From that day on, Alice went to the park to meet with Belinda who came either with her mother, father, or by herself just to see her as well. They talked more about music and dancing and told each other about their favorite artists. Alice asked one day if Belinda could show her her dancing. She could see the faint blush on her face.

“I never actually danced for anyone besides my parents and instructor.”

They both looked around the park and there were more people there that day.

“You’re welcome to come over to my house.”

“I would like that very much, yes.” She said excitedly.

When they entered the door her parents greeted them from the living room. Her mother sat on a grey couch drinking tea, while her father sat a similar grey armchair reading the morning paper. Belinda took her down the hall and to a room upstairs. She open the double doors to reveal a room with nothing but three body length mirrors side by side, two chairs beside them and a record player in the far corner of the room.

“Wait here.” Belinda said and left the room. When she came back, she was dressed like a ballerina with her hair tight in a bun and her white dress. She twirled on her pink ballet and the white skirt expanded. Without saying a word,she went over to the record player and Coppélia began. She gracefully danced around the room. Alice didn’t believe she was real, the way she jumped effortlessly, landed perfectly, and stretched her body Alice thought no human could possibly achieve. It was magical for her to watch. When she finished, she saw that Alice was in awe, and smiled at her.

“Do you like it?” She said out of breath.

“That was beautiful.”

“Now.” She sat next to Alice. “Any chance of you giving me a private performance?”

“Is there a piano somewhere in your home?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“I’m sorry,” Alice looked away from Belinda. “I don’t think you would be welcome over. My father’s not a very particularly kind person.”

“Oh… I understand.”

Her father never knew about Belinda and intended to keep it that way. Belinda’s parents were very understanding of that and let her come over whenever she could. And she did.

It was devastating to Alice when Belinda told her about her moving to France.

“I’ll write to you. I promise.”

And she did. Every week there was a telegram from her. The excitement of Paris and all its people, sights,museums, and food, and how she was offered to perform at some of the theaters there. Alice told her of her new pieces and how someone threw cabbage on stage instead the normal roses. Belinda wrote back that she couldn’t stop laughing at the thought. They went on like this for two years. Until finally Alice decide to write her something she didn’t know about when they first meet. She was so nervous to write it, it took her a week to out it into words. Alice wrote of what she felt the moment she saw her, it was like feeling the sun for the first time. The warmth she felt when she saw her smile, how her dancing made her think

She waited weeks and weeks for something from her, but nothing came. She wrote how sorry she was for what she said and to think nothing of it, but a reply never came. She cried herself to sleep for a few nights and the idea of Belinda feeling the same way seemed foolish as time went on.