Other evenings, she demonstrated new movements in the hallway.
Scott recorded her performances on his phone.
“Our future superstar!” he’d announce.
“Dad, stop filming!”
But she would be laughing.
I loved seeing her so happy.
She talked about her instructor, Ms. Alvarez, and the students in the advanced program.
She explained ballet terminology I could barely pronounce.
Once, she even corrected the way I was standing.
“Mom, your shoulders are too tense.”
I laughed.
“Sweetheart, I spent nine hours dealing with hospital paperwork. My shoulders are allowed to be tense.”
She grinned.
Then she showed me how to stand properly.
Those evenings became some of my favorite moments.
I thought Derek’s kindness had given Audrey an opportunity she might otherwise have missed.
But sometime during the fourth week, things began to change.
***
It started with small differences.
Audrey stopped practicing in the kitchen.
Her ballet bag remained zipped after she returned home.
She spent more time upstairs.
When I asked about her lessons, she gave short answers.
