“First?”
“People loved it.”
“This system rewards failure.”
Dani sat beside me, still pink.
“Failure is part of growth.”
She avoided my eyes. I smiled. This was new.
We did not win the yoga event. A couple named Marisol and Jen completed every pose with the calm synchronization of people who had apparently trained in a mountain monastery. We placed third in technical scoring. Marisol and Jen found us afterward. Marisol offered me a packet of electrolyte powder; Jen returned the resistance band I had abandoned beneath a mat.
“You two are chaos,” Marisol said warmly.
“You say that as the person who held crow pose while answering Blake’s questions,” I replied.
Jen smiled. “We practice when no one is filming. That helps.”
I accepted the powder. “Your technical score was deserved.”
“So was your audience score,” Marisol said. “People saw you recover together.”
It was the first time another competitor had treated us as something other than a spectacle. Audience engagement moved us to second overall for the week. Amy-from-one-month-ago would have considered this scoring method corrupt. Current Amy still considered it corrupt. She also accepted the silver-colored ribbon Blake handed us.
“For documentation,” I told Dani.
“Of course.”
We stood near the back wall while the studio emptied. Gloria and Lola approached. Gloria resembled Dani around the eyes,though her expression carried more authority and less mischief. Lola reached us first. She wore glittery trainers and carried the dinosaur sign under one arm.
“You’re Amy.”
“Yes.”
“I’m Lola.”
“I know.”
She looked pleased. “Aunt Dani talks about me.”
Dani coughed.
“Occasionally,” I said.
“Do you like dinosaurs?”
“Yes.”
I answered automatically, and truthfully. Lola took my hand.
“Which one?”
“Ankylosaurus.”
Her eyes widened.
“Good answer.”
