“I would never dream of it, Red.”
The rest of the ride passes comfortably. I join in singing when a song comes on that I know, which prompts her to alter her playlist to include some of our favorites from the past. By the time we reach our destination, I’m sure she’s forgotten the purpose of our trip.
“You want to know where we're going?”
“Yes!” The way her eyes light up causes my breath to catch. This girl is so fucking gorgeous, and she doesn’t even know it. Unable to speak, I point out the windshield and hear her gasp.
“We’re going to the pier!”
“Yep,” I confirm as I park the car. “Don’t get out.” I slide out of the car, round the hood, and open the door for her. She slips out, and I reach for the hoodie on the floorboard. “Come here.”
Morgan stands right in front of me as I tie the hoodie around her waist. “You’ll probably get cold in that little top when we get closer to the water.”
“Who would have thought you could be so thoughtful?” she teases.
Taking her hand in mine, we head towards the entrance of the pier, and I buy us wristbands to ride the Ferris wheel.
“Where do you want to start?” I ask as she plays with her wristband.
“Would you mind if we walked through the vendor stalls? Then maybe grab some food before we ride the Ferris wheel?”
I take her hand in mine once again and pull her towards the vendor stalls. I watch her as she looks at scarves, handmade soaps, and jewelry. She talks to each vendor and praises their work. In one stall, I see a handmade necklace made of fine metals that looks like a ballerina. Her arms are wrapped around her legs, which are pulled close to her chest, and her chin rests on her knees. She’s wearing point shoes, and it looks like she’s questioning everything.
Is this how Morgan looked when she questioned if she still loved to dance? I quietly buy the necklace from the vendor while Morgan has her back turned and slip it into my pocket for later. Once through all the vendor stalls, we head towards the food. I grab us a funnel cake to share and a lemonade and head towards where Morgan’s waiting, leaning against a railing overlooking Lake Michigan.
“I love the water,” she says on a sigh as I approach.
“Should I call you Ariel?” I tease as I set the lemonade on the railing ledge.
“Hilarious.” She reaches for the lemonade and takes a sip before breaking off a piece of funnel cake.
“Best part about not being a ballerina is I don’t have to worry about counting calories anymore.” She moans.
“Like you needed to to begin with,” I mutter.
“Dancing’s extremely competitive, much more than I realized. If you weren’t skinny enough, they would make you run extra conditioning training. Quickly you learn limiting what you eat is easier than another hour on the stair-climber.”
She doesn’t look over at me as the words she says breaks my heart.
Reaching out, I grab her hand. “I know losing ballet must have been rough, but you don’t deserve to be made to feel like you are less. If being a ballerina means killing yourself to meet an unobtainable image, then it’s not worth it. You are worth so much more than that.”
She peeks over at me, a smile on her face. “I’ve been thinking the same thing recently. Maybe being a ballerina wasn’t meant for me. You know I’m teaching ballet right now?” At my nod, she continues., “I love it, Keat. It fills me with so much joy to watch these girls nail every move. It’s like I’m experiencing my first time all over again.”
“I can tell. I can hear the change in your voice, the happiness that was missing when you first came back.”
She finally turns to me, the sunset behind her creating the perfect image in my mind. The wisps of hair that have fallen out of her buns fly wildly around her face. I reach out to tuck one back in.
She gulps but continues her thought. “I’m thinking about learning some other types of dances. Since being a ballerina is off the table, I think I want to be a dance instructor, molding the next dancers, or maybe just giving the encouragement they need to be themselves.”
Stepping in closer, I let my finger brush her cheek. “You would be the best instructor. You’ve been so good with Tinsley. I know you don’t see it, but you influence her in a positive way. I think you could do that with others.”
She blushes. “Thank you.”
Stepping back, I grab the forgotten funnel cake and hold it out to her. We eat in comfortable silence while staring at the water. Once it's gone, I toss the plate in the trash and turn back to Morgan, noticing little goose bumps all over her arms and stomach. I step into her space and untie my hoodie from around her waist. I slip it over her head, being careful of her hair. She puts her arms through the armholes as I adjust the hood.
“My hoodie looks good on you.” My voice comes out raspy.
“People will think we’re going steady,” she teases.
“Let ’em.” The lights are popping on, illuminating everything around us. “You want to head home, or do you want to ride the Ferris wheel?”
“Did you seriously just ask me that? We can’t leave without a Ferris wheel ride.”
I smile at the look of bewilderment on her face. I didn’t want to leave either. If I could, I would keep her out here with me all night.
I take her hand and lead her to the Ferris wheel. We have to wait in line for
