Left, back, left, shift, right, back, right, shift. A simple ball change using the balls of his feet.
Finn likely would have picked it up quickly, but Teddy thought he might be feigning struggle to make Frankie less frustrated. The moves she could do, but whenever her weight was all on her prosthetic, she wobbled, panicked, and reached back for the bar or set her other foot down to keep from falling.
“I have one more move to show you today, but only if you can do the first without second-guessing yourself.”
“It’s hard,” Frankie protested. “Maybe this stupid thing doesn’t fit me right.”
“It fits you fine. You’re just not trying hard enough.”
“I am too!”
“Think of how much more difficult this would be if you’d lost your leg above the knee.”
“Urg,” Frankie growled, face red as she clung to the bar harder, “I have heard that so many times!”
“Yet it’s still true,” Teddy persisted. “Now try harder.”
Finn looked ready to intervene, but Teddy knew what he was doing, because he’d seen what Frankie was capable of. The only thing holding her back was her.
Plus, she was stubborn like Erina. Like Teddy. He could see the fire in her that proved her anger was something she could harness.
“I don’t teach whiners, and I don’t tolerate quitters. Again,” Teddy said.
Frankie let go of the bar with a huff, focused, centered herself, so that even though she teetered doing the next ball change, she held it together.
“Frankie, you—”
“Shush.” Teddy cut Finn off, then turned to offer him a wink so he’d know he was only playing a part. “Keep your momentum going, Frankie. I expect rhythm, not sloppiness.”
Finn smirked, since it was obvious this tactic was working on her. A few minutes more, and though Frankie had to go slowly, she could successfully ball change from real to prosthetic foot without trouble.
“After that, a box step will be a breeze,” Teddy said.
It was, since speed didn’t matter, only shifting weight and small movements.
Another few minutes passed until they were all forming boxes in time, and Teddy said, “If you’re really advanced, you could try a grapevine next.”
“What’s that?” Frankie asked.
Teddy stepped away from them to demonstrate, moving across the room in a straight line with his feet crisscrossing each other in rapid succession. As it required minimal movement from his hip, he could still do so with ease.
A glance back when he reached the wall told him that Frankie was even more determined. She followed suit, stepping out away from the walking station. It was commendable how fluidly she moved once she started, picking up momentum toward Teddy. He thought for sure she’d barrel right into him, but she slowed, caught herself with another wobble, grinned triumphantly, and headed back the other way.
Her cockiness took its toll when she wasn’t quite as successful the opposite direction, tripping over her feet finally and toppling—
—right into Finn’s arms, where she burst into a giggle until he started laughing too.
“Not bad, Nutcracker,” Teddy called as he joined them.
“Can we do this again Friday?” Frankie asked.
“Better keep it to once a week. I’m in PT too, remember? Besides, I’m headed to the city on Friday.”
“You are?” Finn said with a smile.
“Seems like.”
“What for?” Frankie asked.
