Read Online Her Hometown Hero by Margaret Daley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Margaret Daley
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ever will be that person again. “And the reason for that...” The rest of the sentence lodged in her throat, burning it. One day I’m gonna be a ballerina just like she is. Carrie’s words robbed her of her voice.
“It’s okay, Aunt Kit. We know you hurt your leg, and it’ll take time to get better.” Carrie threw her arms around Kathleen and gave her a hug. “I love you.”
“Me, too.” Jacob joined in, forgetting about his fight earlier and embracing his sister as well as Kathleen.
Carrie leaned away. “When you feel like it, we can go riding like we usually do. Go on a picnic. We’ll be out of school in two weeks. By then you’ll be much better.”
Kathleen had known this would be hard, but like with Nate, she hadn’t realized how hard. As a ballerina she’d always strived for perfection in her dances. That was how she approached life. But she wasn’t perfect. She swallowed over and over, then murmured, “I love you two. I couldn’t ask for a better niece or nephew.”
Carrie giggled. “Even when we fight?”
“Yes, even then.” She kissed the top of each one’s head. “This is hard for me, but I have to tell you that I’ll never be able to dance again.”
Carrie thrust herself back, her eyes round. “Why not? You were injured before and still danced again.”
“Because—” Kathleen rolled up her sweatpants to reveal her prosthesis “—I lost the lower part of my leg in the accident.”
Jacob’s eyes rounded, and he touched her artificial limb. “Cool. How does it work? What’s it made from? How long have you had it?”
Kathleen tried to explain the best she could as she showed them how she took it off. Then she put it back on and walked around for them. Carrie remained quiet through the whole demonstration.
“Jacob. Carrie. Time for bed,” Beth said as she came into the den.
“Mom, did you see Aunt Kit’s new leg?” Jacob pointed to it.
“Yes, I have. You’ve got the bathroom first, then Carrie. Scoot now.” Beth shooed her son out of the room, then followed him into the hallway.
Kathleen silently thanked her sister-in-law. She needed to have a word with Carrie without Jacob around asking questions. “Honey, do you have any questions for me?”
“You can’t dance again?” Carrie’s voice squeaked out.
A burning sensation infused Kathleen’s stomach, and her heart ached. “I can’t perform like I used to. But there’s more to dancing than that.” When she said the last sentence, something clicked inside her. Hope seeded itself in her. “I can still help you when you need it.”
“Really? Great, because I want you to come to my audition for the Summer Dance Academy. Just knowing you’ll be in the audience will encourage me. There aren’t many openings for my age group.”
She couldn’t run from seeing Madame Zoe, and it was time she faced that. Madame Zoe would be upset if she knew Kathleen was in town and didn’t come to see her like she always did. “When is it?”
“Next Saturday, the day before my birthday.”
“I’ll be there in the audience, cheering you on.”
Carrie clasped her and said, “Thank you. Thank you. That’s the best birthday gift you can give me.”
“So I don’t have to go shopping for a present?”
Carrie grinned. “If you want to, I won’t complain.”
Kathleen winked at her niece. “I figured you wouldn’t.”
“Carrie. Jacob’s out of the bathroom. It’s your turn.” Beth’s shout sounded as if it came from the second-floor landing.
Kathleen hugged Carrie, then walked with her to the entry hall. “See you tomorrow. Tell your mom I’m going to the cabin.”
Using a flashlight she’d brought with her, Kathleen made her way to her place. Carrie and Jacob’s acceptance and love, coupled with Howard and Beth’s, gave her hope she could deal with this and discover something she wanted to do with the rest of her life. But when she thought about things that interested her, they all revolved around
“It’s okay, Aunt Kit. We know you hurt your leg, and it’ll take time to get better.” Carrie threw her arms around Kathleen and gave her a hug. “I love you.”
“Me, too.” Jacob joined in, forgetting about his fight earlier and embracing his sister as well as Kathleen.
Carrie leaned away. “When you feel like it, we can go riding like we usually do. Go on a picnic. We’ll be out of school in two weeks. By then you’ll be much better.”
Kathleen had known this would be hard, but like with Nate, she hadn’t realized how hard. As a ballerina she’d always strived for perfection in her dances. That was how she approached life. But she wasn’t perfect. She swallowed over and over, then murmured, “I love you two. I couldn’t ask for a better niece or nephew.”
Carrie giggled. “Even when we fight?”
“Yes, even then.” She kissed the top of each one’s head. “This is hard for me, but I have to tell you that I’ll never be able to dance again.”
Carrie thrust herself back, her eyes round. “Why not? You were injured before and still danced again.”
“Because—” Kathleen rolled up her sweatpants to reveal her prosthesis “—I lost the lower part of my leg in the accident.”
Jacob’s eyes rounded, and he touched her artificial limb. “Cool. How does it work? What’s it made from? How long have you had it?”
Kathleen tried to explain the best she could as she showed them how she took it off. Then she put it back on and walked around for them. Carrie remained quiet through the whole demonstration.
“Jacob. Carrie. Time for bed,” Beth said as she came into the den.
“Mom, did you see Aunt Kit’s new leg?” Jacob pointed to it.
“Yes, I have. You’ve got the bathroom first, then Carrie. Scoot now.” Beth shooed her son out of the room, then followed him into the hallway.
Kathleen silently thanked her sister-in-law. She needed to have a word with Carrie without Jacob around asking questions. “Honey, do you have any questions for me?”
“You can’t dance again?” Carrie’s voice squeaked out.
A burning sensation infused Kathleen’s stomach, and her heart ached. “I can’t perform like I used to. But there’s more to dancing than that.” When she said the last sentence, something clicked inside her. Hope seeded itself in her. “I can still help you when you need it.”
“Really? Great, because I want you to come to my audition for the Summer Dance Academy. Just knowing you’ll be in the audience will encourage me. There aren’t many openings for my age group.”
She couldn’t run from seeing Madame Zoe, and it was time she faced that. Madame Zoe would be upset if she knew Kathleen was in town and didn’t come to see her like she always did. “When is it?”
“Next Saturday, the day before my birthday.”
“I’ll be there in the audience, cheering you on.”
Carrie clasped her and said, “Thank you. Thank you. That’s the best birthday gift you can give me.”
“So I don’t have to go shopping for a present?”
Carrie grinned. “If you want to, I won’t complain.”
Kathleen winked at her niece. “I figured you wouldn’t.”
“Carrie. Jacob’s out of the bathroom. It’s your turn.” Beth’s shout sounded as if it came from the second-floor landing.
Kathleen hugged Carrie, then walked with her to the entry hall. “See you tomorrow. Tell your mom I’m going to the cabin.”
Using a flashlight she’d brought with her, Kathleen made her way to her place. Carrie and Jacob’s acceptance and love, coupled with Howard and Beth’s, gave her hope she could deal with this and discover something she wanted to do with the rest of her life. But when she thought about things that interested her, they all revolved around
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