Epilogue

ONE YEAR LATER

"Okay!"I yell, loud enough for everyone to hear me. "Before we open these doors, I wanted to take a minute to thank all of you for being here. I never thought I would have all of this, but with your love and support, I'm here."

I look over at Mads, who knows first-hand the struggles that I went through growing up. She gives me a proud smile as I continue.

"When I was a kid, I didn't have much. Being able to dance freely, even at a very young age, wasn't always a possibility. Whether it was family stuff or not having the money for lessons, there was always something standing in the way of me achieving my dreams. There are so many kids out there who hope for the same things I did, and what we're doing here will give them a chance to go as far as their little imaginations will take them."

I cradle my growing belly, looking over at my husband with pure adoration and love. "All I've ever wanted was to provide a place for future dancers to learn and grow without having to worry about anything else. With the donations from my very generous friends and family, we've put together several scholarships for dancers who may not have otherwise had the means to achieve their goals. Everyone here, no matter where they come from, will have an opportunity to dance with us. One day, maybe my daughter will lace up a pair of pointe shoes right here in this very room. That means the world to me. So, thank you."

‘I love you,' Dalton mouths, blowing me a kiss. There's no mistaking the pride in his eyes as he watches me take another one of my dreams and make it a reality.

I smile as I walk over to the door, flipping the sign to say ‘Open' before turning the lock. "Diamond Dreams Dance Studio is officially open for business!"

The room erupts into cheers as I run over to Dalton, wrapping my arms around his waist. He kisses my forehead, giving me that same loving look he's been wearing since the night I married him. I turn to watch as people flood in through the doors, looking around at all of the special things we have set up for our grand opening. We have different costumes for kids to try on in one corner, which most of the little girls flock to right away. We laugh as some of the smaller ones struggle to step into the pink tutus we have set out.

Dalton puts his hand on my stomach, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "I can't wait to watch our little one dance with her mama," he says. My eyes fill with tears at the thought of my daughter being able to do whatever it is that she wants without anyone telling her that she isn't good enough. I will always build her up and support her, no matter what she chooses to do in her life. The sky will be the limit for her, and she'll know, without a single doubt, that her parents love her fiercely.

When I saw those two pink lines six months ago, I'll admit that I was terrified. I wasn't raised in a stable home with anyone to care for me. I faced all of my struggles alone and there were times when I felt so broken, that I didn't think I'd ever get to a point of true happiness. I was afraid that I wasn't given enough of an example to be a good mother to my own child. But Dalton reminded me that I am not my past. The things that happened to me back then do not have to define the way I continue in this life.

I vowed right then that I would do everything I could to be the best mother this world has ever seen. I'm sure there will be plenty of struggles, and there will be times that I have no idea what the fuck I'm doing, but I'll never leave my child or make her feel like she has to do anything alone. We'll always be in her corner.

I may not have started out with a lot of love in my life, but now I have more than I could ever imagine. The past two years have changed me in every possible way, and I'm so proud of how far I've come. I went from a scared, self-doubting shell of a girl to a strong, confident woman who knows her worth. And anytime I slip up and start to forget, Dalton makes sure to remind me that I am every bit of the bad bitch I've always tried to be.

No amount of time in this life will be enough with him, but I"m perfectly happy starting with forever.