Grinning, I followed him, repeating the steps until I felt confident.
“Turn!” Vanessa suddenly ordered and Hassan pulled me to him, lifting my arm and twirling me until my back was to him.
The change shocked me, but he did it so fluently that I didn’t lose my step. Our movements synced again, taking us in the same direction even when we were no longer facing each other. It was exhilarating.
“Don’t think about it, just keep going,” he encouraged, while Vanessa began to stroll among the students.
Frantic excitement rushed through me. “I’m dancing!” I screeched when she walked up to us. “I’m actually dancing.”
“You are!” She smiled, eyes glimmering with happiness for me. “Turn!”
My partner twirled me again, and I didn’t miss a step. This time the others pulled the other closer, and my left hand rested on Hassan’s shoulder while my right still held his hand. His other hand rested on my back.
“Not bad, huh?”
“It’s amazing.” My words slipped through a giant grin, turning into loud laughter when he twirled me once, twice, three times.
“Change partners!”
A shriek escaped me as Hassan spun me away from him, and I landed on another guy’s arms, both of us chuckling as we triedto keep our steps aligned. Then it was time to change partners againandagain.
I’d never expected to dance with a human today or even learn how to dance, but it was a day I would never forget.
“Thank you so much for helping me,” my partner offered an hour later after the class ended. “Dancing with you made me feel more confident about my wedding dance.”
“You are ready,” I assured, putting on my coat too. “You helped me learn faster than I thought possible. She’s going to love it.”
“Hope to see you in the next class.” Waving goodbye, he draped a white and black scarf around his neck and left.
When my gaze traveled to the front of the dance room again, I found Vanessa hugging a couple goodbye, then waved me to her side. “So, how does the world look so far?”
“Incredible,” I answered honestly, finding an air of accomplishment enter her expression.
“Good. That’s what I like to hear. We have twenty minutes before the next class, do you want to get some hot chocolate at the diner across the street? They make the best sugar cookies to go with it. I think you would love it.”
“I’d like that.”
Slipping on a pair of black leggings under her dazzled skirt, she threw her coat on, and we crossed the street, sitting in a booth by the window in the middle of the quaint place.
“The usual, hon?” an older woman asked, stopping by our table while wearing a light blue dress with a ruffled white apron.
“I like your outfit,” I offered before Vanessa could answer.
The lady beamed. “It’s a 1950’s original. This place was my grandfather’s and now I run it. We take pride in tradition here.”
“That’s beautiful,” I admitted.
“You are so sweet, hon.” The woman smiled, then turned to Vanessa, lifting her brow expectantly.
“Yes, the usual but for both of us, please.”
“Coming right up!”
My gaze couldn’t help but travel outside the window, to the bustling life outside. I could hardly believe I was part of it, no longer looking, wishing from afar.
“Do you like it so far?”
“It’s more than I could have ever imagined.” Her usual sweet smile returned, telling me she was pleased to be able to bring me here, but so many questions still whirled in my mind. “Why did you guys get me out of the mountain? Why did you bring me here?”
