Dr. Noah and the Sugar Plum Fairy by Carla Rossi

dance be to Your glory and give her the peace and grace she needs to complete the job that is asked of her tonight. Bring healing to Melody’s body, and have Your will in both their lives. In Your Son’s name we pray, Amen.”
    His kiss was soft on her cheek. “Break a leg, sweetie.”
    He grabbed her mom and took off. She waved like a maniac over her shoulder as they disappeared down the backstage stairs.
    Jane closed her eyes as the house lights flickered.
    Breathe, smile, focus, dance.
    Why did she worry about everything?
    Breathe, smile, focus, dance.
    Why couldn’t she relax? Were Noah and her mother right?
    Breathe, smile, focus, dance.
    Tchaikovsky’s music filled the auditorium, even as Christ’s peace filled her heart.
    She danced.
     
    ****
     
    ‘Twas the fifteenth day of Christmas break
    Melody was still in bed,
    Jane soaked her tired muscles,
    And massaged her aching head.
    She took her mind off Noah
    By sipping peppermint tea,
    And making homemade dog treats
    With a brand new recipe.
    Now off to hair and makeup
    To cover for her sis,
    She’d focus on her dances
    All the while thinking about that kiss...
     
    Noah slipped into his office and collapsed on the couch. Everything was under control for a moment, and he needed to close his eyes—except that he couldn’t stay still for long. He was like a wired teenager on too many energy drinks. He needed to sleep, but his mind wouldn’t shut down, and he ended up lying there chewing on his bottom lip and thinking about Jane—and his other situation.
    Yesterday everything felt better. He’d planned to call Jane, but one minute he was buying frozen pizza and the next her mother had swept him into lunch. Jane was there with her Aggie T-shirt and big blue eyes and the only logical thing to do was kiss her. It was so simple, so easy, so much fun. Later she’d texted him to ask if cinnamon, ginger, and cloves were safe for dogs. Why? Because of her determination to make homemade dog biscuits. He responded that her time would be better spent making him a pie. She sent back a smiley face. Since when did that nonsense make him laugh?
    And then last night, as if there were a secret window into his life and someone could see he was having a great day and wanted to mess with him, it all became complicated and uncomfortable. Skye was trying to contact him.
    Skye. The very woman who gave him back his ring last Christmas and wouldn’t let him attend her mother’s funeral. The woman who wouldn’t look him in the eye as she asked that he leave her hospital room. The woman who hadn’t said a word to him in a year was now blowing up his phone every two hours with missed calls and vague texts.
    Please call me. I need to talk to you.
    Noah grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and checked the time on his phone. Seven-thirty. It felt like midnight. He dropped the phone to the floor in front of him and rested his hand on Bridget where she was sprawled close by.
    He decided to ask for help.
    “OK, Lord, here’s the thing.” He felt like a child, snuggled under the covers at his grandparents’ house. They’d taught him to pray but he hadn’t much practiced. He missed their gentle Biblical guidance and strong family bond. What he wouldn’t give to have that again... He closed his eyes tighter. “This doesn’t come as easy to me as it does to someone like Jane. You know my parents. They don’t turn to God when things are difficult. I don’t know what they do. Anyway, what’s going on here? More importantly, what do I do about it?”
    His rest was short-lived.
    “Knock-knock.”
    Noah jumped at the sound of Dr. Salmons’s voice.
    “Don’t get up, son. I thought I’d come by and see if we had any business.”
    Dr. Salmons made himself comfortable in the nearby chair.
    “Business is booming.” Noah got up anyway and shook his mentor’s hand. “I didn’t expect to see you. Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve. I’m sure you have other things to do.”
    “Not