Only You

Third Time's the Charm?

For Jean and Reg, the time after their wedding was a blissful flurry of days that was over much too soon.
They didn't go on holiday for their honeymoon, it was too risky with Reg being sick and Jean being pregnant, but they spent an entire week together, doing only things they enjoyed. Jean had taken time off from her projects and Reg was at home all the time anyway.
They slept in, they cooked together and relaxed in the garden.

On Wednesday, Kristina stopped by for dinner but ever since the preparations for Swan Lake had started, she was rather busy.
With the departure of Madame Chimère, a lot of things had changed at the Royal Ballet. Some of the company had left with her, others had left to heal from what they had gone through under her leadership.
There were new dancers, some had transferred from other theatres, some were completely new. Kristina had actually managed to make some new friends and she was very excited to tell Reg and Jean about it.
"See, for the first time since I started dancing there I feel like I'm walking into a room full of friends. Before they kicked out Madame Chimère, it's was like a pit of snakes. Everyone was just rooting for each other's downfall to advance their own position, it was awful. But now it's an entirely different mood." Kristina also seemed much more relaxed and her eating habits had improved with the help of the therapist Jean had found for her. She looked happier and healthier.
"That is wonderful, Tina, I cannot wait to see you dance." Jean said proudly. Usually the Ballet wasn't really her are of interest, but seeing your sister-in-law as the principal dancer in Swan Lake wasn't something that happened every day.
"She's the best dancer in the world." Reg bragged. "I swear, my little sister could dance long before she made her first steps. I saw it, I've been there." Kristina blushed. They were both so kind to her.
"Tell us about your new friends, anyone... interesting?" Jean winked. She had noticed that Kristina had been a little more giddy lately, as well as other subtle hints of young love blossoming right before their eyes.
"Depends on what you define as interest. There's Lauren, she's here all the way from Sydney, and Helen, her parents were against her becoming a dancer because they are aristocratic and what would people say. But Helen is amazing, so all the people ever said were kind things qnd now her parents are okay with it. They are both really nice and I think they are my best friends in the company. And then..." Kristina sighed. "Then there's Marcelline, who is... difficult."
"In what way?" Jean asked, as someone who had been branded as 'difficult' her entire career, she felt like she could provide some valuable insight. Kristina shrugged.
"I can't quite put my finger on it to be honest. She's transferred from Paris and she's fairly nice, at least on the outside. But she sometimes has a really cruel look when someone else is being praised for example. She always pushes into the front row and can't stand being told off, not even by the instructors."
"That's a terrible attitude." Jean agreed. "I know I am known for being difficult, but I worked hard to get to a place where I can allow myself to make outrageous demands and have them met."
"You're not difficult, Darling." Reg tried to placate her but Jean shook her head.
"I am, we know that. And I stand by it."
"It's not like Marcelline is like you in any way. She only wants to shine by herself, not as part of the company. She told someone that she's a better dancer than I am and that she'd also be a great singer or actress."
Jean rolled her eyes. She knew that kind of person from her days at acting school, she had always hated the ones who had bragged about their abilities while never bothering to really perfect and dedicate themselves to one craft. Needless to say that their names were only faint memories in the back of Jean's head, none of them had made it big.
"But she's not attacking you, right?" Reg now asked carefully. "If she's trying to bully you out of your position or sabotage you..."
"She's not, she's very nice to my face, but I know she's not so nice behind my back. I don't know."
"Keep your distance." Jean advised. "You have other good friends there and people like her will just steal your energy. She's not worth your time."
Reg nodded in agreement and they finished their main course.