“Hey, Els! Yeah, she’s right here.” I turn the phone so that Claire comes into view.
“Hi, Elsie,” she says, waving, but my niece has already disappeared.
“Sorry, the TV is on,” Maren explains.
“It’s okay,” Claire says, laughing, and I flip the phone back to me.
“So, anyway,” Maren continues, “how are you feeling now that you’re officially done?”
“Exhausted. I knew it would be hard to announce, but it’s just been a whirlwind all day. Looking forward to relaxing over the holidays before my surgery.”
“That’s part of the reason I was calling; I wanted to go over the plan for this weekend. Our flight lands around three forty-five on the twenty-sixth, so we’ll probably head straight to the hotel and let the girls rest and chill out. And then we’ll see you on the twenty-seventh.”
“Yeah,” I agree, smiling to myself. “I’m really happy you’re coming in town. It’s been a long time.”
“I’m really happy you called and asked us to. It’s been too long,” she says. “The girls are so excited to get to see the city and have already picked out their dresses forThe Nutcracker. Please, thank Claire for the tickets to the show.”
“It was nothing,” Claire says. “I can’t wait to meet you all.”
“Alright, well it’s getting late here, and I need to get these two into bed, but I’m really proud of you.”
“Thanks, Sis. See you soon.”
“Love you,” she says.
“I love you guys too.”
The call ends, and I set my phone down on the table. Claire moves to lay next to me, and I wrap my arms around her.
“Thank you for coming today,” I say. “I couldn’t have gotten through that speech without you being there. It meant a lot to me.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it. How are you feeling about it all?”
“Good,” I admit. “I mean, it wasn’t easy, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t going to miss playing, but I know I made the right decision, and I’m looking forward to what the future might bring.”
“I understand. When I finally hang up my pointe shoes, I know it’ll be a really bittersweet day.”
“How are you feeling about the show? It’s just a couple of days away.”
“Nervous,” she says. “I’ve been dreaming about this my entire life, and I just really want to do it justice, you know?”
“You will.”
“Rehearsals have been going good, so I feel confident.”
I kiss the top of her head and run my hand up and down her back. “I’m really looking forward to seeing you dance and meeting your family in person.”
“They’re really excited. You know it’s weird—when I realized Sugarplum Park actually happened, I was a little worried everyone in our lives would question us. Like be suspicious of us claiming to love one another, but no one has. Not even my sister.”
“I like to think some residual magic is responsible.” I chuckle. “I don’t know. I think it has Stella’s name written all over it.”
“You’re probably right. I’ve been finding myself missing the town,” she admits. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we’re back, and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for helping us get here despite everything returning meant for you, but I wish we could’ve brought the people with us.”
“I feel the same way.”
“Do you think they still exist out there?”
“What do you mean?”
