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The energy leaving the stage was deafening. Shouts, stomps from air-kicks, and even cartwheels from my team were on level ten. We wonInternational Dance Competition…finally! Even with the teeming celebratory vigor around me, I couldn’t quite process the victory. Taking the stage to perform, I was caught in the snares of major blues.
And heavily anticipatory…
I scanned the backstage area for Chi-Chi and Jas amongst the sea of people, including my own. Just as expected, they were there, virtually where I’d left them. Chi-Chi held onto her father’s hands as she danced, hopping on one foot then the other. I headed their way and once again was encountered by the crocodile slide in his eyes.
“Hey!” I exhaled.
“Mommy!” She ran to me.
I picked her up when her tiny frame reached me. “Hey, baby girl!”
“You won!” her cry sounded more like “vun.”
“I did, sugar and spice! And guess what?”
“What?” she asked with infectious excitement.
“I get to celebrate with the princess I love! Mommy won!” I cheered.
“Yaay, Mommy!” she shouted, body locking against my chest with unbridled bliss.
Laughing, I turned to her father. “That’s if you guys aren’t flying out tonight.”
Jas shook his head, forehead lifting. “Nah. We just got in a few hours ago. Left Amy back at the villa to get things settled in.”
“When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
“Oh!” I gasped, looking shocked at Chi-Chi. “Guess I’ll have to steal all the hours I can to eat up my sugar and spice!” I nuzzled into her neck, causing her to giggle from way down in her belly and squirm against me. Then a thought occurred. “Is that okay with you?” I asked her father. “Is there room for me?”
I knew he traveled with security and had to accommodate them as well as Amy, the nanny.
Jas’ brows leaped expressing indifference before he asked, don’t you have some celebrating to do?” He tossed his chin over my head.
My troupe.
“I’ll have to debrief, but they’ll understand, seeing Chi-Chi’s here.” I didn’t give a damn.
Jas shrugged again, this time with his head. “There’s room. That’s where we’ll be.”
There was something in his tone. Something empty…uninviting—or at least that’s what Jas wanted me to believe. I wasn’t taking the hook. This was my night. We’d won a coveted title tonight. I wouldn’t allow anything to ruin this high I was on.
My baby was here with me!
Regretfully, I placed Chi-Chi down. The sooner I could wrap up the night with my crew would be the sooner I’d get back to her. As soon as her feet touched down, she skipped over to her father. Jas picked her up right away and was rewarded by a swift kiss on his hairy cheek by her. He saluted me, bringing his index to his forehead, then turned to leave. Chi-Chi didn’t even look back as he carried her off.
A slight ache rented my chest at that. She seemed okay parting from me. It hadn’t always been that way. I remembered times I had to leave when Chi-Chi was asleep to avoid her crying spells.
What was this?
“Okay. Bitch, now that,thatone’s gone, what are you going to do about this one?” Borys asked lowly over my head.
What?
I turned to find him leaning over me, reminding me of how Jas did once upon a time when being affectionate.
“Who?” I was now half irritated, half curious.
