Sugar Plum Season. Mia Ross

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СКАЧАТЬ identifying whatever was troubling her nutcracker prince. Clapping her hands to get their attention, she announced, “Let’s take a break, everyone. Get a snack, use the bathroom and meet me back onstage in ten minutes.”

      That was one trick she’d learned the first day with her raucous crew. They loved being on the big stage, with its many spotlights overhead, and its triple rows of elegant velvet draperies that could be opened and closed as needed. Giggling and chatting excitedly, they went off in a more or less orderly line to get cookies and juice from the small fridge she always kept stocked with treats. Teaching dance to kids under the age of twelve was kind of like being a lion tamer, she mused with a smile. It never hurt to keep some of their favorite foods close by.

      She let them all go ahead of her, then helped herself to a bottle of water. The cookies looked yummy, but her lingering injuries limited her physical activity, and she had to keep an eagle eye on her weight. Slight as she was, if she gained too many pounds, her reconstructed back and spine would pay the price, and she’d be in major trouble. As with most things, she’d learned that the hard way.

      Averting her eyes from the temptation, she took a seat next to Brad, who’d crammed a chocolate-chip cookie into his mouth and stacked three more on his napkin in the shape of a pyramid. While he chewed, she casually asked, “Having a good time tonight?”

      Still munching, he swallowed and then nodded. His brown eyes looked unsure, though, and she edged a little closer. “You’re not really, are you?”

      After hesitating for a moment, he shook his head and sipped some juice. Since he didn’t seem eager to confide in her, Amy debated whether to let it go. She hated it when people forced her to talk, but with the days to opening night ticking down like an Advent calendar, she didn’t have much choice. If Brad didn’t want to play the lead, she had to find another boy who did ASAP.

      She tried to put herself in his place but discovered even her vivid imagination wasn’t that good. She’d never been a young boy, after all. What did she know about how their brains worked?

      Hoping she wouldn’t come across to him as a disapproving adult, she began her inquisition. “You seemed to be having fun with this the last time we rehearsed. Did something happen between then and now to make you change your mind?”

      While he considered her question, she fought the urge to step in and help him make the right choice. Patience wasn’t exactly her strong point, but she tamped down her anxiety and summoned an understanding smile. She didn’t want to lose him, but she only wanted him to remain in the cast if he was enjoying himself. This was supposed to be fun, and she didn’t want any of the kids to feel pressured.

      Finally, he said, “My mom took me to see The Nutcracker this weekend.”

      “What a great idea! How did you like it?”

      “It was awesome,” he replied, eyes wide with enthusiasm. “The soldiers and battle stuff were really cool. They shot off a cannon, and the prince got to kill the mouse king with his sword. How come we’re not doing that?”

      Boys and their toys, she thought, muting a grin that would only insult him. His mother probably wanted to expose him to some culture, and his takeaway was the battle scene. “First of all, I don’t own a cannon, so that was out. Secondly, I wanted to keep our show short enough for little kids in the audience to enjoy. You have a two-year-old sister. How long can she sit still?”

      “Not very long,” he admitted. “But having a sword would be cool.”

      She could envision it now: the nutcracker prince chasing flowers and sugar-plum fairies all over her studio, waving a blade over his head like some marauding pirate captain. In an attempt to avoid being the bad guy on this issue, she asked, “How do you think your mother would like that?”

      His hopeful expression deflated, and he stared down at the table with a sigh. “She’d hate it. She’d say I could poke someone’s eye out or something stupid like that.”

      “I’m sure you wouldn’t hurt anyone on purpose, but accidents can happen when there are so many people onstage together. Someone could stumble and poke themselves, and then we’d be in trouble.”

      “I guess.”

      He was one of a handful of boys she taught, and by far the most talented. With a wiry, athletic build, he seemed to genuinely enjoy learning the routines, and he had a natural stage presence rare in someone his age. Because of that, she hated seeing him so disheartened and searched for a way to ease his disappointment.

      Inspiration struck, and she suggested, “Why don’t we both think about it and come up with something else cool for your character to have? Maybe we could add something to your costume that would make you stand out more from the other soldiers, or give you a solo dance in the spotlight without Clara.”

      She could almost hear the very proper Russian choreographer she’d last worked with shrieking in horror, but Amy put aside her artistic sensibilities and focused on Brad. If adding a quick progression for him would make him happy, she’d gladly do it. The success of Arabesque hinged on keeping her students—and their parents—coming back for more lessons and recitals. While this wasn’t the performing career she’d dreamed of, at least by teaching she was still involved in dancing.

      She didn’t know how to do anything else, so if the studio failed she’d have no other options. When she let herself think about it, she got so nervous she could hardly breathe. So for now, she blocked out the scary possibilities and waited for Brad’s answer.

      After what felt like forever, he met her eyes and gave her a little grin. “Can I jump like the prince I saw this weekend? It was like he was flying.”

      This boy was far from a full grand jeté, but she didn’t bother pointing that out. Instead, she nodded. “It’ll take some extra work, but I think you can do it. What do you say?”

      “Sure. Thanks, Miss Morgan.”

      She was so relieved, she almost hugged him, then thought better of it. She’d learned that boys were funny about that kind of thing, and she didn’t want to destroy the rapport she was building with him by overstepping her boundaries. Instead, she held up her fist for a bump like she’d seen him do with his buddies. “You’re welcome. We’re due back in a couple of minutes, so finish up.”

      “Yes, ma’am.”

      He chugged the rest of his drink, then bolted for the bathroom. Glancing around at the rest of her class, she noticed how cheerful they seemed to be. Here, with their friends, surrounded by the Christmas setting she’d painstakingly designed to invoke the spirit of the ballet they were learning. It was almost time to get back to work, so she picked up her water and slowly moved toward the stage. On her way, she passed the photo Jason had pointed out during his first visit, and while she normally ignored those old pictures, this time she felt compelled to stop and look.

      And remember.

      For most of her life, she’d spent the holidays onstage, in the background as part of the supporting cast and later as Clara, twirling with her nutcracker and later meeting up with her prince. During the curtain call, she’d look out to find her mother in the audience, proudly leading the standing ovations, a huge bouquet of pink roses and baby’s breath in her arms. From her first production to her last, Mom had always been there, dancing every step with her, tears of joy shining in her eyes.

      What would she think of this one? Amy wondered. With her daughter in the wings, adjusting costumes СКАЧАТЬ