Chapter 9 - ONE MORE WALTZ
I accepted the federation invitation on one condition: I would not be expected to compete. At the gala, former dancers greeted me with tears and awkward apologies. Some had believed I retired voluntarily. Others had heard rumors that I had become unreliable after the accident.
I spoke about how losing a career did not mean losing a life. A sixteen-year-old dancer approached me afterward. Her coach had told her she was not built for ballroom.
“Do you love dancing?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“Then don’t let one person decide what your body is allowed to mean.”
Later, Ethan found me near the terrace doors and asked for one waltz. My leg was tired, but I agreed. There were no cameras, no challenge, and no prize. He followed my lead, listening to the music and to me.
When the song ended, he asked whether I wanted dinner. I said yes.
May you like
Margaret then handed me a photograph of Richard standing beside an unfamiliar woman. On the back was a note: RICHARD DIDN’T ACT ALONE.
The truth was still unfolding.
