4: MEADOW

"Let's run through that routine one more time, ladies!"

A chorus of groans sounds through the tiny room as I wipe the sweat from my face. I smile and take a sip of water as I queue up the music again.

"From the top!" I say, returning my water bottle to the hardwood floor again.

It reminds me of my own hardwood floors in my studio. It's time to get them waxed again, and I groan internally thinking about the bill for that service. I know if I tell Onyx, he'll get them done without blinking an eye, but I don't want that. It's important that I maintain a certain amount of independence where my business is concerned.

The lyrics pour over our bodies, and the music intertwines with our souls. I stop halfway through, watching my dancers in awe. Each of them has done what I asked which is to become one with the song to the point where this song is their life story, their heart's desire.

Tonight, we will be performing three routines here at the Gaillard Center, and I want our performance to be perfect.

Just as we finish, there's a knock at the door. Karla, the coordinator of tonight's show, opens the door.

"Ladies, you're up in ten minutes," she says, beaming beautifully at me as her green eyes sparkle with excitement.

I smile back at her and say, "Thanks, Karla."

"No prob," she says, nodding as her black pageboy bob shakes with every strand falling back into place seamlessly.

I turn back to my dancers and ask, "Are we ready?"

They all run into our circle and hold hands. "Mal?" I say, prompting one of my dancers.

Mallory says a quick prayer and a chorus of amen chimes out after she ends it.

I pull the door open, and we excitedly rush down the hall to the backstage. The atmosphere is thick with excitement, and anticipation hums through our bodies. This is the first performance that we've had at this theater. Most of our productions are local.

"...performance from Mirage," Stephanie, the emcee announces.

I look at my girls and note how beautiful each of them is in the sparkling makeup that covers their faces. The only way to identify them is by their eyes. Champion Smith, a famed cosmetologist and videographer, came into town to do our makeup tonight.

Bree, Adalynn, Chelsea, Tara, Leslie, Riyann, Zandra, Giada, and Julieta all beam at me and chills pour over my body at the sound of the applause welcoming us onstage.

The music to Bebe Rexha's Beautiful Life flows from the stringed orchestra just beneath us on the floor. The music is beautiful, powerful, and fast-paced as it washes over us. It lifts us on wings, allowing us to glide through the air with each jump and twirl.

Each of us spins into another orbit as we sail across the stage.

I'm lost in the music and the performance as my dancers move all around me in a circle. Their hands grasp at me when they lift me at the crescendo.

The lights go down, and we run to the rear of the stage, exchanging our pointe shoes for tap shoes and the beautiful tulle tutus for nylon shorts. By the time we resume our positions, the lights are slowly coming up again, and Tara and Leslie are lying on the floor at my feet.

Bree and Chelsea are paired up with their hands placed together facing each other. Adalynn and Zandra have their backs pressed together, and Riyann, Julieta, and Giada are on the floor in a little circle.

One by one, each dancer taps out a rhythm with her shoes until the entire theater is full of the sound of us tapping out Marian Hill's Got It.

Our hips and fingers pop to the snazzy beat as we move from our current positions, forming two single-file lines, allowing the audience to only see the first person in each line. In alternating positions, our left and right feet tap out, giving a centipede effect, and slowly, our hands do the same.

Julieta and Bree do a series of backflips until they're slightly out of the audience's view, offstage left and right. They flip canes to each of us, and we catch them, keeping them extended as we wait for the next throw, a perfectly timed toss of our top hats, which we catch with our canes.

One by one, we use our canes to tilt the hats toward our partner's head as she bows and allows us to place them on her head. Once we're done and every woman is wearing a hat, Julieta and Bree tap their way back to center stage.

Although I don't focus my attention on the audience but on the large clock at the back of the theater that sits slightly above the audience's head, I know they're captivated. The orchestra joins in, the strings first, the brass next, and then the woodwinds, and finally the percussionists.

The routine is a rousing one that I know will leave us winded in the end, but we've been practicing for months for this with the orchestra. We've got our breathing timed with our legwork, allowing us to flow seamlessly through each movement as we catch our breaths through every transition.

The applause is thunderous when we're finished, and once again, the lights go down. The ladies move offstage, and I remain in the spotlight.

The lights slowly go down, and the ladies run back onstage, draping me in my final costume. A series of crepe and satin attachments to my leotard creates a beautiful long skirt with several layers and a colorful cape.

Fleetwood Mac's Gypsy begins to play from the orchestra, and the lights come back on as I perform my solo ballet routine to the music.

