Emma felt her heart sink when she realized who was at the door. She'd been procrastinating calling them, and didn't expect they would just show up. Emma sighed as she stood up with Francisco, walking towards the door. The baby cooed as he was passed to his mother.

"Why don't you go down to the basement," Vanessa suggested as she arranged Francisco on her hip. Emma led her grandparents down to the basement to sit on the couch. They sat down and Emma decided she needed to begin.

"Look, I'm sorry I stormed out on you," she apologized genuinely. "It's just...this is my home now and I have no interest in starting over again. Thank you, but...I can't come to Italy with you."

Sofia and Lorenzo were quiet for a moment, taking in the words they had already anticipated. It carried a weight to hear it said out loud. Emma wasn't upset or lashing out; she was serious, and she didn't want to be with them.

"I appreciate your honesty," Sofia said. "I am disappointed, but I understand not wanting to leave your home."

Lorenzo cleared his throat. "Would you consider visiting us for the summer?"

Emma thought about the summer, not far away. She was still hoping to get into ABT's program so she definitely didn't want to spend the whole summer.

"Maybe for a couple weeks?" she suggested. "I have things I'd like to do here."

Her grandparents both nodded, accepting her answer.

"Okay," Sofia said. "I can see this is a losing battle. Tomorrow, we will go to the court house and withdraw our petition."

Emma breathed out, not believing it was that easy. All this mess could have been avoided if they'd only listened to her. Relief washed over her.

"Thank you," she said quietly and respectfully. "And it means a lot you offered for us to stay with you."

Sofia had tears in her eyes as she nodded and squeezed her husband's hand. Emma realized for the first time that maybe they were lonely. Her mother had been their only child, and they'd been estranged for years. They basically had no other family but their granddaughters. Emma decided she could make more of an effort to be in contact with them. She'd try to call every week or so.

The three of them stood up and quietly began ascending the stairs. Lin and Vanessa were on pins and needles, wondering what had unfolded. They hadn't heard yelling, which was a good sign. When they arrived on the main floor, their expressions seemed calm and collected. Emma looked relieved.

Lorenzo walked over to Lin and held out his hand. "We have told Emma we will withdraw our petition tomorrow," he told him. "We will not stand in your way."

Lin was speechless as he shook Lorenzo's hand back. "Thank you," he told him. "And please know we'll take very good care of your granddaughters. They're special kids."

"That they are," he agreed, looking at Emma proudly. Alexis joined the family in the room and put her arm around her sister. "They have open invitation to visit."

Lin nodded, thinking ahead to the summer. "We will try to get them over this summer," he told him. "We'll have to take a look at the girls' schedules. Camps and such."

More pleasantries were exchanged as the Romanos headed towards the door. Lin closed the door behind them and breathed out an audible breath. A moment later, there were sounds of celebration. With the Romanos dropping their petition, they were free to move forward with the adoption. Lin found himself getting a little teary eyed as they had a group hug.

"Lin, why are you crying?" Lexi asked.

Lin wiped at his eyes. "I'm just so happy," he said. "I'm so glad you'll be officially part of the family."

Lexi stepped forward and gave him a hug. Next to her own father, there wasn't anyone else she'd rather have looking out for her.

____

The next morning, Lin called his lawyer early yet again with the good news. Once the Romanos were out of the way, things would start to go quickly, he advised. They should expect to get a court date within the next couple weeks. He would start on the paperwork that afternoon.

____

Two weeks later, the Mirandas, including the two boys as well as Lin and Vanessa's parents, stood in court as Alexis and Emma stood in front of the court. They were all dressed to the nines, treating this as a special occasion. The judge called the girls up to his desk together and asked them if they wished to be adopted by the Mirandas. They looked back and Lin and Vanessa and told the judge confidently, "yes".

Paperwork was signed and once the gavel came down, announcing the end of the session, the small group erupted in cheers. Emma and Alexis rushed back to their new family. Their last names were now officially Miranda. They would always be part of the Parkers. They would never forget their parents. They'd be glad they now felt so at home with their long-time friends; glad they were part of a loving family.

