Page 65 of On Dancer
Bossy man. He was right though. Ballet was fun for me in a way it hadn’t been prior to Rudy. I embraced the joy of each performance in a new way. Sharing each success with him was an unexpected reward, as were his gentle reminders to be less hard on myself and simply enjoy the fruits of my hard work. He’d love me no matter what, and that unconditional affection made it far easier to follow his orders.
The curtain rose as the violins swelled. The elaborate set brought to life the historic square in Barcelona as dancers filled the stage. Soon, Kitri and Basilio would enter and profess their love. I handed my headphones and phone off and took one last breath to steady myself as I embodied the role.
Basilio was an iconic role, and I joined a long line of dancers to make the role their own. Julian and I had worked on each variation to showcase not only the best of my abilities, but also to put our company’s spin on the classic love story. Since I was living out my own love story with Rudy, I was uniquely positioned to share the story’s message about the power of love and being true to oneself. I fully believed in the transformativeproperties of love. I wasn’t the same man I’d been three Christmases ago, nor was I the same dancer.
I was better. As Basilio and Kitri searched for their happy ending, I conveyed Basilio’s growing bravery. I was so happy I’d found my own courage to go after Rudy, and that joy infused the role. With each movement, I grew more confident that this was one of my finest performances. I had never felt so certain on stage, so sure of each leap and turn. I carried so much confidence and adrenaline into the grand pas de deux in the wedding scene in the final act. Alicia, as Kitri, was my perfect partner. We played off each other’s energy until Don Quixote and Sancho set off once again on their quest, and the final curtain fell.
I inhaled the roar of the crowd. This was it. The pinnacle of my career. I could never dance again and know I’d left absolutely everything on that stage. The last few years of working to rebuild Ballet Philadelphia with Julian had all led to this moment, as had my own grand love affair with Rudy. I was who I was as a dancer tonight because of him and because of our love. If the audience believed me as the idealistic young lover, optimistic about his future, Rudy deserved a great deal of the credit.
As we took our curtain calls, I glanced at Stefan, the guest dancer who’d come out of retirement for the title role of the older knight. That would be me in a few years. Far from dread, the thought filled me with peace. There would be life for me after ballet. In Julian and Tavio, I had role models for what that new chapter might hold. I was increasingly drawn to the idea of directing, a natural progression for my love of ballet and attention to minute details. Like Don Quixote, I would happily set off on my next adventure, best friend Rudy at my side.
After the curtain calls, we made our way backstage to a shower of praise from all corners. I downed an entire bottle of water as I scanned for Rudy.
“Well. That will do.” Melody Fox was the first to find me. Her jeweled black evening dress had gold detailing to match the clip in her updo and her newly acquired cane, all of which sparkled under the backstage lights. “All the critics will be raving about your virtuoso performance by Monday morning.”
“You’ve single-handedly elevated Ballet Philadelphia and put the rest of the country on notice.” Julian came up behind Melody, breathless and tie askew, but triumphant.
“Hardly alone.” I gestured at him and Melody. “None of this would be possible without you. Or without Melody’s vision.”
“My grandest imaginings have been far exceeded.” Melody gave a graceful sweep of her free hand. “This revival has been worth every penny, and I’m proud to invest in the next generation as well.”
“You’re too kind.” I gave her my most appreciative smile. She’d recently increased her endowment to ensure the company would continue this new level of excellence. While she was certainly our most generous patron, she had also become a dear friend.
“Nonsense. Ask that husband of yours.” Melody snorted. She was worse than I was at taking a compliment. “I’m a tough old bird. A terrible boss.”
“The worst.” Rudy came up behind her to give her a gentle hug. “The meanest boss ever.”
We all knew the tease to be false. She’d hired Rudy to oversee her arts foundation, managing her charitable giving and special projects, a role he loved in no small part due to Melody herself. He continued to do some part-time remote work for his mother and the Hollyberry Ballet, which had also benefited from Melody’s generosity. It was also entirely possible that Melody liked Rudy even more than me, and they made quite the team, a powerhouse of arts giving.
However, he wasmyhusband, and after greeting Melody, he smiled tenderly at me, a private greeting amid all this chaos and crush of people. The warmth in his eyes said he’d prepared my usual post-performance retreat back at our condo, and I rolled my shoulders, already craving that bath. And him.
“And don’t you look handsome.” Melody turned to study Rudy. He wore a vintage black tux he’d scored on one of his many thrifting trips around the city. Over the holidays, Kitty had altered the tailoring for the perfect fit. In a nod to the Spanish stylings of the production, he’d added a red bow tie. Melody offered him an approving nod. “So dapper.”
“You sound like our mothers.” Rudy chuckled. “They took so many pictures earlier, I was afraid they wouldn’t have any storage space.”
“Wise women. You are a most attractive couple.” Melody sniffed as if making an official proclamation. She’d become friends with our families as well, especially with my mother and Margie. “Where are they? I should go say hello.”
“They’re around, along with Tavio and the girls.” Kitty and Victoria were home on spring break from college. Victoria was the star of the college’s acclaimed dance program, while Kitty majored in costume design. For her part, Victoria was as happy as I’d ever seen her. She could still pursue professional dance, but the decision to finish out public high school and go to a traditional college had been a good one for her. I couldn’t wait to hear all about her and Kitty’s first apartment as they’d recently left dorm life for an on-campus apartment complex.
“Girls.” Melody gave me a playful glare. “Young women now. I’ve got my eye on them both.”
“Good.” I was sure Rudy and Melody were already scheming for Kitty and Victoria’s post-college life in another year or two.
“I’ll go hunt your families down, give you two a moment.” Melody patted me on the shoulder before giving Rudy a conspiratorial wink. “I’m sure you havemuchto discuss.”
“What was that wink?” I asked as I reached for his hand, desperate to be back home where I could properly recover, but I’d settle for the reassurance of his touch.
“I got a call earlier, right before the foundation reception.” Lowering his voice, Rudy leaned in. I inhaled his familiar scent as he continued, “Naturally, Melody overheard, but she promised to keep the secret.”
“A secret?” My brain was a bit foggy after dancing the performance of a lifetime. Rudy chuckled, clearly enjoying my addled state. “What secret?”
“The agency called,” Rudy whispered. Exhausted or not, I instantly knew which agency. Over the prior summer, we’d taken a series of classes with a nonprofit agency that specialized in adoptions out of the foster care system. In the fall, our home study and application had been approved, and we’d entered a waiting period where every incoming call made Rudy lunge for his phone. Judging by his beaming expression, this had been more than another false alarm.
“And?” My breath caught, my depleted adrenaline giving a little surge of anticipation.
“They think they have the perfect placement for us.”
“Really?” I shook my head. Talk about timing. “Today of all days.”