They're my favorite band of all time, and I love their Mirage album which is what I've named my dance studio after. Like a fairy, I sprint across the stage, allowing the music to envelop me in its arms. The freedom of the music and the potency of the lyrics reflect my carefree nature.

Coddled and protected as the only girl in the family, I've lived a relatively untroubled life. My father believed that it would all cease to exist once I married into the powerful family whose fingers were in every aspect of our nation's society from finance to politics and more.

Love conquers all fear is what I believe and that's what I've stood on. Although we haven't been married for long, two years to be exact, I still live that same carefree life. Onyx is just as protective of me as my father and brothers have been, if not more so.

They're out in the audience tonight cheering me on. I saw my father's and mother's faces as we took to the stage initially, and my brothers, Marc Jr. and Micah, are sitting on either side of my parents. They're all seated towards the front center stage.

Alternatively, Onyx's family, his parents, his sister as well as his cousins and their spouses, are up on the balcony looking down on the stage. My husband, though, sits with my best friend, Kaia, and her husband, Chris, on the front row center stage.

All this flows through my mind and then out of it as I continue to dance across the stage.

***

"You ladies did a phenomenal job tonight!" Yesenia says, or Yaya, as we call her.

She's the wife of Onyx's cousin, Kincaid, and she's just as close to me as Mak is.

"Thanks," the girls each take turns accepting her words of praise.

My dance studio has been transitioned into a celebratory reception for the night with twinkling fairy lights, swaths of sheer pink and white ribbon draped from the beams, and floral arrangements in large urns are positioned throughout the space.

Onyx hired a DJ for the night, and he's playing hip-hop music that my girls love. Their parents are here to help them celebrate as are some of their boyfriends. They're dancing all around the space while others are eating, and yet others are mingling.

"I think you made a name for yourself tonight, Meadow," Holly, one of my lead dance instructors, says.

"We made a name for ourselves, Mirage," I say, waving my arms around to include the collective body of student dancers and instructors.

Although the entire student body didn't perform tonight, and neither did my instructors, I view tonight's performance as a win for us all. When we were granted the opportunity to perform, we had a limited amount of time to do so.

I pulled together our top students and choreographed the performances that we would put on. We worked hard for three months straight, perfecting our technique and our moves.

"You danced so beautifully. I wish you would do it more," Holly says.

Smiling, I say, "I think it's time for you all to shine. I received several cards tonight from different companies wanting our girls to perform as well as two invitations from different theaters inviting us to put on a performance in the future. I'm thinking that this will be a wonderful opportunity to show the diversity of talent that we have at Mirage."

"I can't wait, Meadow. I was so inspired by tonight's performance that I have several ideas in mind," Holly gushes.

"I'm all ears," I say.

"Not right now. First, hI need this pretty lady's attention," my husband interrupts, wrapping me in his embrace from behind and startling me.

"Of course, Onyx. I'm going to enjoy the party while you two lovebirds catch up," she says, winking at me.

"Hey, you," I say, turning to face my husband.

"Hey, yourself," he says, leaning down to kiss my lips. "I saw your parents there tonight."

"Yeah, Mama said that she would make sure that they showed up, but I honestly wasn't expecting my brothers."

"I'm glad that she was able to convince them to come," Onyx says, leading me from the main room to another smaller private room down the hall.

"I just wish that they would have come by here," I say.

"Well, wish no longer," Onyx says, throwing the door open.

On the other side, my mother stands beside my father and brothers. Mama's wearing a large, proud smile, and so are my brothers. While my father is scowling, he has a large bouquet of roses in his arms.

"Mama! Daddy! You came," I gasp in shock.

My father remains scowling as I rush to my mother and throw my arms around her.

"Thank you. I know what this cost you," I whisper to her.

"You have no idea, but I wouldn't miss any of this for the world," she whispers back.

I move from my mother to my father. "Daddy, thank you for coming."

My father nods and says, "You were beautiful out there."

He hands me the flowers, and I throw my arms around his neck. When I hear the door softly close behind us, I turn to stare over my shoulder and find that Onyx has left us alone.

Looking back at my father, I say, "Daddy, I know that he's wealthy, but I don't apologize for that because Onyx is a good man. I chose a man who loves, honors and protects me. I'm not going anywhere, and neither is he."

"We'll see how true that statement holds up when trouble come. Rich men like him don't know what it means to stick around through the thick and the thin. If they can't buy their way out of a mess, they want no parts of it."