____

Soon, it was back to the regular routine. The school year was starting to wind down, so the girls were getting busier and busier. Emma was piled with projects and exams, and end of the year extra credit. Plus, the ABT had announced a small invitation-only audition for their summer intensive. The judges had been impressed with her at the previous competition and knew that she had healed. Emma was spending extra time in the studio trying to get ready for the Saturday audition. She was starting to get snappy and very testy, and was so uptight that she had trouble eating much of anything.

It was Lin's night to cook, and he was trying to put together kabobs and some rice. Emma walked through the door, looking frustrated. She tossed her ballet bag on the floor and then leaned on the kitchen bar, putting her head in her hands.

"Tough practice?" Lin guessed.

"What was your first guess?" she retorted.

"Hey," he called out her rudeness. "No need to be snappy. Dinner will be ready in 20. You have time for a quick shower."

Emma gladly headed back to her bedroom to find some clean, comfy clothes. She hopped into the shower and let the hot water relax her muscles. The pace she was currently going at was exhausting. Each night, she had 3-4 hours of homework, and she was trying to go to the studio every single day. The audition was in four days. She just needed to make it a little longer.

Emma walked back out just as Lin was dishing out the dinner. "Will you go tell Lexi dinner is ready and put Sebastian in his chair?" he requested. Running on automatic, Emma did as she was asked and then plopped down in her chair. Lin glanced at her, wondering if she was about to crack.

"You okay, Em?" he asked her, setting her plate down.

"I'm fine," she grumbled, stabbing the green beans with her fork.

Lexi chuckled as she found her seat. She thought her sister was a drama queen, and couldn't help but laugh at her when she got dramatic.

"Shut up, Lexi!" Emma snapped, kicking her sister under the table. Lexi retaliated back.

"Girls, knock it off!" Lin told them firmly. Vanessa had a work event tonight, so he was all alone with 4 kids. Usually Emma was a help, but he could tell that would not be the case tonight.

"She's trying to antagonize me," Emma accused as Lin finally sat down.

"I think anyone could antagonize you at this point," Lin pointed out.

"Yeah, nobody wants to deal with your drama," Lexi agreed, knowing it would get under her sister's skin. Emma responded by throwing a green bean at her younger sister. Of course, Lexi had to retaliate by flicking a forkful of rice at Emma. Lin had had enough.

"Both of you, go to your rooms!" He yelled, pointing down the hallway. "Take your plates with you and don't come out until I tell you."

Emma gladly pushed her chair back and glared at her sister. Why did she have to push her when she knew she was having a hard time? Both went to their own bedrooms, slamming the door behind them. Lin shook his head and tried to enjoy his dinner.

"Daddy, it's not good to throw food," Sebastian pointed out wisely.

"No, Sebby, it's not," he agreed with his son. "Emma's stressed out right now, but it's not okay to throw food."

Lin breathed out and poured himself a glass of wine. He was going to need it to night if he was going to get through bath time and bedtime solo. Luckily, Sebastian and Francisco were cooperative during dinner and didn't protest bedtime too much. After they'd gone down, Lin headed back to the kitchen to clean up dinner. He should make the girls do it, but he didn't want the drama. Besides, doing the dishes could be a little therapeutic.

As he was finishing up the dishes, Lexi wandered out to get a glass of water. "Teenagers," she mused. "They're so dramatic."

Lin tossed the sponge into the sink. "I thought I told you to stay in your room," he said. "And you weren't helping."

"Well, even in prison, they're allowed water," she pointed out.

"Go," he told her, pointing towards her bedroom. "Finish your homework."

Lexi rolled her eyes and went back to her room. Lin put the boys to bed early, exhausted. When Vanessa arrived a little after 9, she found her husband asleep on the couch, the living room a mess. She smirked as she leaned over him and kissed him on the lips. Lin's eyes opened and he rubbed at them.

"Hey, V," he said, sitting up.

"Rough night?" She asked, kicking off her shoes.

"You could say that," he told her. "Four to one is not a fair ratio."

"Didn't Emma help?"

Lin shook his head. "She was in a mood. The girls were fighting at dinner, throwing food, so they went to their rooms."

"Oh my goodness," she muttered. "I can't wait til this audition is over. She's so testy lately."

"Me neither," he commented as he stood up and stretched. "I'm going to bed."

"I'm right behind you," Vanessa said, also exhausted. Thankfully, Francisco let them sleep through the night.

