Chapter 11

When Natalia opened her eyes, she didn't know where she was. Everything was dark and just a light over her illuminated a small circle around. She turned everywhere and saw nothing...

"Don't you know where you are, Natalia?" Andrew asked coming closer. "Don't you remember this place?"

Natalia looked at him in awe. "Where are we?"

"Don't you remember that when you were a little girl, there was no other place where you wanted to be one day? Have you forgotten the day you first danced here?"

As he talked, Natalia's eyes had gotten accustomed to the light and she could see the place: the main stage of the New York State Theater.

"How...?" she asked. "How do you know...?"

"I thought you had understood the last time," he said coming closer. He was dressed in a white suit and so Natalia knew.

"You're an angel?" He nodded. "Why? Why are you here?"

"I'm the angel of death."

"Am I dead?"

"Not yet. But if you'll live or not depends on you, on your willing to live."

"I don't have it, isn't it obvious?" she replied sarcastically.

"You can keep your sarcasm away. Your future is to be decided right here, right now. This is the place where you decided you wanted to be a ballerina. You were seven years old and you started to work for this dream since then. Have you forgotten that day before Christmas when you played Clara in The Nutcracker? Twelve years, Natalia, and you got the role that any ballerina would want to get as a teenager. Ballet has been your life since then, so don't blame your mother for your mistakes."

"But I don't love it anymore, don't you get it?! My life has no meaning at all! I'm not even worth enough for someone to love me..." she was crying softly and her voice remained somehow calm but with a clear note of sadness.

"Everyone is worth to be loved, Natalia, and you are loved," Monica's voice surprised them both. Andrew saw her and smiled thankfully. She walked to his side and took his hand reassuringly. "Your parents love you, and other than God's, that's the most complete and utter love you'll find."

"Then is it bad to want to find a man that loves me as much as Andrew loves you, Monica? Is that what you want to tell me?" This time it was not sadness but anger what was in her voice. "If you're angels, how can you be in love as you are?"

Andrew was about to answer but Monica spoke first. "This is God's plan, Natalia. Andrew and I are just a proof of how wonderful His love can be," she said looking at him with hazel eyes bright with love. "The love you can find in a man is a proof of His love, yes, but so are many other things, like the love of your parents or the success in your career. Your talent in ballet is a gift from the Father, a very special one."

The ballerina kept on swiping her tears that now ran freely through her cheeks. "I feel lonely sometimes. I thought William loved me and that belief brought happiness to my life, but now..."

"Do you know the song 'The Rose'?" the Irish angel asked.

"Yes, why?"

"Do you remember what it says at the end?" Natalia shook her head and then the angel continued. "When the night has been too lonely/ and the road has been too long/ and you feel that love is only/ for the lucky and the strong/ just remember in the winter/ far beneath the bitter snows/ lies the seed that with the sun's love/ in the spring becomes the rose... Wait, Natalia, wait. Winter may seem long but it doesn't last forever, and if these last months have been winter for you, the sun's love will come soon, warm and full of surprises. The seed is there and it's not dead yet..."

Natalia couldn't stand it more and felt to her knees, sobs making her tremble. When she rose her head to look at the angels, they were gone. She was all alone, she had to decide right there, right at that moment...

Tess saw her angel babies walking hand in hand to where she, Mary Ann and Mike were waiting. "What happened?" the supervisor asked.

"It's all up to her, Tess," Andrew replied.

"Any notice yet?" Monica asked then.

"No, not yet."

They remained in silence for long minutes, looking at Mary Ann and Mike. Richard joined them soon with no different news: Natalia was unconscious and they couldn't do anything but wait. What none was expecting was that William went back to the hospital.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Mike, the first to see him made the others to be aware of his presence. Andrew and Richard almost had to run to stop the boy to hit the choreographer.

"I wanted to know about Natalia," he tried to explain.

"She's almost dead because of you! Because you give the ballerinas the amphetamines they use so they don't have to eat! You push them to lose weight without control! All this is your fault!"

"You, big b..." Richard was about to shout when another voice interrupted him.

"Mike, will you repeat what you've just said ?" It was Jonathan Michels.

"Of course I will!" the boy said looking defiantly at William.

"And if you need a medical opinion, I will be glad to testify!" Richard offered. "I wanted to know how my daughter could possibly get those pills and I guess I've just found out. Tess, please call security!"

William tried to run at hearing this but a guard coming to the hall at that exact moment stopped him.

"William White, you'll have to face a legal suit for abuse in your functions as a teacher at the ABC..." Jonathan said. "Dr. Harris, Ms. Harris, the ABC is very sorry for this. Please, believe me, had we known before, we would've stopped this. It will never happen again."

Mary Ann had said nothing and was crying quietly. "We know, Mr. Michels. We really appreciate your concern."

Jonathan excused himself and went with the guard to wait for the police to come. Just then Andrew released his hold on Mike's arms. "Calm down, Mike," the angel said.

The boy's words had been like a bucket of cold water for all: William White, the famous choreographer and dancer forced the ballerinas to do drugs and to starve to death, something too dirty to imagine when thought about the glamorous American ballet company...

None broke the silence until a nurse ran to the waiting room. "Dr. Harris, you've gotta come!" the woman said almost breathlessly. "It's your daughter!"