As the children hunched over, with bent knees, they formed an oval and made tiny little steps together moving along the back wall toward the center of the room.
Ruth watched and Katie danced from the center of the floor toward the children.
"She's pretending to be Clara right now," Nick explained. "Clara is in every scene of the second half and has to interact with a bunch of the dancers, especially the children."
"And the kids?" Ruth's voice was soft, almost hushed as she watched Katie dance. The young girl looked like she was floating across the floor.
"The kids are the bonbons under Mother Ginger's skirt."
Ruth remembered what Katie had said about Nick being asked to play the character. "How does that work exactly?"
Nick leaned to the side and because he didn't take his arm off of her shoulders she had to lean with him. "There," he whispered back, "in the corner can you see those big chunky things with braces on top?"
"Big, chunky things," she repeated to herself, "with braces on... Oh. I think I see it. The big things of wood?"
"Those are the stilts that Mother Ginger stands on. The straps go around 'her' calves and then Mother Gingers takeshundreds of side steps onto stage with those kids under a skirt big enough to be a circus tent."
Ruth was trying to wrap her mind around what he'd said. "Hundreds?"
"Well, maybe that was overstating things."
She turned slightly and reached up her outside hand to give him a few reassuring pats. "You don't have to worry. I like dramatic stories every now and then. I hardly get out these days between work and baking at home." Ruth lifted her chin toward the mirror, where the director was getting the children back in place to start over again. "I bought a ticket for opening night. As soon as Katie told me about her part in the show, I knew I'd have to see it."
"You got a ticket?"
Nick stepped away from her, and she instantly missed the warmth he'd given her.
"I would have gotten you a ticket."
She smiled at his assurance. "I'm a working woman. I can buy my own ticket."
She laughed a little at that. "It's nice of you to offer, though."
"Maybe," he shrugged, "we can see if they can put our tickets together on that night."
Ruth was sure that all the blood had drained out of her face and there may have been a vacant look on her face as she looked at him. "You... you'd want to sit with me?"
Her question seemed to hit a kind of a wall and the smile on his face seemed to stall.
She wanted to kick herself for saying anything at that moment.
Then his expression changed to one of confusion and then a little bit of surprise. "Yeah?"
His answer wasn't all that convincing phrased as a question.
Nick dropped his chin down and crossed his arms over his chest, rocking back on the heels of his boots before he looked back up at her.
Those eyes.
She drew in a breath and let it out.
His eyes were incredible.
Warm and alive.
"I mean, if you want to sit with me. It's... it's up to you."
She wasn't sure she was hearing him correctly. It seemed like he was... unsure?
