“Hi, Bear.”
“Hey, Dad.”
“So, what’s the good news, and why does it mean we’ll have to venture into the city?” my mom asks.
“Well, you’re talking to the new cast A Sugar Plum Fairy for The City Ballet,” I gush, tears welling in my eyes as the words fall from my mouth. My mom shrieks so loud that I have to move the phone away from my ear.
“Incredible,” my dad boasts. “Just incredible. I knew you could do it, kiddo.”
“My next performance will be the Christmas show. Dimitri said if I do well, then he’d consider me for the Lilac Fairy in the spring, which would be insane.”
“We’re so proud of you,” my mom chimes in, her voice cracking a little as she speaks.
“I was thinking I could put tickets aside for you two and Andi for the show, and then we could spend the holiday together here. It’s a matinee, so we’d still have time for dad to cook dinner.”
“And Raphael, right?” my mom questions, her voice returning to normal cadence. “If we’re coming all the way to the city, we need to meet this new man of yours. I know your father has been dying to meettheRaphael Ulrich. Isn’t that right, honey?”
“Definitely. We wouldn’t miss your performance for the world, and we’d love to meet Raphael.” my dad adds around a bite of some type of food.
“Okay,” I say, my excitement turning to hesitation. “I know Raph has been meaning to come to a show. His hockey schedule makes it difficult, but I’ll see if he can swing it.”
“Sounds like the perfect way to spend Christmas,” my mom says, clapping her hands together. “We’re so proud of you, my sweet girl. You’ve worked so very hard, and this is very deserved.”
“Thank you,” I say, attempting to push the idea of convincing Raph to make time to meet my family aside. “I’m on my way to meet Andi, so she doesn’t know yet.”
“Mum’s the word,” my dad says. “We’ll talk to you soon.”
“We love you,” my mom says.
“I love you both too.”
Chapter 2: Fuck Me
Claire
The bitter cold hits me in the face the second I swing the doors open. It’s not just cold. It’s bone chilling, multiple layers of outerwear, need a hot beverage cold. It’s the type of cold that immediately makes your cheeks sting and your nose run. A shiver snakes down my spine, and I pull my black beanie around my ears, smoothing my long waves so they fall on either side of my shoulders. The heels of my boots click against the concrete as I move quickly across the sidewalk.
It’s amazing how you can feel like pure sunshine on the inside and still be at risk of freezing to death because of the weather.
The arena is less than thirty minutes away on foot, but I’m late and cold. Exhaustion covers my every move as I attempt to sort out the emotions flooding my head. Maybe I should go home and watch the game from the comfort of my couch, get some rest, and prepare for the week. This would also solve the problem of seeing Everett, but I don’t know how I would even begin to explain to Raph why I wasn’t there. He doesn’t exactly take my career seriously, and I don’t have it in me to deal with him moping around because I don’t support him.
I make it to the curb and throw my hand in the air to signal for a cab. Pulling the jacket I’m wearing tight against me, I try to seal in the last bit of warmth I can, but it’s no use. It was a gift from Raph, and while I’m sure it cost him a small fortune to have someone make his jersey into a stylish puffer jacket for me, it’s not the most practical piece of outerwear in my closet, and the frigid air iscreeping in through the seams and settling deep in my bones. I really should’ve layered better.
My phone vibrates, but I ignore it. Whoever it is can wait until I’m somewhere warm. A cab zips through traffic, then pulls up next to the curb. Swinging the door open, I climb inside.
“Where to?” the driver asks.
“Madison Square Garden.”
The car begins to move as I settle into my seat, grabbing my phone out of my pocket. Two missed calls from my sister, Andi, flash across the screen.
I’m on my way. Sorry, I’ve got huge news and I got caught up at the studio!
Andi:
News?!? Spill!
No, it needs to be shared in person!
