long moment before he spoke. In the background, she could hear Chelle joking briefly with Avi, but for Anne it felt like an eternity.
"That doesn't sound as crazy as you'd think, Annie," Mike said. His tone was cautious, full of doubt and - wonder? Her friend kept giving off a strange mix of signals, and it was starting to make Anne's teeth itch. After a thoughtful moment pregnant with unspoken thoughts, Mike opened his mouth.
Chelle took that moment to interrupt.
"Annie!" She bounced away from Avi's office and spun between Anne and Mike. The bundle of excitement was so unlike Ryan's last few tense, fearful years Anne blessed anyone of significance who might be listening. She touched her chest with a fingertip, feeling the outline of the little crucifix that was all the legacy she had of their father. Thank God Chelle wasn't afraid anymore.
"Annie," her sister repeated, bouncing on her toes while her eyes flashed. "Avi said there's a new club down near China Town! It's only been open for a few weeks, and he said it's almost certainly safe! Can we go tonight? Can we? Please?"
A fist seemed to squeeze Annie's heart at Chelle's pleas. She had a hard time denying her sibling anything. In large part because as Ryan, Chelle had experienced a surfeit of hurt and pain. The mere thought of which pricked Anne's eyes with unshed tears, and brought an itchy lightness to her fists that promised a company's misery to any with the wrong idea.
Chelle loved to dance. More, even, than when she'd been Ryan. She was actually comfortable in her own skin, for one. When Ryan said he wanted to join ballet instead of the football team, Daddy had disappeared, damn his flaky eyes. Mother dearest had begun to turn inward, and suckled a canker of bitterness. She'd also insisted on family attendance at a little church. A little backward church, full of small, withered souls.
Which made Chelle's love of mass all the more confusing to Anne, much as she treasured her own meager faith. Father Kurt's truly unconditional love soothed both their souls.
Anne had always encourage her sibling's love of dance. She saw it much the same as her own need to practice here in the studio. To that end, she often accompanied Chelle to clubs. Which was to say, when Chelle went to clubs, so did Anne. Much of the reason was protection: Ryan's boyish prettiness had transformed into Chelle's slim elegance.
Anne looked down into the shining eyes that looked so much like their mother's. If their mother's eyes had ever been that full of joy, neither Anne nor Chelle had ever seen it. It was the light in Chelle's eyes that made her beautiful, though, and Anne wouldn't risk that by letting her wander around the city alone.
"Sure, hon." Chelle's answering squeal brought a warmth to Anne's heart that banished the chill left from her bizarre, dream-like vision.
"Mike, can you come, too?" Chelle spun on her heel and - presumably, as her back was to Anne - implored their big friend. Mike smiled at Chelle, but shook his head.
"Sorry, kiddo; I've got class tonight." Mike was studying for his EMT certification, something of a departure from his usual, more physical, employment. He was still bouncing, but had cut back to make room for his classes.
Also for special tutoring sessions with his new "friend," Yasmin. Anne ground down her jealousy. She wasn't attracted to Mike, exactly. He was good to have around, and Chelle liked him. He was a kind of benevolent older-brother type. The kind Anne had always been too scrawny and female to be.
"Speaking of which, I need to get moving." Mike pulled Chelle in for a quick hug, ignoring her protests of his ickiness, then chucked Anne on the shoulder before moving toward the foyer, where his gear hung near the door.
"Avi," Anne called, eager to get away from her feelings of guilt and inadequacy, old and new. "What's this place called?"
His mop of curly hair shot out the open office door.
"Under Hill."
"Weird name."
Avi's head, the only
"That doesn't sound as crazy as you'd think, Annie," Mike said. His tone was cautious, full of doubt and - wonder? Her friend kept giving off a strange mix of signals, and it was starting to make Anne's teeth itch. After a thoughtful moment pregnant with unspoken thoughts, Mike opened his mouth.
Chelle took that moment to interrupt.
"Annie!" She bounced away from Avi's office and spun between Anne and Mike. The bundle of excitement was so unlike Ryan's last few tense, fearful years Anne blessed anyone of significance who might be listening. She touched her chest with a fingertip, feeling the outline of the little crucifix that was all the legacy she had of their father. Thank God Chelle wasn't afraid anymore.
"Annie," her sister repeated, bouncing on her toes while her eyes flashed. "Avi said there's a new club down near China Town! It's only been open for a few weeks, and he said it's almost certainly safe! Can we go tonight? Can we? Please?"
A fist seemed to squeeze Annie's heart at Chelle's pleas. She had a hard time denying her sibling anything. In large part because as Ryan, Chelle had experienced a surfeit of hurt and pain. The mere thought of which pricked Anne's eyes with unshed tears, and brought an itchy lightness to her fists that promised a company's misery to any with the wrong idea.
Chelle loved to dance. More, even, than when she'd been Ryan. She was actually comfortable in her own skin, for one. When Ryan said he wanted to join ballet instead of the football team, Daddy had disappeared, damn his flaky eyes. Mother dearest had begun to turn inward, and suckled a canker of bitterness. She'd also insisted on family attendance at a little church. A little backward church, full of small, withered souls.
Which made Chelle's love of mass all the more confusing to Anne, much as she treasured her own meager faith. Father Kurt's truly unconditional love soothed both their souls.
Anne had always encourage her sibling's love of dance. She saw it much the same as her own need to practice here in the studio. To that end, she often accompanied Chelle to clubs. Which was to say, when Chelle went to clubs, so did Anne. Much of the reason was protection: Ryan's boyish prettiness had transformed into Chelle's slim elegance.
Anne looked down into the shining eyes that looked so much like their mother's. If their mother's eyes had ever been that full of joy, neither Anne nor Chelle had ever seen it. It was the light in Chelle's eyes that made her beautiful, though, and Anne wouldn't risk that by letting her wander around the city alone.
"Sure, hon." Chelle's answering squeal brought a warmth to Anne's heart that banished the chill left from her bizarre, dream-like vision.
"Mike, can you come, too?" Chelle spun on her heel and - presumably, as her back was to Anne - implored their big friend. Mike smiled at Chelle, but shook his head.
"Sorry, kiddo; I've got class tonight." Mike was studying for his EMT certification, something of a departure from his usual, more physical, employment. He was still bouncing, but had cut back to make room for his classes.
Also for special tutoring sessions with his new "friend," Yasmin. Anne ground down her jealousy. She wasn't attracted to Mike, exactly. He was good to have around, and Chelle liked him. He was a kind of benevolent older-brother type. The kind Anne had always been too scrawny and female to be.
"Speaking of which, I need to get moving." Mike pulled Chelle in for a quick hug, ignoring her protests of his ickiness, then chucked Anne on the shoulder before moving toward the foyer, where his gear hung near the door.
"Avi," Anne called, eager to get away from her feelings of guilt and inadequacy, old and new. "What's this place called?"
His mop of curly hair shot out the open office door.
"Under Hill."
"Weird name."
Avi's head, the only
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