Page 123 of Scarred

Luna guides and directs them on stage as they follow and mimic her dance movements. There’s not a person in this place who isn’t grinning as they do their ending pose.

Our row claps and whistles like we just won the fucking Stanley Cup as they do their cute little curtsy before walking off stage. I notice Luna takes Scar’s hand and whispers something to her as pride etches across my daughter’s face as she excitedly bobs her head.

“Why do I feel like a proud dad in this moment?” Hayes asks, taking one last picture before they walk off. “That was so fucking adorable. Almost makes me want to settle down and have one myself.”

“Can you imagine another Hayes walking around?” Kane chuckles. “God, help us all.”

“Please spare the world,” McCormick mutters.

“I said almost. The world isn’t ready yet for the greatness that I will create,” he grins.

“We can always hope the apocalypse will come first,” Kane mumbles, causing us all to laugh.

The next group comes on, saving us from Hayes’s next comment as we settle in and watch the next few dancers.

When the lights dim for the last performance, Luna’s silhouette walks out on stage. She gets into position, and a single spotlight hits her body.

She’s changed into another outfit, and this one has me studying every detail. It’s flowy like the last one, but it’s the design that has my chest tighten.

One side is white with a few soft feathers placed around the bodice, while the other side is black and torn in places. The dark feathers on top and the contrast from soft to sinister give you the feeling of angel vs. demon.

It’s my tattoo.

When the music comes on, and she starts to dance, my heartbeat starts to thump loudly in my chest as I realize what I’m seeing.

She’s performing the dance she made for me.

The same one I watched that night.

It’s my dance.

My gaze is locked on her as her body moves and flies across the stage, caught between light and dark

Pain vs. love.

When she collapses on the floor, the music changes to a softer note as her body emerges into the light, leaving the pain and fear behind.

She dances for hope now.

She dances for love.

I don’t breathe.

I don’t move.

The ending gets near, and when she does her final leap, reaching into the air for something before landing and hugging herself, I see it in a different light.

It’s no longer something that I want to fight…that I want to control.

I’m the one she’s reaching for at the end, and I realize that no matter what I control or how hard I fight it…

It was always meant to be us reaching for each other in the end.

The crowd erupts around me as people stand and cheer, pulling me back into the theater as it slowly comes into focus.

I slowly get up and cheer, but what I really want to do is run up on that stage and get my girl.

“God, she’s fucking amazing,” Hayes says in awe as Luna stands up and takes a moment to soak it all in.