Whispers Turn to Whimpers: Could He Ever Change?

Sherilyn had a night full of dreams, so fragmented that waking up felt like surfacing from deep waters. Her head spun lightly, and her eyes were puffy from the effort. Blinking away the sleep, she found her treasure, Jenna, snuggled close.

"Sweetie."

Sherilyn planted a soft kiss on her daughter's head, only to be interrupted by the buzzing of her phone on the nightstand. It was a text from Gilbert.

[Good morning, love. Headed to the office. I'll pick you up from the dance troupe tonight.]

She couldn't help but roll her eyes to the heavens.

With a flick of her finger, she silenced the phone's screen, leaving the message without a reply.

...

Arriving at the dance troupe early in the morning, Sherilyn was greeted with a bear hug from Rebecca. "Sherilyn!"

"Rebecca!" Sherilyn returned the embrace with equal excitement. "It's so good to see you're okay!"Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

"Yeah!" Rebecca beamed, nodding. "Back in action. But..."

She then brought up troupe matters. "This weekend, we're going dark."

"What?" Sherilyn was taken aback. "Going dark? Why? Where'd you hear that?"

She was already tangled up in thoughts about future performances.

"Didn't you see the notice board on your way in?"

Rebecca smirked. "It's the directors' decision, seems to be Daphne Hansen's call."

The Crestwood incident had hit the dance troupe hard. Injuries aside, performers like Sherilyn, who carried multiple roles, were running on fumes. After some deliberation, the decision was made to go dark for a while, to regroup and recover.

Ding! Ding!

Simultaneously, Sherilyn and Rebecca's phones buzzed with a notification from the work group chat.

Opening it, they found an announcement about the break and the upcoming work schedule.

Going dark didn't mean a complete holiday; there were still responsibilities to be managed.

Sherilyn noted her assignment was to oversee the junior class' practice sessions.

The juniors, still students, weren't always at the dance troupe, making this duty a much-needed respite for her. Rebecca, catching a glimpse, chuckled. "You deserve the break, you've been pushing yourself too hard." "Indeed."

They shared a knowing smile before Sherilyn headed off to the junior class.

Around noon, a security guard came looking for her. "Sherilyn, someone's asking for you."

"Thank you!"

With gratitude, Sherilyn left the practice room, puzzled about who could be seeking her out at this hour. Surely not Gilbert.

Approaching the lobby, she spotted a familiar silhouette near the notice board.

Her heart sank instantly, and a barely audible scoff escaped her as she turned to leave.

nee

"Sherilyn!" Just as she was about to make her exit, the figure turned, catching sight of her. Rushing over, he grabbed her arm. "Sherilyn Why are you leaving?"

"Let go!" She shook him off, casting wary glances around before hissing through clenched teeth. "What are you doing here?"

"Sherilyn..Farley gave an awkward

smile, pointing towards the notice board where a poster featured Sherilyn in a leap, suspended in grace.

UM

"You've made quite a name for yourself. Your mom and grandma would be so proud, watching from heaven."

"Shut up!" Sherilyn's eyes blazed with anger, her voice trembling. "How dare you mention them? Aren't you afraid they'll come after you?"

"Would they?" Farley's smile faded

into something more somber. "I wish

y would visit me. But all these

they

years, your mom... she never has."