___

Thursday night rolled around, and Emma had spiraled downwards. She was talking back and snapping at everyone. The family tried to steer clear of her completely if they could. Seeing she was suffering, Vanessa decided she needed to have a heart to heart with her daughter. She knocked on the teenager's room that night and found her predictably doing homework.

"Hi, V," she greeted her mother, her hair still tied up in a tight bun from ballet practice.

"Hey," Vanessa sat down on the floor with her, scanning the homework she was working on. "So, how are you feeling?"

"I'm a pile of nerves," she admitted. "I'm sorry I've been such a bitch lately."

"You've been pretty touchy," Vanessa agreed. "But we know how nervous you are, so we're willing to put up with you. I was thinking, maybe tomorrow evening we should do something fun tomorrow, just me and you, to take your mind off the audition."

Emma sighed and scratched at her arm. She was hoping to spend the evening with Alex. His parents would be out at an event that night. "Actually, I already have plans...with Alex."

Vanessa nodded. They'd been spending a lot of time together lately. "And how are things going with Alex?"

Emma smiled and avoided eye contact with Vanessa. "Fine," she said. "Um...I've been meaning to ask you something. And you have to promise not to tell Lin."

"That I'm not sure I can do," she admitted. She and Lin told each other everything and made sure they were in constant communication about their children.

"Well, it's about girl stuff," Emma explained.

Vanessa laughed, "Well in that case, yes. Nothing embarrasses Lin more than talking about the female anatomy."

Emma was nervous, but continued on. "I was wondering if you could take me to the doctor to...get a prescription," she paused. "For birth control."

Vanessa tried to hide any expression of shock. She knew Emma and Alex had become very close, but she had hoped Emma would wait until college to venture down that road.

"You're sexually active?" she asked. Emma bit her lip and nodded. "I see. Well, I'm glad you're trying to be responsible about it. Have you been using condoms?"

"Yes," Emma said, still uncomfortable.

"Good," Vanessa said, glad that they were being reasonable. "Yes, I can take you to the doctor, but you have to promise me something."

"What?"

"That you're not doing this because he wants to," she said. "Just because you've done it once...or more than once...doesn't mean you have to keep doing it."

"I know, Vanessa," Emma told her.

"Good. I just want to make sure. Also, no hanky panky in this house."

Emma couldn't help but laugh. "This house is rarely empty."

"True," Vanessa agreed as she stood up. "Alright, I'll call the doctor for an appointment tomorrow."

"Thanks, Vanessa," Emma went back to her homework as Vanessa left the room. She breathed out as she closed the door behind her and decided that after that conversation, she needed a glass of wine. Lin was at work on his computer at the kitchen table as he observed his wife pour quite a large glass of wine.

"Everything okay?" He asked.

Vanessa took a long drink. "Yeah, why?"

"That's a big glass of wine," he pointed out. Vanessa just shrugged, not wanting to get into a discussion.

"Emma seems a bit better," she commented. "She's gonna spend tomorrow night with Alex."

Lin rubbed at his chin. "They seem to be spending a lot of time together lately," he observed. "You've had the talk with her right?"

Vanessa was mid-sip and almost choked on her wine. "Yeah," she cleared her throat. "Yes, of course."

Lin eyed his wife suspiciously. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing," she said, quickly walking over to the couch. "I'm gonna watch some TV."

Lin shook his head, dismissing his wife's odd behavior away. Alexis wandered out with her laptop.

"Lin, can you help me with a homework question?"

"Sure, Lex, what's up?" He asked, setting his own computer to the side. She pointed at the screen.

Lin began to read aloud. "This founding father was responsible for creating the U.S.'s financial system, the U.S. Coast Guard, and The New York Post," he read, then looked at his daughter, raising an eyebrow. "Are you messing with me right now?"

Lexi laughed as Lin tickled her sides playfully. "Thomas Jefferson, right?"

Lin playfully kicked her in the butt. "Do you need me to break into song and dance to remind you?"

"No thanks," she said, taking her laptop back to her room.

"There's a lot of people who would pay good money for that!" He called after her.

"I'm not one of them!" Her door closed. Vanessa just rolled her eyes and took another sip of wine.

