The Dance

Shannon and Jessica practiced for hours. With their feet hurting, but smiles on their faces. Inseparable, attached at the hip and always laughing. They were happy together. 

They were learning a dance. A dance just for the two of them.

They wanted to get it just right. Since Jessica had a little more experience, she led the dance.

It was only one dance. But they practiced it over and over and over again. At the beginning, it flowed well. As time passed and the dance got a little harder there were a lot of mistakes. Toes were stepped on, maybe bumping foreheads ever so often. Shannon and Jessica’s schedules were different so they didn’t get to practice at the same time every day and the distance between them made coming together to practice pretty difficult. But Shannon took what she could. It was fun and nothing like she had ever experienced before.

As time passed Jessica moved away and Shannon had to stay behind. The two girls promised to still practice their dance even if they weren’t together. Jessica figured that things would still be the same and they would be even better when Shannon joined her the next year.

Shannon and Jessica were anxious to getting back to practicing their dance together. When they finally did, the dance wasn’t the same and things got harder. 

They had a lot of work to do. Shannon couldn’t remember a lot of the steps and Jessica got distracted by all the other pairs doing so well.

“Our dance has to be just right and it isn’t!” she thought.  

She wanted to fix the mistakes, but they were just made over and over and over again. With no change. Shannon seemed to struggle with the dance but wanted to do her best for Jessica. In need of a break, Jessica took some time off and didn’t go to dance rehearsal for a few weeks.

Little did Shannon know that in her absence, Jessica had met Brad at another dance studio. He was new and looking for a dance partner. Without Shannon there, Jessica figured she could learn a new dance.

“It couldn’t hurt and Shannon will be so proud of me!” she thought. 

Now Brad and Jessica are dancing their own dance. It’s new–even they don’t all the steps. She gets frustrated but the smile is ever on her face. Those around her wanter her dance to be perfect for her.

After some time away, Shannon felt like she could come back and start rehearsing again with Jessica. Walking into the studio, she saw how excited her friend was for learning another part of her new dance. She knew her time with Jessica was almost gone.

“Can’t you do both?” Shannon asks Jessica. “I need you.”

“I don’t know how. But I’m willing to make some time for you, we can still work on ours,” Jessica reassured her.

Shannon smiled as the reassurance rang in her ears, “Perfect,” she said and a hope sprang up inside of her that maybe she wouldn't have to dance alone after all. 

As the weeks passed, Shannon and Jessica never rehearsed. Shannon stopped dancing. It was too painful to dance by herself. Others would step in for Jessica “until she got back”, but it just wasn’t the same. This time, Shannon knew her partner was gone. 

As much as it hurts, Shannon can’t step back in. The hardest part is accepting that. She can’t step back in. She has been replaced. It’s the truth and it hurts. She has been replaced. But the dance Jessica is now dancing with Brad isn’t the same dance, Shannon and Jessica always danced together. There’s some comfort in knowing that their dance will never be replicated. Ever. Because it will always just be between the two of them. Even with that comfort, Shannon has doubts she’ll ever have that dance again.

There’s a new dance she has to learn these days. But this one must be practiced with empty hands and only one set of feet. 

Shannon met another girl at the dance studio, Jen. 

“Do you want to remember those dance moves with Jessica?” Jen asks Shannon.

“Kinda. They were fun, but I feel like I’m the only one remembering them,” Shannon responds.

“Do you feel like your old dance partner remembers them?” questions Jen.

“No, I’m not even sure she remembers who taught her how to dance in the first place. She's too busy with the new dance." Shannon whispers quietly 

In the meantime, Shannon has to dance alone–despite the mistakes made, the pain felt in her feet and legs, the memories with their old dancing partner. She knows that with time and lots of practice she can get stronger, and better off as a dancer because she's learned from her mistakes.

Learning another dance is painful for Shannon. There are new steps she’s not familiar with. It takes time and practice. She has to be patient. But she knows her final dance partner is patiently practicing their own, special dance. Her dance partner that she’ll have forever. She’s learning all these different dances with different dance partners–friends, family, etc–so when he does step in, she’ll be ready.