2.
~ "But you talked to him, right?" Darcy was saying as Ariadne helped her put on the heavy make up required for her dance number.
"He thinks your too young to go to Russia on your own." Ariadne sighed as she wrapped a towel around her daughter's shoulders to protect the beaded costume against damage as she applied a thick layer of eye shadow.
"I won't be on my own, Mother." Darcy complained. "I'll be living with the troupe. How is it any different than summer dance camp?"
"Well, it's a year, for one thing. For another, it's in another country." Ariadne sighed.
Darcy would play on of the many fairies that would populate Neverland. She wasn't chosen to play Wendy or even Tinkerbell and the disappointment had been hard on her.
"It's so much more demanding at this level, mother." Darcy said as she smacked her freshly painted ruby red lips.
"I understand that." Ariadne said and finished pinning Darcy's wild hair into the net cap. Now she looked just like the other girls her age. All of them second string dancers in a professional production of 'Peter Pan'. It was good work for someone as young as Darcy, but the girl wasn't happy.
"How will I ever be a primary dancer if I don't tour? Madam Tannis won't elevate me and it's been a long time since the cancer!" Darcy whined.
"Stop that. You'll ruin your make up." Ariadne warned.
The other girls who were playing fairies seemed perfectly happy with their roles. They fluttered about the dressing room, practicing their fairy walk. A sort of wiggly dance meant to look like they had wings.
"It's opening night, you go out and dance better than the others. That will set you apart." Ariadne instructed.
"I was already set apart." Darcy corrected. "I was offered a chance to tour with a professional troupe. You think they offer that to just anyone?"
~ Arthur waited outside the girls dressing room with the other proud fathers of the ballet dancers. All of them excited to see their little princesses in the production. It wasn't every day their daughters were in a real show. This wasn't a silly recital put on by a dance school. This was a major production with paying customers.
Only the mothers were allowed in to help the young dancers get ready, then the fathers were allowed to lavish their daughters with roses and tell them how proud they were.
It was a routine Arthur had done countless times now. Darcy had been a minor dancer in 'Aladdin', 'Swan Lake', 'Sleeping Beauty' and had been in every production of 'The Nutcracker' since she was cancer free. He was already proud of her and felt, with time, she would be the dancer they were looking for. Russia was out of the question.
"You may come in now." The teacher came out and waved the father's in.
Arthur spotted his wife and daughter right away. Darcy, due to her seniority in the dance troupe, had her own dressing table near the front.
"You look beautiful." Arthur lied as he wished she didn't have to wear so much make up and hide her long, curly hair. While he was at it, he wished her costume wasn't so revealing to.
"I'm not Wendy." Darcy said hatefully as she took the dozen day breaker roses Arthur gave her.
"Well, I'm not Peter Pan." he sighed. Nothing made the girl happy these days.
"I'm a third alternate for Wendy." Darcy said. "I did really well on the ropes when we did the flying dance, everyone said so."
"Darcy, we're on in twenty." the older woman who ran the dressing room said. She was one of the many teachers who had once been a dancer. She took no nonsense from the children. "I expect you to have this group ready."
"Yes, madam." Darcy said with a neat little curtsey.
The girl looked to Arthur.
"If I went to Russia for a year, I could study with a troupe that does all kinds of acrobatics." she said hopefully.
"I said no to Russia." Arthur told her. "If you want to take gymnastics, fine. So long as it doesn't interfere with your school work."
"I don't care abut school, I want to be a professional dancer!" Darcy almost cried.
"Darcy." Ariadne sighed.
"You will do as I say." Arthur said darkly.
"Everyone please leave and find your seats!" the teacher called out. "Darcy, start their warm ups, please."
Arthur followed Ariadne out of the dressing room with the other proud parents.
"Oh, I left my purse." Ariadne said and started to turn back.
"I'll get it. Go sit with Sadie and Eames. I left the boys with them. Drew is with dad." Arthur said.
"The boys are with Sadie and Eames? Why do you hate them so much?" she said with a teasing smile.
"Who? Sadie and Eames or the boys?" he said with the first real smile he had since she forbid him anymore extractions.
She leaned over and kissed him.
"Hurry up." she whispered and he could smell the perfume he liked her to wear. The one she always put on when she wanted him to touch her and kiss her.
His body liked that perfume, and woke up like a sleeping dragon.
"I will." he whispered back.
~ The girls were doing their warm up, their silly fairy dance as Arthur snuck back into the dressing room.
The teacher nodded at him but made the pupils keep focus. He grabbed Ariadne's black handbag and started to leave. Man like, he failed to grasp both handles and the contents spilled out.
The attention of the hawk like teacher was focused on him as he apologized in a whisper and picked up Ariadne's stray lipstick, compact, hair brush... and...
He blinked and didn't touch it at first. He knew exactly what it was. Knew it came out of Ariadne's purse. Despite the presence of a group of girls, the dressing room was clean. The teacher was scowling at him again and he was quick to pocket the compact case of birth control pills and leave.
~ He was angry at what he found in Ariadne's purse. Angry that she was on birth control pills and didn't tell him. Why was she on the pill again? He had a vasectomy right after Drew was born. It had been apart of their bargain not to have any more children. That four was enough.
He composed himself before showing the usher his season pass ticket, and was waved inside.
He found his family waiting for him in their private box. The founder's box boxseats they had bought in advance due to the fact the entire family were ballet buffs. Eames was the only exception. But he normally used the two hours for nap time anyway.
The boys were in their seat, Sadie and Eames talking or fighting, Arthur could never tell. Albert, his father, was holding Drew in his arms and watching the orchestra pit.
"Thanks for coming, Dad." Arthur said as he slid in the seat between his wife and his father.
"My pleasure." Albert said. The older man taking time off from his own tour to come and see Darcy dance.
Drew smiled her sweet baby grin at him and leaned over to have him hold her.
"Daddy's girl." Ariadne whispered in his ear.
Arthur filched away from his wife slightly. The idea she was on birth control because she was sleeping with another man had implanted itself in his mind and refused to let go.
"You know, I was thinking." she said and leaned next to him.
"About what?" he asked darkly.
"You were right. Darcy is getting out of control lately, and Russia would only make things worse. She needs to take a break from dancing. I think she pushes herself too hard."
"Hmm." Arthur mumbled as the light dimmed for the performance.