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Lee, our owner, has danced her whole life. She’s an inspiration, one I could only hope to be like one day. She danced in college at Churchill University, then for the Trailblazers once she graduated, and not long after her personal career ended, she opened Star.

The legacy of this studio would be nothing without her. She may be in her fifties, but she’s the foundation.

“She seemed happy, said the acquisition was amicable, so I guess it was just a good business decision. Business is business, I don’t really know.”

Stopping behind the mirrored glass window, I stare at the little dancers who have changed everything about my heart. I’ve missed class with them. More than I ever thought I would. When I took the position of teaching them, it was just supposed to be filler until tour. Filler until I could begin pursuing what I thought was my dream.

I never anticipated my dreams to change, until they did.

Choreography is my passion; I love it, and it makes me feel alive. Teaching these girls, however, is my purpose.

“What are they changing the name to?” I ask, unsure of how changing all of this is going to benefit anyone.

“Haven’t told us yet.” She shrugs.

Who the hell wants to buy a small dance company in the middle of nowhere, Tennessee? I get business is business, and I don’t know everything that went on behind closed doors, but this seems abrupt.

“I guess things could be worse,” I say, lightening the mood as Vic opens the double doors in front of us.

Familiar warm wood floors comfort my feet. The smell of hard work, mixed with a hint of orange zest air freshener, tingle my nose, forcing a small shimmy from my shoulders. Before I can fall back in love with my sanctuary, a dozen small screams rush toward me.

“Fia!” they shout in unison, followed by several, your backs and we missed you’s.

“Surprise!” I cheer, embracing as many little ones as I can.

It’s hard to explain, but as I’m wrapped up in this hug, I just know this is right. There’s no constant back-and-forth, no moving from one place to the next. Certainly, no transactional conversation or hidden pressure to constantly be a societal match like in my other situation.

Here, I’m just Fia.

No change necessary; they love me just the way I am.

I just need to remind myself that I do too.

“Sit, sit, I want to catch up.”

Waving over the squealing girls, we all fall to our bottoms, right back into the usual routine we’ve all grown so used to.

“How’s tour?” Grace asks, bright-eyed and adamant to be the first to catch my attention, like always.

“It’s going well. I’m so happy to be home, though. You guys are coming to our last show, right?”

Haven, being the great boss she is, gave us each tons of tickets for the last show in Nashville. There are twelve girls on my youth team, so it was a no-brainer that most of my tickets were reserved for them.

When they find out I choreographed Haven’s new single, they’re going to flip.

“We wouldn’t miss it.” Another girl smiles.

“What’s it like dancing for a celebrity? I bet it’s so cool. You’re so amazing, Fia. We want to be like you when we grow up.”

Guilt seeps into my bones the instant their sincere words fill the space around us. These girls look up to me. They model their careers after mine, hoping and praying that one day, they’ll get an opportunity like I did.

And while things have gotten increasingly better on tour, I feel bad telling them that it’s not really where I want to be. That I want to be here with them instead of where some of them dream of being.

“I-It’s different,” I hesitate, and Vic smiles, likely knowing how straining something like this truly is.

Besides Sienna, Vic is my best girl. We’ve danced together since we were three. She’s the only person who knows how much dance means to me, knows how deeply I cared about this dream.

She also knows how excited I’d been for this opportunity.