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A small smile tugged at her thin lips. “I will walk you through lower grade lessons starting tomorrow afternoon at five. When I feel you are capable of handling a few classes on your own, I will assign you some. Understood?”
I nodded eagerly, grinning wide. “Thank you so much, you won’t regret it!”
“Bring your documents with you tomorrow so you can fill out some paperwork. Be here at four thirty.”
“I will, thank you,” I said, still bubbling with giddiness as I headed out the door and back to the hotel.
* * *
The next day I arrived at the dojo forty-five minutes early, purely out of nervous excitement. Night was fast approaching with winter well on its way, the sky alight with an array of bright, streaking colors. I shivered with the gusts of icy wind. This far north, it was only a matter of days before snow made an appearance. The forecast said it was set to arrive by the end of the week, and though my wardrobe was ill-equipped, I couldn’t help but look forward to experiencing my first snowfall. After only a few minutes, Sensei took pity on my lack of a jacket, and let me into the warmth of the dojo.
She sat a stack of neatly folded uniforms and a few papers in front of me and turned away from her small office without a word. I filled them out before trying on the traditional garments. A surge of pride filled me when I looked down at myself.
Without taking years of martial arts classes, I was on my way to becoming an instructor. Hard training was one thing Romero gave me that I could be thankful for. I was suddenly struck with the desire to call him and tell him about my new position.
I shook the foolishness from my mind when Sensei LeBlanc’s knuckles rapped the hollow wood door. I pulled it open, unable to keep the smile from my face.
“Let’s begin with some stretches before the first class arrives,” she said, not bothering to ask about the legal forms.
I nodded, following her to the mats.
We stretched individually before she ran me through a few two-person stretches I was required to know. Then we went over a list of simple drills, reiterating lingo I mostly knew.
By the time the young, cheery faces began filing in, my anxiety level ramped up. Sure, they were maybe four or five years old—too young to even notice if I screwed something up—but the watchful gaze of their parents felt more challenging than Sensei’s. I was introduced as an apprentice, which was met with plenty of curious stares and a few plainly trusting smiles.
Too soon the world will break that trust, I thought to myself, and the curve of my lips slipped. Not every child grew up with no father and an addict for a mother, but that didn’t mean their spirits wouldn’t be tested in other ways.
The class was short, catering to their tiny attention spans, but their admiration and determination as they were put through their drills was beyond adorable. I even scored a few high fives at the end.
The next class was for slightly older kids, allowing a more hands-on role where Sensei LeBlanc encouraged me to help correct forms. But for more of the instruction, I simply absorbed as much as I could.
Two more classes came after, and by the end of the evening, I had a fair bit more confidence than before. We cleaned up when the last students departed, sanitizing the mats and equipment.
When we finished, the severe woman spoke. “I’ll file your papers tonight and scan your documents.”
I nodded, then headed for the door with my bag slung over my shoulder.
“Bernadette,” she called when I reached the exit.
Turning, I caught a subtle nod that seemed like approval.
“Well done tonight.”
I smiled, though I hadn’t done anything impressive. “Thanks.”
My walk back in the dark was more than a little unnerving, but besides passing an alley with several strung-out addicts who catcalled when I passed, the short trip was uneventful.
After showering and collapsing on the newly made mattress in my dingy, temporary home, I felt a flutter of hope in my chest. I had a new name. A new look and a new identity.
It would be hard work, but if it all went to plan, I’d find a tiny apartment near the dojo and save for a vehicle.
My plans and schemes lulled me into the most peaceful sleep I’d had in weeks.
Chapter Thirty-Three
JULIETTA
The next week, which somehow remained free of the frozen white flakes I desperately wanted to see, Sensei LeBlanc let me lead several exercises, introducing me to new classes all the way up to experienced adults. At the end of the day, she ran through the handful of classes I’d be taking by myself during the week.
