Page 11 of The Wonder of You

“My, my, my! It’s rare to see you…” she stops, noticing me. She looks at Phoenix and then steps back with her hand on her heart.

“What year is it?” she asks in shock, as if she’s missing some big, life-changing event.

Phoenix laughs, although I detect a hint of nervousness.

“It’s two thousand and twenty-three, Toni,” he clarifies. “Are you okay? Do you need to see the doctor?”

She puffs out a laugh and gently punches his shoulder as if this is some inside joke that I am the outsider on. It makes me shrink in on myself just a little.

Toni takes a deep breath and shakes her arms out to the side. She seems to adjust her shoulders, as if she is preparing for a work out… or perhaps a performance.

“Well,” she finally says with a huge smile. “Who is the lady you have brought with you tonight?”

“I am Renée,” I say, quietly but firmly. I don’t know where I found the confidence.

Toni looks at Phoenix and then back to me.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you…” She pauses, a sadness in her eyes. What am I missing? I blink and the expression has faded into a smile. “I hope you both have a lovely time tonight, and maybe you’ll come back tomorrow? We’re here for quite a while andyou, my young lady, seems to have made quite the impression.” She nods her head at Phoenix, but keeps her gaze on me. “Especially getting him outside his cabin… he dresses in that dashing black suit, but he rarely graces us with it.” Her tone is playful and I feel so… so at home with it.

My face heats at her words so I drop my head and mutter a thank you. I still see the way she eyes Phoenix as we walk into the tent, but I try to ignore it.

The inside of the tent is a dream. I notice just how high the tent goes up, like it’s reaching for the stars themselves. There are sparkling rainbow lights all around the place. Unlike the other tent from earlier, this one doesn’t have chairs layered around for an audience. It appears to be a place solely for dancing. There are quite a few people, customers of the circus I assume, dancing around. Some look like couples, some seem a little bit tipsy and a few children swing their arms around, having a good time. The music changes as we move into the middle of the floor. Suddenly, it’s slower and calmer and I can sense the children and the tipsy people moving on.

“I don’t think I am a good dancer,” I whisper as I look up at Phoenix. His eyes are so dark, but they seem to bring so much light to my soul. I notice a couple of moles on his face. They remind me of the stars and constellations and I have the desire to rub my thumb over them. The same way I have the desire to run my hand through his hair, to twirl one of those black curls around my finger.

“That’s okay.” He smiles as one of his hands finds its way on my waist. I swallow, but I don’t push him away. I want to ask him why he’s dancing withme.What is so special about me? Did Lukas purposely find him to introduce us? Why?

But as Elvis Presley plays, I push away my thoughts.

My grandparents listened to this.

Now it’s my turn.

Together, we sway.

Phoenix pushes me softly away and then pulls me back to him. Our hands intertwine and they feel like they were designed to be together this way.

He spins me and I laugh.

It’s just us.

This moment is ours.

I feel like I’ve been in it before as I see his smile, as I see the way he looks at me like he already knows me. As if we’re not a couple of people who have just met, but a couple who have been together for a thousand years and are hoping for a thousand more.

Is this love at first sight?

No, Renée, I tell myself,no, this man can’t possibly like me. Maybe he likes my appearance, maybe I remind him of someone, but once he gets to know me… the story will change, I am sure. Can an attractive ringmaster really fall for a depressed, haunted woman?

Can a man with a bright future fall for a woman who doesn’t see one for herself?

But I forget all of that as he brings me towards him. His hand touches my cheek and lingers there.

“I’ve missed you,” he whispers with tears in his eyes.

I don’t get the chance to ask him what he means.

He leans forward.

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