Little Miss Nosy

Epilogue

15 years later...

"Plié...plié...grand plié...grand plié...and finish! Alright, wonderful job today ladies! Next class we'll keep working on ballet but please remember to practice our contemporary dance because we will be performing it at competition two weeks from now. And remember to put your ballet bars back."

I hear a chorus of agreements before the group of my students disperse to start putting their bars away.

"Hey, Peyton!" I look over to see the new teacher, Daniel, waving me towards him with a nervous look on his face.

"What's up?"

"Who's closing up for tonight? I'm really sorry but a family emergency popped up and I can't do it."

"Don't be," I wave it off and watch as his face immediately relaxes. "What? Did you think I was gonna fire you because there was an emergency? You can't control those things, Daniel. I'll get Meg to do it."

"Thanks. Oh and by the way, do you know how hard it was to find this place when I first started here. It's like, in the middle of nowhere. How did you find out about it?"

I smile and look down at the ground, thinking back to the time Logan brought me here all those years ago. That was my first time here, and now I own the place. How amazing is that?

"An old friend brought me here once." That was all it took for Daniel to nod once in understanding and start towards the door.

I say my goodbyes to the rest of my students as they exit the studio and gather my things before heading over to my own little ballerina.

"Having fun?" I ask with a raised eyebrow. The little one lifts her leg off of the ballet bar and drops it with a sigh.

"I can't do it, mommy," she huffs and leans tiredly on the bar. Her disappointed frown made my heart ache, making me immediately drop my things and kneel in front of her.

"Hey, no need to be sad. Mommy couldn't do it at first either. It takes time, Addison."

Her big brown eyes raise to meet mine and she smiled a tiny bit.

"Promise?"

"Promise. And you can't stress or overwork yourself. It's not healthy."

"That's right! Daddy tried to do a grand plié last night and he said he almost broke something."

"That's because daddy is old." She burst out in a fit of laughter at that and nodded her head enthusiastically. She moved away from her bar and I picked it up, pulling it along with the others.

I made sure Meg knew that she was on lockup duty tonight and said a few goodbyes to the remaining teachers before taking my daughter's hand and leading us to my car.

"Where are we going now mommy?"

"We have to go to the park to pick up your brother-"

"Ooh that means we get to see uncle Trevor!" she screamed and began to bounce in her car seat.

"Mhmm," I assured. "Then we have to go visit grandma before going home. Is that okay with you, sweetheart?" I smiled through the rear view mirror knowing that she was gonna agree no matter what.

"Okay!"

---

"Trevor, relax. He's gonna be fine."

"I know! He's just...so much younger than the other kids. I don't want him to get hurt...watch out for your brother Vivian!"

"Sorry dad!"