Waltz of Her Life

"Yes, honey, you will."

"Yay!" Hayley raised her arm in the air and jumped high. For some reason she loved riding in that ancient Volkswagen with so much history.

Just before her shift ended, she went into one of the ladies' rooms to slip on her dress. When the director of nursing saw her she said "Wow! Where are you going? Do you have a hot date?"

Linda smiled and said "No, I have an appointment," and executed a perfect triple twinkle down the hospital corridor, complete with a double spin at the end.

"Whoa!" the director of nursing said, as everyone within range, who'd seen Linda's impromptu dance step, cheered. "I'll have what she's having!"

She left the building with a smile on her face and her nurse's gear in a little bag. Everything seemed to be working in her favor. Even the traffic, which could be horrendous at that time of the day, gave her a break. It helped that she only had four miles to drive. By the time she exited the highway near the studio, she realized that she was fifteen minutes early for her lesson.

It was only four o'clock, she told herself. When she'd taken her first lesson, more than twelve years ago, it was early evening. This would be the same kind of thing. It would be like she was taking a trip back in time, except, this time she would not have to fill out a questionnaire and sit anxiously in the lobby. Still, when she rode the elevator up to the dance studio, she felt a pins-and-needles kind of trepidation in her arms.

When the elevator door opened into the foyer for The Next Step, Linda held her breath. She then steeled herself and strode across the carpet to the studio's front door. When she opened it, she saw a plain looking woman with pulled-back auburn hair standing at the counter. She appeared to have been waiting, like a sentry, for the door to open, since as soon as Linda entered, she plastered a wide smile on her face and said "Mrs. Herron! It's so nice to meet you! I'm Emily! We spoke on the phone."

Linda crossed to the receptionist desk and shook Emily's hand. Rather than look at her as they shook hands, Emily's eyes tilted downward, looking at Linda's belly.

"Now, just have a seat, and I'll make sure Roger knows you're here."

Emily started to walk away from her receptionist post but paused, and turned back to look at her. "Can I get you anything?"