____

Saturday morning, Emma was a bundle of nerves. It was reassuring to know that ABT had personally asked her to come perform. That was a good sign. They'd noticed her. However, it was ABT after all. It was highly competitive and not everyone who was invited today would make it in. She slipped into a classical black leotard with pink leggings, then slipped on her track pants, a hoodie, and a pair of black Toms. As Emma walked out to the kitchen, she was nauseous with anxiety.

Lin was making pancakes, which had become somewhat of a Saturday tradition. She knew she couldn't stomach one today, even though she loved them.

"Morning, my favorite ballerina," he said as he worked the spatula under a pancake. Lin was looking relaxed in a pair of gray sweats and a Nintendo t-shirt, the opposite of his high-strung daughter. "You feeling okay?"

"I think I might throw up," she admitted to him, taking a seat on one of the bar stools.

"You're gonna do fine," he reassured her. "You don't have any leg splints this time, right? And you've been practicing like crazy."

"Fine won't be good enough, though," she played with one of Sebastian's toys that had been left on the counter. "I have to be outstanding."

Lin stopped for a moment and looked at her. "And when have you ever let yourself be less than outstanding?"

She smirked a little, knowing how hard she worked. But so did all the other girls. She wouldn't feel better until she heard the result.

"Do you mind if the whole family comes?" He asked, popping a grape in his mouth.

"No, that's fine," she told him.

"And I mean the whole family," he clarified. "My parents, V's parents, my sister and her family, the boys..."

"Your family is nuts," she told him.

"Mi familia es su familia," he said in a sing-song voice. Emma looked at her phone, and knew it was time to go.

"Alright, I need to head out," she told him, standing up and grabbing her ballet bag. "I'm taking the subway."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said. "I'll see you after the performance."

"Good luck, sweetie. Break a leg."

Once Emma got into the hallway, she put in her earplugs and started playing her pump-up songs. After six months in NYC, she was starting to learn her way around the subway routes. She got on and off without even thinking about it. Soon, she arrived at ABT, which was already buzzing with activity.

There was an unspoken rivalry between ballerinas. They were constantly measuring themselves up against the others. In the dressing room, there were glances at each other, scoping out each other's bodies, outfits, confidence. Most of the girls were aware of each other and had seen each other dance before. They knew who was a threat; who was a close match. Emma wasn't full of herself, but she liked to think she was near the top of this group of ballerinas. When she was in top form, she was pretty sure she'd make it.

Mrs. Wainwright showed up soon and had Emma perform certain stretches and work a few problem passes. Mostly, she tried to reassure Emma and keep her in the zone. After years of auditions and competitions, Emma had become expert at tuning out things going on around her. She was picturing her routine in her mind, hitting every pose precisely, moving with emotion.

After what seemed like hours of waiting, it was time for Emma to go on. She walked confidently in her pointe shoes out to the small stage. The auditorium was small, and as she took her spot in the center of the stage, she thought she heard Francisco coo. The lights were blinding, so she couldn't see her family, but felt they were there.

The music started out slow, and her dance consisted of graceful, flowing movements. As she whipped her body around, everything felt right. All eyes were on her, just as she liked. The music sped up as she reached the more technical part of her dance. This is the part of her performance where she fractured her leg before. As she leapt and came down, she landed it perfectly. She heard cheers from the audience. Emma's face was all smiles as she continued to whip around quickly, leaping, jete-ing, and spinning. The music finished, and she froze in her final pose, breathing hard.

She curtsied to the judges and the audience and then scurried off the stage. Mrs. Wainwright was ready with a smile and a hug. "Did that feel good?"

Emma nodded, tears in her eyes. She'd done the best she could, and all she could do was hope the judges were impressed. A few moments later, Lin, Vanessa, and the boys were outside the stage doors as she exited, with flowers. There were lots of hugs and kisses. Sebastian was very interested in his sister's hair. He touched it, wondering why it was so hard. Emma tried to explain hairspray and Sebastian decided he'd like to try it later.

Waiting was horrible. Emma put her track pants and Toms back on and joined her family in the audience to watch the final performances. There were 10 girls performing in all, and Emma watched the last four. They were good, but Emma thought she'd done better. She suddenly wondered if they were performing in order of what ABT thought was the best to the worst, or the worst to the best. She was somewhere in the middle. There was a call for all the dancers to come back to the stage.

