4
KADI
My heart hurts in the best way. I have a baby sister and Mama Summer and Daddy named her after my mom. Sydney. I know for sure Mom would have liked that a lot. It makes me happy, so happy, I feel like I need to cry. But I don't want anyone to see. I don't want them to know how much I miss my mom. I think it makes Daddy and Mama Summer sad when they know. I just wish she could be here and see how I dance now. She could help and show me new things. It's nice learning from Coach and during classes, but Mom made it special.
I stare at myself in the mirrored wall of the dance studio. I look like her but with daddy's hair color and nose. I begin my stretching.
I wonder if things will change now that the baby's here. Will I get pushed aside and forgotten? I've feared this from the minute they told me Summer was having a baby. This istheirbaby so will it be more special than I am? I'm not Summer's baby. Just Daddy's.
I let out a breath as I sit down to stretch some more.
"That's quite a heavy sigh from such a tiny dancer," Linc says as he walks in.
I don't respond. I wish he hadn't heard that. He's going to want to know and I don't want to tell him about my doubts and fears.
He sits facing me, copying my stretching, and he looks ridiculous. Any other day I probably would giggle.
"Tell me, little one. What's weighing on your heart?" he prods.
I just shrug.
"Oh, come on. You know you can trust me," he tells me, giving me a look.
I nod. I know I can trust him. He's proven that time and again.
"I'm worried that 'cause the baby is here…"
Linc nods. "That they won't pay attention to you or love you the same."
I nod in return.
"That's never gonna happen, Little One. See, your dad and Summer have very big hearts and those hearts are big enough to love both you and your sister the same. Summer loves you as if you're her own. You know that, right?" he asks.
"I do." But…
"Don't start doubting her now. She's your mama. She'll never do you wrong. She's proven that from day one. She was your champion when she wasn't sure that a rockstar dad was the right kind of lifestyle for you. She was willing to protect you against that if you needed her to."
"Really?" I ask.
"Oh yeah. Ticked your dad off. But, you see, Summer grew up with a rockstar dad too only he was the opposite of yours. He lived the rockstar life. Had lots of parties. Lots of different women around. They did drugs and one time Summer accidentally took some of those drugs thinking they were candy."
I gasp. "No!"
He nods, looking sad. "She had to be rushed to the hospital… once they found her and that took a while because they were too busy doing whatever it was they were doing at the time."
Sex. I can tell he means that. "Eww."
Linc smirks. "So, you see, she loved you fiercely even before she knew you."
"Wow. I didn't know that." That's pretty cool. It makes me feel better.
"Summer's a pretty special lady," Linc adds.
"I'm lucky. I've had two great moms," I blurt out, trusting Linc with my deepest thoughts.
He nods. "You really are. So, you done worrying, Little One?"
"Yeah. You ready to practice?"
"Damn right. This is going to be epic," Linc tells me with a huge smile, offering me a hand to help me up just as Nicole walks in.
Nicole laughs. "I can't wait until everyone sees."
"Me too," I reply.
"We don't even need this practice," Linc says, strutting around the room. "We're perfect."
Nicole snickers. "One more can't hurt."
I'm so excited it's hard to contain. "Let's start."
