You lean in toward them, shaping your face into your best approximation of the kind of smile you know they're looking for, but that you don't really feel at all.
"Camp Cedarcrest is a wonderful place," you begin. "It does amazing things for the kids who go there. I mean, look at how far Justine has come! And there are so many other kids who look forward to coming back year after year. They've got more friends—and better friends!—there than they do at home. They need to depend on Camp Cedarcrest. I can't imagine how they'd feel if it were suddenly just gone. I know you only have one vote on the board, but it would really help if you could use that vote to help Camp Cedarcrest stay open."
"That's very persuasive," Mrs. Winfield says, nodding thoughtfully.
"I hadn't seen it like that before," Mr. Winfield agrees. He glances at his wife. "Let's speak to some of the other board members?"
"And think about it some more ourselves, of course," she cautions. "We still have several weeks before the vote comes up."
Mr. Winfield nods. "Yes, yes," he agrees, but you can tell that he's already made up his mind. "You're quite a remarkable young person, Pika Shimon Capela."
It wasn't easy, and they're only one vote, as Ms. Martin said, but you seem to have made a good enough impression on the Winfields that they're at least strongly considering voting your way.
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