Finally, the director of ABT got on stage with a microphone and asked all the dancers to come to the stage. The ten girls gracefully made their way to the stage, all in point shoes. The director reminded the audience that 5 of the girls would receive scholarships to come to the ABT summer intensive.

He began with the 5th place girl – not Emma. She wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. Emma had thought she'd done quite well. Perhaps she'd be higher up. Another two girls were announced and Emma still hadn't heard her name. Now she was starting to get nervous.

The director announced that the top two girls had placed very closely together. The last two finalists were Sarah Bennett and Emma Miranda. Emma almost didn't recognize her name because she was still getting used to her new last name. She felt a wave of joy wash over her, but made sure she composed herself. She graciously accepted an envelope, which enclosed her official offer to the summer intensive. Once she got backstage, she erupted into squeals. Mrs. Wainwright was close by, incredibly proud of her student.

Afterwards, the entire family went out for a celebratory dinner and then went back to the Mirandas to be together. Since Emma and Alexis never had any aunts, uncles or cousins, it felt nice to be around so many family members. They never knew how much love was passed around in a large family. Emma allowed herself to be hugged by her new grandparents, and fussed over. She went to bed that night, exhausted and incredibly happy.

___

Once school ended, the entire summer was open. Alexis was disappointed to find out that Lin and Vanessa had enrolled her in some summer school classes at a real school. Her online teacher had expressed concern that she was behind in math and science. She'd never been subjected to summer school before, and wasn't happy about it.

Emma took it upon herself to practice on her basement barre every day to make sure she was ready for the ABT summer intensive. Since school was out, she wasn't getting practice during the day, and the studio hours were cut back somewhat in the summer. She didn't want her strength and technique to slip when it counted most. While the intensive was going on, she knew the teachers were always watching, thinking beyond the summer program. Emma knew she needed to capture their attention.

The morning of her first day of summer school arrived, and Alexis was still carrying a grudge. She plopped down at the kitchen table at 7:30 a.m., resting her head in her hand as she shoveled Cheerios into her mouth. Lin set a glass of orange juice on the table for her.

"Why the long face?" He asked, feigning innocence. Lexi just looked at him and scowled. Today she actually had to get dressed in real clothes and interact with other children. At least it was only half a day.

"It's not gonna be that bad," Lin told her.

"You don't have to go there," she pointed out, shoving her cereal around in her bowl.

"You're acting like it's prison," he said. "It's school. You might make a new friend."

Lexi sighed. She still hadn't really made any good friends. There were a few girls on her softball and volleyball teams that she was friendly with, but she wouldn't exactly call them friends.

Vanessa dropped her off on the way to work. It was easy enough to find her classroom – there were signs up for the grade levels. She walked into a bright classroom with about 12 students already seated. They all looked about as thrilled as she was to be at school on a summer day. She picked the least offensive looking person to sit next to. A blonde girl with a New York City shirt turned around in her desk to scope out the newcomer.

"Hi, I'm Amber," she introduced herself.

"Alexis," she said as she sat down. "But I mostly go by Lexi."

"Welcome," she said. "You don't normally go here, do you?"

"No, I do online school. My parents are making me take a couple classes over the summer."

Amber nodded in understanding. "I failed math and got a D in language arts. If I don't pass, I may have to repeat 6th grade. Anyways, most of the kids here go to school here too. A word of advice – don't sit anywhere close to the fat kid in the green shirt over there. He has gas. And those two girls in the back – they're mean girls. Like, Regina George level. Just stay away."

Lexi wasn't sure why this girl had decided to take her under her wing, but she was just relieved that someone was actually talking to her. The teacher then walked in – a middle aged man who was balding. He looked like he'd had a rough morning and was in a hurry. Amber turned around again.

"That's Mr. Turner," she said and leaned in to whisper. "There's a rumor he has a mail-order bride from Russia because no one in New York will date him. And I've seen him pick his nose when he thinks no one is looking."

Lexi cringed and then covered her mouth to suppress a giggle.

The rest of the morning wasn't bad. Amber seemed to have a funny tidbit for a lot of things. She was hilarious. She might actually make summer school bearable. At 12:30, the school day was over, and they all packed up their things. As the girls walked out the front door of the school, Lexi was prepared to head home, only a couple blocks away.

