Nonna was waiting by her back door when I got home from work Thursday. The smile on her face told me something good was happening. As I stepped toward her, she shot her hand out and gave me an envelope. She was quivering with excitement.
“Open it! I can’t wait another minute,” she said. “I’ve been dying to see what it says since Bob left it this morning.”
Bob is our letter carrier. He started delivering mail when he was right out of high school. He’d gone to parochial school with me through eighth grade. Nonna made him stop and have cookies and tea with him on extra hot days. I don’t think she had to twist his arm much to get him to stop.
I took the envelope and read the return address. Julliard.
My hands started shaking. What could they be sending me?
“Well, rip it open, girl.”
I stuck my finger under the flap and tore it open long-wise making a mess of it. Nonna stood on her tip-toes and tried to look inside. I pulled it out and unfolded the one page.
“What’s it say?”
I read it twice.
“Well?”
“They are inviting me to come to New York and teach a summer intensive,” I said. My mind was reeling. I’d always wanted to teach people who wanted to dance professionally. This was a wonderful opportunity.
“That’s great. When do you leave?”
“It’s this summer. It would be most of July.”
“You’d have to close down the studio here for a month.” She motioned for me to come inside with her, but I wanted to go to my own place and think about it.
“I need to change clothes,” I said. “And I need to think about this.”
“What’s to think about? Haven’t you always wanted to do something like this? They obviously think you have what it takes. Are they offering to pay your expenses to get there and back?”
“Yes, and they’ll provide a place for me to stay for the month. Plus a stipend.”
“How much?”
“Doesn’t say.”
“Then it’s negotiable. Make it high.”
I smiled. It was good to have her on my side. She was like my personal cheer squad.
“Dad will have a fit.”
“Don’t let him ruin this for you,” she said. She slipped her arm around my waist and pulled me in for a hug. “This is your life, not his.”
“What about Miles?” I wondered out loud.
“That nice boy? Don’t you think he’ll be happy for you?”
“I guess. I don’t really know.”
“Tell him about it. See what he says.” She turned me loose and started back into her house. “Come get some cookies to take upstairs. I’ve been eating them all day. You’re too skinny.”
“Thanks, but I think I’ll pass. See you later?” I asked.
“Sure. Go think about it for a few minutes then call and tell them you’ll do it.”
“Thank you for being on my side, Nonna.” I kissed her on the top of her head. She went inside, and I went upstairs to a meowing Romeo. What would I do with Romeo for a month? How could I convince Dad that this was a good thing? What would Miles think?
I dished cat food into Romeo’s bowl and freshened his water. He settled in contentedly as I went to my bedroom and changed clothes. My mind went to every negative scenario Dad would come up with. I needed to have a counter argument for anything he hit me with.
I called Espy and told her about the letter.
“Wow! Have you told them yes already?” she asked as soon as I read it to her.
“I’m thinking about it.”
“What? You’ve always wanted to do something like this. Just think how good it’ll look on your resume later. You have to do it,” she sounded like Nonna.
“I’m afraid my Dad won’t like the idea.”
“So?”
“So, he worried himself sick the whole time I spent in New York when I first moved up there. So much so that he guilted me into moving back when I didn’t want to.”
“Yeah, but you’re older now.”
“I know, but he doesn’t seem to realize that. He’ll remind me how he paid for my school, supported me while I was away. Stuff like that.”
“You can’t let him guilt you into refusing this job. I wish someone would send me a letter asking me to go on a photo safari with National Geographic. No one on the planet would be able to stop me,” she said.
“Not even Justin?”
“He’d understand.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. And if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be worth worrying about. I’d dump him if he didn’t support my dreams.”
“Yeah, but you can’t dump your family.”
“I could.”
“You talk big.” I brushed my hair out. I’d had it pulled back all day, and it was giving me a headache. I took a long look at myself in the mirror. Who was calling the shots here? Me or Dad?
“I can’t kid myself. I’ve never been able to stand up to my father.”
“Maybe now’s the time,” she said. Easy for her. She had a reasonable family.
“Maybe.” I put the brush down and frowned at myself in the mirror.
“Chicken,” I said.
“What?”
“Oh, I was talking to myself.”
“Ah, I see. Well, stop telling yourself why this won’t work and start thinking of ways to make it happen.”
“Thanks, Espy. I can always count on you.”
“You bet. Want me to come over? We can make a list of all your Dad’s arguments and answers to them all.”
“Nah, I can do this,” I said. I was glad she couldn’t see my hands trembling. I didn’t say anything about what Miles might think. Espy would think I was nuts to be adding him into the mix after only one date. Maybe I was nuts, but he seemed to already be part of the equation.
Romeo came into the bedroom and jumped on the bed. I sat down and stroked him absent-mindedly as I dreamed of New York. I was already coming up with some modern moves I’d like to try out. Who was I kidding? Dad might have a major fit, but nothing short of a heart attack would keep me away from that summer intensive. I called the number they’d given before I could talk myself out of it and agreed. I’d be getting a contract in the mail within a week. I picked Romeo up and danced around the room with him meowing and pushing me away. When I put him down, he ran off and hid under the dining room table, pouting.
“Silly cat,” I told him. “You’ll miss me when I’m gone for a month.”