Page 70 of Give In To Love
“Mandy’s brother, Jason, is one of my closest friends and also happens to be dating my brother, Zach. They’ve also semi-adopted Lauren, her brother Rusty, and her cousin Sean.”
“Lauren? The little girl in my Thursday class?”
“Yup.”
“You said she’s adopted? But I’ve seen her mom… Sarah, right?”
Drea laughed. “Not legally adopted. They’re like funcles…or maybe guncles is the more accurate term. It’s kind of a long story.”
“What about Jimmy? Is he coming out today?” I’d checked on him several times over the last week. Our texts had been friendly but not overly personal, and I hadn’t thought to ask if he was coming today. I hadn’t realized it would turn into a friends-and-family thing. But he was friends with Mandy and Drea, so it made sense for him to make an appearance.
“I’m not sure. Jimmy said he wasn’t sure he’d be up for it.”
I frowned. “He said he was doing alright when I talked to him yesterday.”
“Did you call, or was it via a text?”
“Text. Jimmy hates phone calls.”
“Yes, he does. Partially because he’s not a people person. But also because it allows him to mask how he’s really doing. Which is why I showed up at his apartment unannounced on Wednesday and made him grab a bite with me.”
She wasn’t telling me anything I didn’t already know about Jimmy, but I’d been so focused on letting him set the pace that I’d overlooked the possibility that he wasn’t being totally forthcoming with his state of mind. I moved to sit on the edge of the stage next to her, my legs dangling off the edge. “So how is he then? Is he okay? That asshole didn’t come back, did he?”
“Easy there, tiger. As far as I know, Steven hasn’t been back. And Jimmy’s…processing. Steven was a lying, manipulating little cheater. I suspect Jimmy’s going to be unpacking that baggage for a while.” She squeezed my arm, then hopped up to greet one of the dancers who’d just arrived.
The next ninety minutes were a blur as dancers arrived and performed. The stage was small with a lower ceiling, making it less than ideal to really showcase their skills, but it was still a nice experience for the kids to get to show off what they’d been working on and engage with the community. Drea had reserved one of the fire pits for later in the afternoon so the dancers and their families could have some bonding time as well.
About a third of the way through the performances, I noticed Jimmy standing next to Mandy and her family toward the back of the crowd. He caught my eye and smiled, giving me a little wave. The small gesture lit something inside me, some part that had started to doubt whether he really wanted my friendship or was just being nice. I’d reminded myself several times over the last week and a half that Jimmy had reached out to me in his moment of crisis. He’d wanted me there. He’d asked me to stay. And with his simple wave, my confidence returned.
I smiled and waved back, then returned my focus to the performers for the rest of the show. After, as the dancers were chatting with friends and families in little clusters, our own little fan club gathered. I was introduced to Jason and Zach, along with Lauren’s brother and cousin. Lauren’s mom, Sarah, was working but would be here later in the afternoon after she finished her shift. As the adults chatted, the kids began to get impatient, tugging on grown-ups’ hands, begging to go see this attraction or that, and we all set about, going our separate ways. Drea, along with Mandy and her family, agreed to take Lauren to see the goats while Jason, Zach, and the boys headed toward the corn maze. Which left just Jimmy and me. I wasn’t sure if Drea had orchestrated this or if it had happened naturally, but I wasn’t mad about having him to myself.
We set out down the path, happy to wander aimlessly, without any particular destination in mind. We passed food stands selling apple cider, kettle corn, and turkey legs. There were booths with ring toss, water gun races, and other carnival-style games. And there was also a playground and a petting zoo. Absently, I found myself linking pinkies with Jimmy, but once I realized what I’d done, I pulled away with a muttered apology. Jimmy looked at me meaningfully, grabbed my hand, and we kept walking.
“So, which of those dances were your choreography?”
I thought through which ones had been performed today and rattled off the list.
“Oh wow. I didn’t realize you’d done so many.”
“I’ve choreographed several of this season’s solos as well, but we didn’t perform those today.”
“That’s really cool. I liked the last one. I’ve always liked Billie Eilish, but ‘Lovely’ is one of my favorites.” I smiled, pleased, as that was my favorite as well. “Do you miss performing?”
“I do, and I don’t. I was heading toward some pretty serious burnout. I spent almost two consecutive years on the road betweenMean GirlsandCome From Away, then went right into rehearsals and production forNewsies, and after that, it was a short run ofCarousel,and after that… Well, you get the idea. It was nonstop. I was constantly performing or in rehearsals for the next thing. I missed Trent’s high school graduation and almost missed Tyler’s wedding. The entire time I was in New York, I never once visited the Statue of Liberty. I didn’t get to see anyone else’s shows. It was a never-ending grind. And then one day, I got the news that Gram had experienced a couple of fainting spells, and I realized how muchlifeI was missing out on.” I looked over at him. I’d gone on quite the ramble. His brows were drawn up, but otherwise, I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. “So, yeah, I do miss it sometimes. But I’m also enjoying being present with the people who matter.”
He looked away, and we kept walking. “Do you think you’ll ever go back?”
“I honestly don’t know. I still have an apartment in the City that I’m subletting, and I suppose I might consider taking a job if it’s the right opportunity, but for now, I’m happy being here. I’m enjoying spending time with Gram. And teaching dance classes. I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed that. It’s a very cool thing to see young dancers bring my choreography to life.”
“I saw you inMean Girls.”
My head snapped toward him. “The tour didn’t come through Omaha.”
He glanced toward me, then back to the path in front of us. “I drove to Des Moines and bought a student rush ticket, then drove back in the middle of the night after the show.”
“Sunshine…”
He swallowed hard enough I could see his Adam’s apple bob with the motion. “I needed… I wanted to see you achieve your dream. I thought… It felt like maybe if I saw you actually doing what you’d set out to do, letting you go would be worth it.”