"Any plans for the afternoon?" Amber asked.

"No, I was just gonna go home," Lexi replied, shielding her eyes from the sun.

"I'm meeting a couple friends down at the skate park. Wanna come?" She held up her skateboard.

Lexi knew she didn't have permission, but she didn't want to pass up an invitation from a possible new friend. Lin and Vanessa would be glad that she'd met someone.

"Okay!" she agreed. Lexi turned the other way and followed Amber a few blocks over to a skateboarding park. Amber dropped her skateboard to the sidewalk and started rolling along slowly so Lexi could walk with her. When they got to the skate park, there were tons of kids all over the place. A lot of them were just hanging around the edges of the park, under trees, watching the really good kids throwing tricks. They were amazing. Amber got her helmet out of her backpack and strapped it on.

Amber seemed fearless. Lexi watched as she rolled up ramps, getting several feet high in the air, and how she balanced perfectly on metal rails. When she sailed through the air, it seemed like her skateboard was glued to her feet. Lexi didn't know any of the names of the moves, but they were all amazing.

Amber and Lexi hung out at the park for about an hour before deciding to hop on the subway to go to Central Park for a while. Lexi luckily had her Metro Card with her. They goofed around in the park together, laughing, climbing trees, and making fun of the joggers. When Lexi checked her watch, she saw it was past 3:00. She knew she'd probably be pushing it being out any longer, so she told Amber she needed to get home. Since she didn't know the subway system very well, she asked Amber how to get back to Washington Heights. Amber was a lifetime New Yorker and was easily able to tell her the route to take.

At about 3:45, Lexi walked through the front door, feeling good about her day. Lin was on the phone, pacing the living room.

"She just walked in. I'll call you back," he said, then pressed 'end' on his phone. "Where have you been?"

"Oh, I went to the skate park with my new friend Amber, and then we went to Central Park. It was so cool! Amber's a skateboarder and she showed me this trick called the Ollie. It was amazing!" When she looked at his face, she realized he wasn't as excited as she was.

"School ended at 12:30. I was expecting you back by 12:45," Lin told her. "Did it occur to you that I might be worried about where you are? I've been calling your school and I was about to call the police. And Central Park? You'd have to take the subway to get there, or walk a ridiculously long way."

"Sorry," she told him. "I thought you'd be glad I made a friend."

Lin rubbed the back of his head. "That's great, Lex, but you need to be more responsible. And I've told you before I don't want you riding the subway alone."

"Well, if I had a phone, I could call you..." she tried, like she felt she had to every once in a while. "And I wasn't alone. I was with Amber."

"That question has been asked and answered many times," Lin told her. "And I mean with an adult."

She set her backpack down on the floor. "Just saying," she said.

"How was your first day?" He asked.

"Boring," she told him. "But Amber's fun."

"Any homework?" He asked.

"Just a worksheet," she told him.

"Why don't you get that done now so it's out of the way," he told her.

Lexi reluctantly got out her homework folder and whizzed through her math worksheet. "Lin, I'm supposed to get this checked by a parent," she called to him. Lin walked over and glanced it over, pointing out a couple of errors. Lexi erased them and tried again, getting them right this time.

___

Across town at ABT, Emma was sweating and working like she never had before. The other girls in the summer intensive were good. Really good. Emma was used to being the best in her class. It was different to have to really apply herself just to get noticed. The other girls were from all over, and they were all the best.

The instructor was Russian, and she was strict. She was a stickler for technique, and would make the entire class redo the exercises if everyone wasn't perfect. Emma's ankles and toes were killing her.

Mrs. Petrov clapped her hands to get everyone's attention. "Again!" she ordered, and the class grumbled. The music started again and the girls all pushed through the exercise for the 5th time. Even though it hurt, Emma made sure to keep her technique perfect. She would have to ice her feet tonight for sure.

After class finally ended, the girls all congregated at the walls, taking off their pointe shoes and slipping back into track pants and tennis shoes. Several of the girls seemed to know each other or had already formed their own cliques. Emma was the only one with no one to talk to. As she was unlacing her pointe shoes, she noticed a couple girls across the room looking at her and laughing. Emma furrowed her eyebrows and tried to shrug it off. She tried to stay out of girl drama.

