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I understand this isn’t that big of a deal. The world won’t end if, by some fluke of nature, Selina has an issue with me not being there with Love. But right now, it feels like the end of the world. That no matter what decision I make, something is going to go wrong. Selina will hate me. Bristol will hate me. Leia will hate me. And the small support network I’ve scraped together will all come crumbling to the ground all because I took a few extra minutes. Love and I will be alone again.
My chest tightens, as if all the air is being sucked out of the room and someone has wrapped their fingers around my neck. I struggle to take a breath as panic bubbles up from my stomach and settles in my chest. I pull in a deep breath, willing my body to calm down, as a set of arms wrap around me.
“How about I text Selina and make sure everything isokay?” Bristol whispers before placing a kiss on the top of my head and taking a step back.
“That will work perfectly.” I sigh, all the tension leaving my body as Bristol pulls her phone out and sends off a quick message.
It only takes a few moments before Selina answers. “Love has hit it off with another girl around her age in the class. We might as well get started with the tour because the class Selina wanted Love to sit in on is about to start.”
“That’s plenty of time to tour the rest of the studio and then treat me to a coffee at Just the Drip on the corner,” Leia says, threading her arm through mine.
“Shouldn’t you be treating me since it’s my first day in town?”
“Semantics.” Leia waves her hand, dismissing my comments
It doesn’t take too much time for Bristol and Leia to show me around. There are two rooms off to the right of the main studio for the smaller classes Bristol offers during the week. Off to the other side, there is a small break room with a refrigerator, a two-person table, and a microwave tucked into the corner.
“This place is bigger than I thought,” I say as we step back into the reception area.
“I’ve done a lot of expanding over the years. Thankfully, Selina has a certain construction company owner wrapped around her pinkie finger.” Leia winks at Bristol before taking a seat in one of the chairs scattered around the area.
“There must be a story there.”
“There is, but it’s Selina’s story to tell,” Bristol replies, pulling off a sticky note and scribbling something on it before handing it to me. “Here is your schedule for the rest of this week. It’s only one class, but I have a doctor’s appointment and would really hate to cancel it. We can sit down after that and divide up the classes so it’s the best fit for both of our schedules.”
“That sounds perfect. But don’t think I forgot about that juicy bit of information you just dropped into my lap.”
“Don’t worry, Audrey. I’ll give you theReader’s Digestversion over coffee,” Leia chimes in, causing Bristol to scowl in her direction.
“Deal,” I reply. “I just want to check in on Love to see if she needs anything. She left her cell and everything in the car when she took off.”
“You’re such a good mom.” Bristol sniffs before wrapping her arms around me in a tight hug.
“I try.”
“No, you are.” She pulls back, unshed tears shining back at me. “I hope that I’m half as good of a mother to this little one as you are to Love.”
“Aww, you’re going to make me cry.”
“Please, no crying,” Leia says as we break apart. “If you cry, then she’s going to cry, and then I’ll start crying, and then I’ll never get my coffee.”
“Heaven forbid you’re deprived of yourcoffee.” We both wave at Bristol before heading out the door and toward the dance studio and walk right in.
“Can I help you?” I turn, noticing a young woman in her early twenties, about my height with beautiful golden-brown skin, sitting behind the small receptionist desks. Her dark hair is pulled into a tight bun on top of her head. She looks just like the photos of Misty Copeland that Love had hung all over her room.
“Selina brought my daughter, Love, to view one of her classes. Do you know if she’s still here?”
“Of course.” She gives me a warm, reassuring smile. “You must be Audrey.”
“Yes, the one and only,” Leia answers, as if my arrival in town was big news.
“I’ve heard nothing but good things from Ms. Selina, Bristol, and Leia about you. They’ve all been talking nonstop about your arrival for weeks now. I’m so glad to finally meet you.”
“They’ve been talking about me?”
“Of course we have! We’ve been trying to get you to move your butt here since Bristol and I came back from college.” Leia throws her arm over my shoulder and pulls me into her side. “Once Selina came back to town, we wanted all of us together in one place, just like the four musketeers.”
“You know there were only three musketeers, right?” The girl behind the counter snickers quietly before holding her hand out toward me. “I’m Emersyn.”
