The Waltz of Love
Summary: Sometimes, it takes several dances before one finds the right partner in the waltz of love. "Phantom at the Opera" inspired this very short story.
Disclaimer: Early Edition characters belong to their creators. No copyright infringement intended. No profit is being made.
Author: Tracy Diane Miller E-mail address: tdmiller82@hotmail.com
The Waltz of Love
Gary Hobson was never an expert dancer, but that wasn't because of lack of trying or interest on his part. Sure, he was a "competent" dancer and had possessed qualities like consideration and respect for the lady. However, his fundamental problem was his inability to interpret the subtlest clues from his partner. Consequently, he found himself repeating the same mistakes. He'd believe that he was leading the dance when all along he had been expected to follow the lady's signals. It was such a complicated dance, this waltz of love. He still had so much to learn.
One might have assumed that Genie Berlatski was the ideal dance partner for him. They were so much alike, he and Genie, so much in sync. Maybe they were too much in sync. There was no spontaneity in their movement, no direction. Their steps quickly became clumsy, disoriented, and boring.
Marcia Roberts loved to dance and was quite adept at it. She expected to teach him all that she knew and expected him to learn from her without question or debate. But Marcia was also a clever and aggressive dancer. Waltzing wasn't enough to satisfy her; she enjoyed salsa and dragging him to the salsa joint. It didn't matter to her that he couldn't keep up with her and had wrecked his knee. Gary was still missing the cues. While he was dreaming of becoming a father and envisioning camping trips and little league games, Marcia was visualizing the trappings of the young elite: condos, blue chip stocks, and country club memberships. And when Gary couldn't keep up with her "dance", she discarded him for a more skilled partner.
He never saw it coming.
He also never saw that he would quickly becoming enchanted by a new and exciting dance partner.
Meredith Carson.
Meredith Carson wasn't afraid to experiment with different styles. Like Marcia, she was an aggressive dancer. Yet, with her, he wasn't contented just to follow her lead. She excited him and inspired him to initiate his own steps. They moved at a dizzying pace. Waltzing was dull; the tango proved to be more attuned to their energies. But even with the excitement he felt with her as his partner, Meredith just couldn't adhere to the rules. Dancing had to have some boundaries. Trust had to exist in order for the partner to feel secure that he'd remain on his feet long after the music stopped. Gary didn't have that security with Meredith. If he stayed dancing with her, he was destined to fall. It was only a matter of time.
Gary thought that he had finally found his ideal dance partner in Emma Shaw. She matched him with vulnerability and uncertainty. With her, he discovered that there was no "leader"; they learned from each other. Their "dancing" was tender, innocent, and special. Gary could see a real future with Emma as his partner.
Sadly, he was but a substitute dance partner for Emma. He had "cut in" on the dance. Now it was time to do the gentlemanly thing and offer her hand back to her true partner.
Maybe Gary Hobson was never meant to dance. Maybe he was meant to just watch, alone in a corner, while others felt the music.
Or, maybe he had yet to meet the right partner.
The End
Summary: Sometimes, it takes several dances before one finds the right partner in the waltz of love. "Phantom at the Opera" inspired this very short story.
Disclaimer: Early Edition characters belong to their creators. No copyright infringement intended. No profit is being made.
Author: Tracy Diane Miller E-mail address: tdmiller82@hotmail.com
The Waltz of Love
Gary Hobson was never an expert dancer, but that wasn't because of lack of trying or interest on his part. Sure, he was a "competent" dancer and had possessed qualities like consideration and respect for the lady. However, his fundamental problem was his inability to interpret the subtlest clues from his partner. Consequently, he found himself repeating the same mistakes. He'd believe that he was leading the dance when all along he had been expected to follow the lady's signals. It was such a complicated dance, this waltz of love. He still had so much to learn.
One might have assumed that Genie Berlatski was the ideal dance partner for him. They were so much alike, he and Genie, so much in sync. Maybe they were too much in sync. There was no spontaneity in their movement, no direction. Their steps quickly became clumsy, disoriented, and boring.
Marcia Roberts loved to dance and was quite adept at it. She expected to teach him all that she knew and expected him to learn from her without question or debate. But Marcia was also a clever and aggressive dancer. Waltzing wasn't enough to satisfy her; she enjoyed salsa and dragging him to the salsa joint. It didn't matter to her that he couldn't keep up with her and had wrecked his knee. Gary was still missing the cues. While he was dreaming of becoming a father and envisioning camping trips and little league games, Marcia was visualizing the trappings of the young elite: condos, blue chip stocks, and country club memberships. And when Gary couldn't keep up with her "dance", she discarded him for a more skilled partner.
He never saw it coming.
He also never saw that he would quickly becoming enchanted by a new and exciting dance partner.
Meredith Carson.
Meredith Carson wasn't afraid to experiment with different styles. Like Marcia, she was an aggressive dancer. Yet, with her, he wasn't contented just to follow her lead. She excited him and inspired him to initiate his own steps. They moved at a dizzying pace. Waltzing was dull; the tango proved to be more attuned to their energies. But even with the excitement he felt with her as his partner, Meredith just couldn't adhere to the rules. Dancing had to have some boundaries. Trust had to exist in order for the partner to feel secure that he'd remain on his feet long after the music stopped. Gary didn't have that security with Meredith. If he stayed dancing with her, he was destined to fall. It was only a matter of time.
Gary thought that he had finally found his ideal dance partner in Emma Shaw. She matched him with vulnerability and uncertainty. With her, he discovered that there was no "leader"; they learned from each other. Their "dancing" was tender, innocent, and special. Gary could see a real future with Emma as his partner.
Sadly, he was but a substitute dance partner for Emma. He had "cut in" on the dance. Now it was time to do the gentlemanly thing and offer her hand back to her true partner.
Maybe Gary Hobson was never meant to dance. Maybe he was meant to just watch, alone in a corner, while others felt the music.
Or, maybe he had yet to meet the right partner.
The End