunty tune. 

Cosimo's voice matched his personality in every which way. It was light, air, and bubbly. It had a laughing and joyous quality to it that made him even more enjoyable to listen to. Not to mention that his voice was also incredibly beautiful. He made grand gestures with his hands while he sang, and his facial expressions changed depending on what line he was singing. He was almost bouncing up and down in rhythm with the music. He finished his song and ended the performance with a little bow. Everyone clapped and the judge smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Galli. Please take a seat." He got his sheet music, hopped down from the stage and came running back to us. I leaned over to Amedeo and Lucio before he came back. "He's amazing too!" I whispered. They smiled. "He is." Amedeo replied this time. 

Amedeo and Lucio both patted Cosimo on the back and gave him thumbs up when he sat back down. Cosimo comically leaned back in his chair to look at me, making a face that seemed to say, Well, what did you think? I giggled and gave him the 'okay!' sign with both of my hands and smiled wide. Cosimo reciprocated the gesture and then winked at me. "Grazie." He said. The judge looked through her clipboard and announced the next auditioner. "Number 187, please come to the stage." I felt the chair next to me move and saw that Lucio was standing up. He grabbed his sheet music, a page of it flying out of his hands and heading right to me. I caught it in mid-air and handed it back to him. "Break a leg." I told him. He took the sheet music, our hands touching as he took it. "Thanks." He smiled and squeezed past us and into the aisle. Cosimo and Amedeo were both wishing him well with positive gestures and some hushed cheering from Cosimo. 

Lucio gave his sheet music to the accompanist and walked to the middle of the stage. "My name is Lucio Castelli and I will be singing O Sole Mio." The judge smiled. "Anytime you're ready, Mr. Castelli." Lucio nodded at the accompanist with a small smile and she began to play. The intro to the famous song filled the theatre as Lucio prepared to sing. I saw him take a deep breath and then close his eyes. He brought his hands up to his chest and extended them out on the first note he sang. 

I didn't have time to even think about what I was hearing. I was utterly awestruck at his voice. It was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. His voice was clear, full of vibrato, and beautifully strong. It was a voice that made tears form in my eyes and made me want to stand up and give him a standing ovation. As the song continued, he made grand gestures that only added to the beauty of his performance. His facial expressions showed the emotion behind the piece and you could tell he was feeling every word he was singing. As the song was drawing to its end, his voice only grew stronger and even more impressive. He held out the last note for a long time, even continuing the note after the accompanist had ended the song.

Everyone clapped for him, but my clapping was even louder. I caught Cosimo and Amedeo looking at me with big grins. "What did you think of him?" Amedeo leaned over and asked me. I was utterly speechless. My eyes were locked in on Lucio as he gathered his sheet music and walked down the stairs to come sit back with us. I finally managed to break my gaze away from him to face Amedeo. "He was..." I struggled to find the words to describe what I had just heard. Cosimo raised an eyebrow. "Amazing?" He prompted. I shook my head, which only confused them both. I looked back at Lucio, a big smile forming on my face. "He was breathtaking." They both smiled. "I'm sure he'll be very happy to hear that." Amedeo remarked. I blushed. Could I really tell this man he was breathtaking without it sounding like I was hitting on him? 

No time to think, since Lucio was coming back and sitting down in his seat next to me. Cosimo and Amedeo both complimented Lucio on his outstanding performance. Lucio turned to me with a hopeful look. Cosimo and Amedeo were both looking at us expectantly. I looked at Lucio and said the first thing that came to my mind, "You were breathtaking." Both mine and Lucio's eyes went wide as saucers at my revelation. Cosimo and Amedeo burst out laughing, getting shushed by the people around them who were eagerly waiting for the next number to be called. We all quieted down, but not before Lucio reached over and squeezed my hand. "Thank you. I really appreciate it." We both didn't let go of each other's hands, until the judge's voice snapped us back to reality. 

"Number 398, please come to the stage." My heart stopped as I realized it was my number that was called. I gulped nervously and slowly stood up, my whole body shaking. Lucio's hand was still holding mine, and he could feel the tremors in my hand. He gave it another tight squeeze before letting go. "You'll be wonderful." He said it like it was a fact, despite him never having heard me sing before. I gratefully smiled at him before squeezing past him, Amedeo, and Cosimo. Both Amedeo and Cosimo wished me well, giving me kind words and looks as I walked past them. I made my way to the stage, my heartbeat getting quicker by the minute. I was one step closer to my dream. I just needed to make sure I didn't mess up and send it all crashing down here. 