Once she was dressed, she slung her bag over her shoulder and headed for the door. Home was a short subway ride home. As she walked down the hall, the same two girls trailed behind her, giggling all the way. Emma had finally had enough. She turned around, putting a hand on her hip.

"Do you have a problem?" She asked.

"Sorry, we were just laughing thinking about the way you did your degages. You looked ridiculous," one of the girls said confidently.

Emma felt herself blush and she poked her tongue in her cheek. She had struggled a bit with making sure they weren't sluggish. It was embarrassing to have someone point it out. "Well, I'm here to learn," she said. "Maybe you both need to practice your manners."

Emma turned and walked away, not wanting to give them another ounce of her already drained energy. She pulled out her headphones and put them on. Soon, she was home, and the house was filled with the smell of enchiladas, one of Lin's specialties. She was exhausted, but the girls' comments had really gotten to her. She felt like hitting the shower and icing her feet immediately, but she went straight to the basement.

Emma pulled up a Youtube video about degages techniques and watched it through once. She paid attention to the pointers given and then began to practice. They still didn't feel right. Before she knew it, she'd been down there for half an hour. Lin called downstairs that dinner was ready. Reluctantly, Emma pulled off her pointe shoes again and noticed they were actually bleeding. She carefully walked upstairs to make sure she didn't get blood on the floor.

Lin had already set the plates on the table. Emma grabbed some gauze and tape from her ballet bag and sat down at the table just as Lexi was arriving. She turned her nose up.

"Eww that's disgusting!" She exclaimed. "Why would you do that at the dinner table?"

"Mind your business, Lexi," Emma told her as she began to wrap gauze around her bleeding toes. Lin glanced over to see what she was doing.

"Ouch, Em," he told her as he began to cut up Sebastian's enchilada into bite-sized pieces.

"It's not a big deal," Emma brushed it off. People were always making a big deal out of ballerinas' feet, but they all deal with it. It was part of the art.

"I don't think I've ever seen you bleed before," Lin observed.

"Like I said, it's not a big deal," she said a bit more firmly this time. Finally, she set her foot down and picked up her fork. Vanessa got home part way through the meal, having had to work late. She gave everyone a kiss and made herself a plate.

When dinner was over, Emma seemed to be visibly in pain, even though she was trying to hide it. "Em, do you want me to start an ice bucket for you?" Vanessa asked her daughter, who had quickly become versed in easing foot pain.

"Yes, please," Emma said as Vanessa picked up her plate. A couple minutes later, she returned with a tub filled with ice cubes and cold water. Emma slowly eased them into the tub, grimacing from the cold, but feeling immediate relief. Vanessa sat down next to her and began untying her tight bun, letting her fingers run through Emma's dark brown hair. Emma closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of the ice on her feet and Vanessa's fingers in her hair. She didn't realize how tired she was, because she momentarily drifted off to sleep.

"Come on, let's get you to bed," Vanessa suggested gently. Emma nodded and didn't argue. Vanessa handed her a towel and she dried off very carefully. "I'll come help you wrap up your feet."

Emma hopped into the shower to rinse off quickly and then put on her PJ's and climbed onto her bed. She laid back on her pillow as Vanessa came in with some more gauze. She lovingly applied the gauze, looking at Emma every few moments to make sure she wasn't making it any worse.

"Are you gonna be okay for tomorrow?" Vanessa asked. Emma just nodded as Vanessa finished up. She stood up and gently moved Emma's legs under the covers. Vanessa kissed her good night and turned off the lights.

After checking on Lexi, Vanessa made her way to the master bedroom, where Lin was already in bed reading. She quickly changed and brushed her teeth, then climbed into bed next to her husband.

"If her feet are that beat up after day one of this workshop, I'm not sure how she's going to last for a month," Vanessa said as she settled in.

"She seems to be able to deal with it," Lin commented, keeping his eyes on his book.

"Her feet were covered in blisters," she said. Lin shut his book and turned over on his side, then planted a flirtatious kiss on her neck just below her ear.

"How about we stop talking about the kids," he suggested gently, letting his hand rub his wife's stomach. Vanessa chuckled softly. It was hard not to worry about one of their four kids.

"And what do you suggest we talk about instead?" She asked. Lin gently turned her face towards his and planted a slow, deep kiss on her lips.

"How about we don't talk at all."