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“I think you were good today,” the dance teacher says.
The look on Emma’s face only reinforces how much of a compliment that simple sentence is, coming from the Russian. Irina does seem to be someone who never hands out praise like that, so this must be pretty big for Emma.
I can even see tears forming in Emma’s eyes as she processes the compliment.
“Thank you, Irina. Thank you for coming.”
“My pleasure.”
“You know that I learned everything from you,” Emma whispers, her voice full of pent-up emotion. “All of this was from your classes. Your teaching changed my life. I might not have danced properly for years, but who I am today stems from those classes with you. I can’t thank you enough, Irina. For everything.”
“No,” Irina replies, shaking her head. “I merely taught you the correct technique. All of this, Emma, is down toyou. Your talent. I know, as a teacher, I am not permitted to have favorites. But I always had a soft spot for you. I thought you were going to be good. And it turns out I was correct, as I always am.”
“Thank you, Irina.”
I can see how much this has hit Emma. How this has really affected her.
And so has Irina.
“I will go now,” she announces in her frank way, probably escaping before her emotions get the better of her. “Goodbye, everyone. And, Emma, please inform me next time you are on a stage. I would very much like to see it.”
Her tiny, domineering form spins around on her heels and she shoots out of the dressing room in her blunt Russian style.
After she leaves, Diana looks at me and then at Emma.
“She’s something, isn’t she?”
“Yes,” Emma replies. “She is a character. But she really taught me a lot. It’s incredible that you found her, August.”
“I wanted to make today special for you, Emma,” I reply softly.
Sensing the change of atmosphere in the room, Diana turns to her daughter.
“Come on, Faith,” she whispers. “Let’s go. Let’s leave these two alone for a while.”
“You two are leaving?” Emma asks her.
“We’ll just be outside,” Diana replies to her with a wink. “We’ll see you soon.”
She takes Faith by the hand, and they walk past me. Diana gives me a cheeky wink as well. I whisper to her athank youfor coming.
Once they’re gone, I shut the dressing room door so that Emma and I are alone.
“I like Diana,” I tell Emma.
She smiles.
“I like her too,” she replies.
“And I like you, Emma.”
The dancer blushes now.
“I like you too,” she says.
I take a step toward her.
“You were truly great out there today,” I remark. “You don’t need to hear it from me twice, but I really do think you are so, so talented, Emma. And it’s pretty damn clear everyone else invited here today thinks so.”