"Daddy, that's unfair. All men aren't created the same no matter their socioeconomic background."

I only get a grunt for my efforts, but I smile at him and kiss his cheek.

"Well, while you and Daddy are having your nice little reunion over there, don't forget about us. Are we chopped liver or something?" Micah asks.

I move away from the conversation with my father and toward my brothers. Throwing my arms around Micah's neck, I say, "Boy, ain't nobody forgot about you with your bigheaded self."

Laughing, he says in a low voice, "The ladies aren't complaining."

I mush him in the side of the head before I turn to Marc Jr. and say, "Thanks for coming, big bro."

"I'll always be here for you, lil' bit," he reassures me, calling me by my nickname.

"I've had a few people approach me about dancing with their dance companies and putting on a show for their theaters," I tell my family.

"You are amazing enough to run your own dance company," Mama says.

"That's not my desire anymore, Mama. The dance studio, and my students and staff are an amazing family and an extension of who I am. I'm thankful for what I have now, and the only thing that could make it better is to start my own family."

"You sure that's not what that boy wants? I bet he's convinced you to give up your lifelong dreams to stay home and take care of his kids. And for what?" my father asks, shaking his head and looking disappointed.

"Daddy, that's not what this is. The dreams I had simply changed, that's all. No matter what I want to do, Onyx is supportive of that. And right now, that happens to be starting my own family."

"Are you sure?" Daddy asks.

"I'm thirty-three-years old. I think I'm certain about what I want now," I say.

"You might change your mind a year or two from now," Daddy says.

"Then you won't have the money because it will all go on raising a child," Micah challenges.

"I'm just ready for grandkids," Mama says.

"I've thought through this clearly from all angles. Money isn't an issue. If I want to do something that's out of my financial reach, Onyx is more than willing to finance it for me. He's offered, trust me. What I want is not influenced by anything Onyx said or didn't say. These dreams live in my heart and mind, and nobody planted them there. This is one of the greatest nights of my life and has nothing to do with my marriage or anything else. Can we focus on what this night is about and celebrate that?" I ask hopefully.

"I'm just ready to party, lil' sis," Marc Jr. says.

"We're here because we're proud of you, and we want to support you. So, if you say it's time to party, then let's party," Mama says cheerily.

"Thanks, Mama. Come on, let's go to the other room and celebrate with everyone else," I say.

"I'll have to gracefully bow out, lil bit. I'm tired, and I need to get home, but I wanted to stop by here to extend my congratulations. You did a wonderful job out there tonight, baby, and I was proud of you," Daddy says.

"Thank you so much, Daddy. Mama, I'm sorry—"

"I'm staying," Mama says.

Daddy turns and scowls at her. "You're what?"

"I'm staying."

"How are you getting home?" he worries. "You can't be catching no Uber or Lyft."

"I'll take her, Dad. Go ahead and get some rest," Marc Jr. speaks up.

Micah shakes his head. "I'm leaving too. Make sure the ole man gets home," he says.

"Yeah, you do that," I say softly, leaving the room as Mama and Marc Jr. follow me, and Micah and Daddy head to the front doors to the right of us.

Mama grabs my hands before I can take another step. She faces me and stares into my eyes. She knows that I believe my father left because he didn't want to be around the Maxwell family. I can't force him to embrace what he clearly doesn't believe in.

"Tonight, we're going to celebrate. And whatever happened in that room, no matter how it made you feel, think, or believe, we're leaving that there. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"All right. It's time to party," Marc Jr. announces. "Besides, I had my eyes on a pretty little lady. Reddish brown braids, tiny waist."

Smirking, I say, "That's Holly, and you'd better behave with her."

He winks and follows me back inside.

When I spot my husband chatting it up with some of my staff, I head in his direction.

"Everything good?" he whispers in my ear, looking around for my family.

"Everything is perfect," I say, tipping up on my toes and kissing his lips.

"Ahh, that's the kind of love that I want," Holly says as Trina and Stacey sigh.

"Hi, I'm Marc, Meadow's brother," Marc Jr. introduces himself to Holly.

Looking at Onyx, I mouth, "Let's go," looking to where my mom is surrounded by my students.

"Are you sure you're good? I know that we've had a rough couple of nights," he says, indicating his sleeping in the guest bedroom.

"Yes. Let's party tonight, and we'll talk tomorrow."

"That works for me," he says, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me to the dance floor.