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Afternoon the next day, Caht back into work

For days, we rehearse We break for aon Wednesday when my mama has Jacky-Annof hard-hitting, leg-punishing rehearsal The entire ti at us fro back and forth, like she’s trying to work out sole question

Afterwards, e’re back to dancing in the garage, right after co a series of pirouettes that end in arabesque (which Camille added for flair), she holds the pose and peers at me over her shoulder to say, “I think your ”

And then I let out the first laugh I’ve had in weeks

That’s followed soon by Ca frohter We shed tears fro so hard

Rehearsal continues well into the afternoon We only take one more break to discuss a potential idea near the end which involvesher charge towardstyle, which we quickly nix with a laugh

We stop dancing when the music ends for the sixty-third ti at each other, standing at opposite ends of thebetween us

Both of us are out of breath

The air in the garage is warm and humid from our efforts

And then, a slow breaths into our lungs, Camille lifts her chin my way and quietly asks, “Still haven’t heard from him, huh?”

My face slowly collapses

“I can see it so clearly in your eyes I think I could always see it, even before I raduation, before pro happened” She tilts her head “You and I both know the truth”

Cains to close the distance between us with one of her graceful, toe-pointed, ballerina saunters She stops in front ofas she peers into ently with her hands, and brings her lips right up to my ear

And she whispers: “You know in your heart I’ with, Ji”

23

BOBBY

“I don’t want to go”

My own that hs outside of my closed bedroom door “Bobby, sweetie …”

“My sto I’m not up for seein’ everybody in all of Spruce” I roll over ontorture onto o”