Her eyes were tired, but the quietly defiant purse of her lips told him that she wouldn't go down without a fight. She practiced all evening, stopping only to start over. He could hear her heavy breaths as she worked to perfect the form and technique. He never understood why she did it. It caused her pain, but still she danced. Over and over with a determination that could rarely be matched. While he had watched her grow strong and hard, he still missed the little girl. He missed the girl whose dreams had had no barriers; who had believed that anything was possible. The girl whose heart was full and unbroken, but now, now she was shattered, enclosed within walls of false confidence and independence that no one seemed able to climb. As she danced, though, he could see those walls slowly come down, as she spun and jumped the barriers fell, revealing a beauty and vulnerability he rarely saw. Then she stopped, the music was silenced, and the walls reappeared.
“I’m done.” Sweat was running down her face as she sat in front of him and began to unlace her shoes. He sat silent, taking in the talented young woman standing in front of him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“That was beautiful.” His eyes were filled with adoration and his heart longed for the feeling to be mutual.
“I kept messing up. My form was terrible and I couldn’t keep the rhythm.” She looked down at her hands as she unwound the laces, but was stopped when he put his hand on top of hers. With the other he lifted her face, their eyes meeting.
“Beautiful.” One word he whispered, and because of it, her walls came tumbling down. Her chin began to quiver and eyes fill with tears, all the pain and frustration she had felt released through a simple word. She realized that while the teachers and judges had been standing by, counting her mistakes and pointing out her faults, he had been there all along, thinking she was beautiful. Knowing she was beautiful, no matter what they thought.