And if I’m being honest with myself, I didn’t want to be alone either. My dad was my best friend. I think about him every day. Having my mom close is a blessing.
“It’s nothing. I’m going to head back down to the bakery.” She tries to get up, but I block her with my arms.
“Mom.”
She sighs loudly. “If I had known about your letter, I wouldn’t have brought mine up, but I guess we should just get all the bad news out of the way.”
She hands me the large envelope embossed with the logo of our building management company.
I open it quickly and read it over.
Oh no.
“This can’t be true,” I murmur, re-reading the words repeatedly. God, if I thought my day started terribly, this puts the icing on the cake.
Not only is our building being purchased, but the financial firm is buying out the whole block, and there is no way we’ll be able to afford the new rent.
I look up into my mom’s tear-filled eyes, “What do we do, Juliette?” she whispers. “I can’t lose the bakery. It would be like losing your father all over again.”
I take her shaky hands in mine. “They can’t just kick us out, right?”
“No, they can’t, but our lease is up at the end of the year. Unless we can get the money for the new rent, we will be forced to move out.”
Fuck.This is not good.
“We have some time. Maybe we can get a loan. I’m not sure, but let’s not stress over it today. I’ll figure something out, I promise.”
Her big brown eyes, the ones that we share, stare back at me with defeat. She knows just as well as I do that this will be challenging, but I’ll do everything and anything in my power to save Le Petit Boulanger,The Little Baker.
A surprise from my father. My mom’s pride and joy.
When I catch a glimpse of the clock, it’s a reminder I need to leave soon and put the final nail in my dancing career coffin.
This could possibly be one of the worst days ever.
Painful yet painless, all at the same time.
After handing in my card key, I signed discharge papers, said my goodbyes, and that was it.
In a matter of minutes, my career as a professional ballerina was over. Blood, sweat, and tears went into twenty-one years of training for what?
What a mess.
My new life starts today. I have to believe that because if I let myself wallow like I did earlier today, I’ll head down a dark hole I have no interest in being in.
Before I leave, I walk the long, memorable hallway to make a quick stop one last time to watch my favorite little girls and boys.
The program inspired me as a young child and solidified my love for the art of dance. I remember catching glimpses of the older ballerinas and knew that was what I wanted to be when I grew up.
“Four, five, turn six, seven, eight. Yes! Well done, good job. Next group.” I hear Adriana call to her students as I make my way over to the glass windows. She spots me instantly and gives me a sly wave so the kids don’t see.
I watch them learn the basics, and no matter how many times I visit them, their innocent, determined faces and toothless smiles always warm my heart.
“I knew I would find you here,” a familiar voice calls out behind me, breaking me out of the first happy bubble I’ve been in in some time. “You weren’t going to say hello or goodbye?”
“Why would I?” I snap without turning around.
“Babe—”
