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Becca: Awesome!! Knew you could do it!
Sloane: Amazing!! Yay you!
Grandpa: That’s my girl!
Grandma: So proud of you!
Dad: Way to go, Lily!
And as much as she loved their enthusiasm, tears stung her eyes because she wished she were home with them instead. She’d give anything for a hug instead of a text.
“Dammit,” she muttered, wiping her eyes. She was getting really tired of being such a weepy mess lately. So, she chatted with them until her dinner arrived and then wished everyone a goodnight before turning on the TV and eating her salad.
What she really wanted was a bacon cheeseburger.
“After the auditions are over, that will be my reward.”
But the auditions seemed to go on and on and on.
Friday was the semi-finals, and both she and Drea advanced to the final round.
Saturday was a prep class with Tag—something Lily had been reluctant to go to because she had a feeling he was going to push her with choreography that she was trying to avoid. Fortunately, he didn’t, but he was overly critical of her solo dance she had prepared for finals.
“You’re playing it safe, Lily,” he said. “That’s not the dancer I remember. There are a hundred other girls who are willing to take the risks to be noticed!”
“That may be, but I’m unwilling to hurt myself and get noticed because I’m on the floor again,” she challenged. “So if my routine isn’t risky enough, but my skills are impeccable, then I’m okay with that.”
He’d merely shrugged her off and moved on to help Drea.
The prep class and practice time took all day. When she got back to the hotel that night, she was tired, sweaty, and hungry, but still ordered her boring grilled chicken salad for the third night in a row.
Sunday was a day of rest and Lily got up early and went down to the pool to get a little sun. Finals were on Tuesday and tomorrow, she and Drea were doing another prep class and practicing their solos.
And she still had little to no enthusiasm for it.
Sitting down on a chaise, she got comfortable. Closing her eyes, she laid back and then groaned when her phone rang, but smiled when she saw her dad’s face on the screen.
“Hey, Dad!”
“Hey, tiny dancer! How’s it going?” he teased.
“Ha, ha,” she deadpanned. “Today is a rest day, and that’s what I’m doing. I’m actually down by the pool. What’s going on up there? Everyone okay?”
“Oh, yeah. I think your grandfather’s going to try to go to the office tomorrow. Not for long, but he wants to go in and check on things. You know how he is.”
She laughed softly. “I do. But this must mean he’s feeling good.”
“He is, but…I still wish he’d stay home another week and just relax. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know how to do that.”
“It runs in the family.”
“And yet you’re sunning yourself poolside, so…”
“Yeah, well…it’s been a tough week,” she admitted, and something in her voice must have given her away.
“Okay, out with it, Lil. What’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
