Sept. 19, 2024

Back To School (Part 2) - "Pageant Panic"

Back To School (Part 2) - "Pageant Panic"

"Pageant Panic," the second episode of the heartwarming "Back to School" series, turns up the heat as Sarah and Jack dive headfirst into the chaotic world of elementary school pageants. Amidst a whirlwind of glitter, choreography disasters, and...

"Pageant Panic," the second episode of the heartwarming "Back to School" series, turns up the heat as Sarah and Jack dive headfirst into the chaotic world of elementary school pageants. Amidst a whirlwind of glitter, choreography disasters, and pint-sized divas, our two single parents find themselves navigating more than just theatrical challenges.

As the big show approaches, tensions rise and emotions run high, forcing Sarah and Jack to confront unexpected obstacles both on and off the stage. Will the Fall Pageant bring these two closer together, or will it be the final curtain for their budding connection? Don't miss this glittering rollercoaster of laughter, tears, and sequined surprises!

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WEBVTT

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This show, along with hundreds of others from Caloroga Shark Media,

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is available commercial free on any player. Just look for

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the link in the episode or show notes.

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Caloroga Shark Media.

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Hello and welcome to Romance Weekly. This episode is titled

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Back to School, Part two, Pageant Panic.

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Sarah's fingers drummed nervously on the steering wheel as she

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pulled into the school parking lot. It had been two

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weeks since that first day, and she's I've seen Jack

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Cooper almost every morning since. Their conversations had been brief

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but warm, leaving Sarah with a lingering sense of anticipation

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each time. As she helped Lily out of the car,

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she spotted Jack and Ethan approaching her heart did a

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little flip. Morning Johnson's Jack called out, his smile bright

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in the early morning sun. Hi, mister Cooper, Lily chirped,

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while Sarah managed a slightly breathless good morning. As the

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kids ran ahead to join their friends, Jack fell into

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step beside Sarah. So did you get roped into the

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full pageant committee too? He asked, a hint of amusement

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in his voice. Sarah groaned, don't remind me, I made

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the mistake of mentioning I used to do community theater

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in college, you, Jack chuckled, Apparently being new in town

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makes me perfect for bringing fresh ideas to the table.

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Their words, not mine. They shared a laugh, and Sarah

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found herself admiring the way Jack's eyes wrinkled at the

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corners when he smiled. Well, misery loves company, she said.

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At least we'll suffer together. As they reached the school entrance,

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Jack hesitated, Hey, I was thinking maybe we could grab

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coffee after drop off, to, you know, discuss pageant strategies.

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Sarah's heart raced. Was this a date? A friendly gesture?

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Before she could overthink it, she heard herself say that

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sounds great the grind In fifteen minutes, Jack smile widened.

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It's a date, I mean, not a date date, just

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to you know what. I'm going to stop talking now,

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Sarah laughed, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. I

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know what you mean. See you there. As she watched

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Jack walk away, Sarah's best friend, Megan appeared at her elbow. Well,

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well well, Megan smirked, what do we have here? Sarah

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rolled her eyes. It's just coffee, Meg, to discuss the

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school pageant. Uh huh, nodded, unconvinced. And I suppose his

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dreamy eyes and perfect jawline have nothing to do with it.

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Ssh Sarah hissed, glancing around to make sure no one

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had overheard. It's not like that. We're just friends. Meghan's

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expression softened. Honey, it's been two years since the divorce.

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It's okay to be interested in someone, Sarah sighed. I know,

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it's just complicated. He's a widower, Meg, and we both

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have kids. It's not just about us, all the more

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reason to take it slow and see where it goes.

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Megan advised, now go enjoy your not a date date,

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and I want all the details later. Fifteen minutes later,

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Sarah found herself sliding into a booth across from Jack

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at the Grind. The cozy coffee shop was buzzing with

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morning commuters, the air rich with the scent of freshly

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ground beans. So Jack began wrapping his hands around his

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steaming mug full pageant any brilliant ideas, Sarah laughed, Well,

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I was thinking we could skip the whole thing and

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take the kids to the movies instead. Think anyone would notice?

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Jack's eyes twinkled with amusement tempting, but I have a

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feeling Miss Hawthorn would hunt us down. That woman takes

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her pageants seriously. They spent the next hour brainstorming ideas,

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their conversation flowing easily from pageant themes to their kid's

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latest antics, to their own childhood memories. Sarah found herself

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laughing more than she had in years, drawn in by

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Jack's quick wit and genuine warmth. As their coffee cups emptied,

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Sarah realized with a start that she was running late

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for work. Oh no, I should have left ten minutes ago,

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she groaned, gathering her things. I'm so sorry, Jack apologized.

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Didn't mean to keep you. No, no, it's not your fault,

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Sarah assured him. I lost track of time. It was nice.

