It takes two

Chapter six

"Say cheese!"

"Cheese!"

Emelia grinned widely, one of the biggest smiles she had given in her entire life. She stood opposite her mother dressed in her blue uniform which included a blue plaid skirt, crisp white blouse and blue cardigan, complete with frilly white ankle socks, patent black brogues and the blue headband that Amy had gotten her the day before, complete with a bow. Her hair was in pigtails, her uniform complimenting her big blue eyes.

Dianne saved the picture, sad that her baby was growing up too quickly but happy to see her growing up nicely.

"Perfect. Emelia, you're growing up so fast, soon you'll be out in the world, doing your own thing." Emelia shrugged, collecting her schoolbag which seemed a tad heavier than last years.

"We all have to grow up eventually mama."

///

It was eight fifty five, five minutes before they were meant to start, and Joe had walked into the studio for the first time.

It was only then that it had really hit him, he was going to learn to dance. Stood in his tracksuit bottoms and top, it all felt more real than ever, and there was no going back either. He stood in the middle of the space, taking it all in for a few minutes before leaning against a wall and starting to browse through his phone, starting to get a little worried as to where Dianne was.

It was quarter past nine when Dianne came through the door, visibly stressed and a little out of breath. "Sorry I'm late, I-I got caught up in traffic, I'll just set up the music."

"It's fine, take a breath." She sighed with relief, worried he'd be annoyed, she was never one to usually be late.

"Thank you. So before we get started the camera crew want to film us 'meeting for the first time.' They'll be here in a bit but for now we can warm up."

Joe nodded, placing his phone down with the rest of his things while she went to the music box and began setting it up. "Cool, now what dance am I doing?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out." Joe sighed, now more eager than ever. Come on ballroom routines, at least that's what he had on loop in his mind.

"Kick kick kick in, kick kick kick in, out in, out in, kick two three in!" Dianne chanted, the two running the dance for the fifth time in a row, having gotten up to the first chorus by lunchtime. To Diannes delight, Joe was indeed a quick learner and was determined to get it right, she was grateful for the work ethic.

As soon as they finished that run, he flopped down onto the floor, defeated and shattered. "Di...is it lunch yet, I don't know if I've got another run in me." He sat up, running a lazy hand through his hair. Why did she have to find him so attractive when he did that? It was hard enough having to teach someone to dance who was a novice, let alone someone very pleasing to the eye. None the less, he was there, and he was pretty great.

"Sure you do. One more and then we'll have a break, I promise. Come on, up you get." He sat open jawed for a moment, blinking twice.

"I'm going to sleep well tonight, that's for certain." He said while getting up, walking over to his starting position. She chuckled at his wit, another thing she had grown to like.

"We did it!" Joe threw his fists up in the air, them just having nailed a new section that they had spent a while working on. She cheered, relieved herself. That section had proven hard, but they had pulled it off, and done it flawlessly. "Finally!"

"Yes Joseph! See, I knew you could do it!" Joe felt flattered by the way she called him by his full first name, something only his mum and sister had done, indicating she was special. He had known this from day one, but this was just one of the little things that confirmed that.