Page 66 of On Dancer

“I know. When it snows, it blizzards.” Rudy laughed, a giddy sound that had me joining him.

“Ha. Nice bit of northeast winter humor.” It might be March, but there was sadly plenty of snow around. “I’m so ready for spring.”

“Do you miss Seattle?” Rudy’s concerned eyes said he was asking about far more than the weather.

“Honestly, no. I’m grateful for what the company offered me for so many years, but tonight felt like a triumph decades in the making. Wouldn’t trade it for the world.” I pulled him in close for a kiss, not caring about who might be hovering nearby or my own sweatiness. “Or you. Definitely not trading you.”

“Thank you.” He gave me a grateful smile. Down the corridor, Melody was chatting with our mothers. Our alone time dwindled, so I gave him another kiss.

“You’ll tell me everything later?”

“Of course. We’re meeting the social worker on Tuesday to discuss more details.” Rudy bounced on his feet, exactly like his mother did when excited. “It’s siblings, like we hoped. Three-year-old twins.”

“Twins?” I gasped loudly enough that a few nearby heads swiveled. I quickly lowered my voice back to a whisper. “Twin toddlers? And I thought tonight was the performance of a lifetime.”

“It was.” Rudy squeezed my shoulder. “And we’re both ready for this next role as well.”

“Well, you’re certainly ready.” I gave a dramatic sigh as I sagged against him. “I can only hope to follow your lead.”

He snorted. “That would be a first.”

“Hey, I listen to you plenty,” I protested.

“You do.” He gave me an indulgent kiss. “And yes, Alexander, we’re ready. There’s no one else I want to partner me in this next act of our lives.”

“I’ll endeavor to do my best.” Weary muscles be damned, I lifted him off the ground, to much squeaking. If tonight was the pinnacle of my professional ballet life, Rudy was the pinnacle of the rest of my life, a high I could never seek to duplicate, and the only role I wanted to spend forever perfecting.