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Their eyes met, and for a moment, Sarah felt a

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spark of something more than friendship. But before she could

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dwell on it, her phone buzzed with a message from

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her boss. I really have to go, she said, reluctantly,

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But this was fun. We should do it again sometime.

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Jack nodded his smile warm definitely. How about we meet

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this weekend to work on the pageant stuff. I promise,

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I won't make you late for work. Sarah found herself

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agreeing before she could overthink it. As she rushed to

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her car. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was

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stepping into something both exciting and terrifying. The next few

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weeks flew by in a whirlwind of pageant preparations. Sarah

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and Jack found themselves spending more and more time together,

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their initial awkwardness giving way to a comfortable camaraderie. They

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worked well together, their different strengths complimenting each other perfectly.

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One afternoon, as they were painting sets in the school gymnasium,

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Sarah noticed Jack watching her with an odd expression. What

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she asked, suddenly self conscious, do I have paint on

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my face? Jack chuckled, No, it's just you have this

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look of intense concentration when you're focused. It's cute. Sarah

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felt her cheeks flush. Oh, well, you should see yourself

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when you're trying to untangle Christmas lights. It's like watching

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a man wage war on tinsel. They laughed, but there

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was an undercurrent of tension in the air. Sarah found

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herself hyper aware of Jack's proximity, of the way his

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t shirt stretched across his shoulders as he reached up

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to hang a backdrop. Their moment was interrupted by Lily

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and Ethan bursting into the gym, followed by a harried

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looking Miss Hawthorne. Momad Ethan and Lily called out, can

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we show you our dance routine? As the kids launched

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into an enthusiastic, if slightly uncoordinated rendition of Jingle Bell Rock,

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Sarah caught Jack's eye. They shared a smile, both clearly

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thinking the same thing. How did we get roped into this?

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Later that evening, as Sarah was tucking Lily into bed,

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her daughter asked, Mum, do you like mister Cooper? Sarah froz,

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What do you mean, sweetie? Lily shrugged. You smile a

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lot when he's around, and he makes you laugh. It's nice.

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Sarah felt a lump form in her throat. He's a

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good friend, Lily, but you know you're the most important

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person in my life, right. Lily nodded her eyes serious.

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I know, but it's okay if you like him. Mum,

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I like him too, and Ethan's cool. As Sarah kissed

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her daughter good night, she felt a mix of emotions

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swirling in her chest. Hope, fear, excitement doubt. She and

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Jack had been darne around their growing attraction for weeks,

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but neither had made a move to define what was

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happening between them. The night before the pageant, Sarah found

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herself working late at the school, putting the finishing touches

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on the costumes. She was so focused on sewing sequins

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onto a reindeer headband that she didn't hear Jack enter,

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you know, Rudolph's nose is supposed to be red, not blue.

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His voice startled her. Sarah looked up, laughing as she

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realized her mistake. Well, maybe this reindeer is feeling a

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little blue stage frighten all. Jack sat down beside her,

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their shoulders brushing, Can I help? For the next hour,

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they worked in companionable silence, The only sounds the snip

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of scissors and the rustle of fabric. As Sarah reached

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for another sequin, her hand brushed against Jack's. They both froze,

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the air suddenly thick with unspoken words. Sarah. Jack began

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his voice low I, but before he could finish, the

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janitor poked his head in, announcing it was time to

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lock up. The moment shattered, leaving Sarah with a sense

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of missed opportunity. As they walked to their cars, Jack

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cleared his throat, So big day tomorrow. You ready, Sarah nodded,

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trying to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. As ready

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as I'll ever be you. Jack grinned, Oh, you know me,

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cool as a cucumber. They both laughed, the tension easing slightly.

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As they reached Sarah's car, Jack hesitated, listen, Sarah after

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the pageant tomorrow, would you maybe want to grab dinner

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just the two of us? Sarah's heart raced. This was it,

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the moment she'd been both anticipating and dreading. She took

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a deep breath, ready to answer, when her phone buzzed.

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It was a from her ex husband. Sorry, I have

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to take this, she said apologetically. It's about Lily. Jack

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nodded understandingly. Of course, we can talk tomorrow. Good night, Sarah.

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As she drove home, Sarah's mind was a whirlwind of emotions.

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She wanted to say yes to Jack, to see where

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this budding relationship could go, but the text from her

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ex was a stark reminder of the complications in her life.

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Tomorrow would bring, not just the chaos of the fall pageant,

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but a decision that could change everything. As Sarah fell

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into an uneasy sleep that night, she wondered if she

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was ready to take a chance on love again, or

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if the risk was simply too great. Little did she know,

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across town, Jack Cooper was lying awake, wrestling with his

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own doubts and hopes, wondering if he was ready to

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open his heart again after losing his wife. The full

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pageant would bring more than just glitter and show tunes.

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It would be the stage for a pivotal moment in

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both their lives.

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Romance Weekly is a production of Calaroga Shark Media executive

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producers Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast

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may have been created with the assistance of AI

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Calaroga Shark Media