I gave the accompanist my sheet music, my hands shaking the entire time. She grabbed it from me and gave me an encouraging smile. I walked to the middle of the stage. I looked out at my fellow auditioners; girls and guys my age, all waiting to have their shot in the opera world, just like me. The judge was looking through me, glancing at me and then at her clipboard back and forth. "Alright, go ahead and slate." I cleared my throat and mustered up a tiny smile. "H-Hi. My name is Daniela Barrelli. I will be singing O Mio Babbino Caro." The judge motioned to me. "Whenever you're ready, Ms. Barrelli." I tried to calm my pounding heart by taking deep breaths. I looked over at where I was sitting and saw Amedeo, Cosimo, and Lucio all looking at me with such encouragement on their faces. I focused on Lucio, who mouthed "You'll be wonderful," just like he said to me before. Despite only having known them for a morning, they were the most important people to me in the moment.

I took one final breath and found myself filled with more confidence than I ever had before. I nodded at my accompanist and she began playing the piece. I gathered up my heart, emotions, and strength and poured them all into the song. I felt the lyrics, the melody, and the rhythm inside of me. Everyone in the audience, including the judge, soon became one big blur as I fantasized singing this song for a humongous audience at an opera house somewhere in Italy. As the song was nearing its end, only three people came back into focus. Amedeo, Cosimo, and Lucio all had stunned looks on their faces. Their eyes were wide and they were hanging on my every note. I finished with an embellishment on my original ending note, which was a risky move, but I felt confident with it. The piano tapered off and so did my voice, the two ending at almost the exact same time. I expected nothing but the normal amount of claps everyone was receiving, but instead was met with thunderous applause coming from the right side of the auditorium. 

Amedeo, Cosimo, and Lucio were all standing up from their seats and clapping incredibly loudly for me. I even heard Cosimo whistle. Everyone was looking at them like they were weirdos, but they didn't care. Not one of them stopped looking at me as they clapped. Normally, I would have felt embarrassed or anxious in a situation like this. But with them, I just smiled like they had given me the world. In a way, they did. The judge smiled at me. "Excellent job, Ms. Barrelli. You can take your seat." I walked down the stairs and back to my seat, the grin permanently attached to my face. The three were still standing for me as I arrived. Amedeo gave me a firm handshake with both hands. "That was amazing." He complimented. Cosimo took my hand and kissed it gently. "You were magnificent!" He cried. Lucio came up to me and wrapped me in a big hug. "You were angelic." He softly said. He let go, but the blush on my face remained. "Thank you so much." I said to all of them, lingering on Lucio, who still had a starstruck look on his face. 

We all sat down together and enjoyed the rest of the auditioners. They were all very good, but none of the men could compare to Amedeo, Cosimo, and Lucio. Especially not Lucio. Everytime another girl went up to sing, they would clap for her, but would say something to me like not even close. One time, Cosimo said, "She wishes she were you." I didn't know how to handle all these compliments. I had never felt so appreciated in my entire life! 

Soon, the auditions all ended. The judge walked to the middle of the stage, clipboard still in hand. "Thank you so much to everyone who auditioned this morning. I will be announcing the participants for the showcase within the week." Everyone clapped at the end of her words, feeling proud of themselves. We all started to gather our belongings to leave the theatre. I was prepared to walk out on my own when Cosimo noticed me and pulled me close to him. "You didn't think you were going to just walk out on us after that amazing performance, did you?" I giggled. "I guess not?" 

Amedeo came up to me. "You were truly incredible. I've never heard anything like your voice." I smiled. "So were you! You nearly made me cry." Amedeo hid a blush that was creeping across his face and sheepishly smiled. "Thanks." Cosimo playfully pouted at me and tilted his head to face me. "What did you think of me?" He asked. I smiled. "Cosimo, you were incredible! I really enjoyed your performance." He smiled. "I loved yours too. You really took my breath away. It was beautiful." I smiled. I turned to Lucio, who was looking at me with a smile. "You were really amazing, Lucio. That was beautiful." I complimented. Lucio walked up to me and took both of my hands in his. "You put all other singers to shame. Everything about your performance was just..." He paused, searching for the right words. He lit up when he found them. "Perfection." I felt a tug on my heart. How could he say something so romantic while still being so composed? I'm sure he didn't mean it in that way. Still, the pounding in my heart didn't go away. "Thank you, Lucio." He nodded and let go of my hands. 

Cosimo gestured towards the door of the theatre. "Andiamo, ragazzi e ragazza!" He smiled proudly. "A day like this, full of first meetings, new friendship, and life-changing auditions, calls for a celebration!"