This Could be the Start of Something New

Some Things Never Change - Reprise

Some years down the road

Gina Porter let out a low sigh as she entered the bedroom. Today had been exhausting. Oh, who was she kidding? This whole week had been exhausting. One would think that after retiring from her career as a professional dancer almost ten years ago, things would have calmed down a bit for the young woman by now.

It had been a hard choice, but Gina didn't regret it one bit. She had spent her prime years working as a professional dancer as a background dancer for different bands, in various music videos as well as on TV and – last but not least – even on Broadway where she had had a blast working with Howie, Ashlyn and Carlos. It had been an amazing time for the young woman, but eventually she had reached all her goals as a dancer and ... well, I guess you could say life happened. Her dreams changed and the girl didn't want to continue moving around anymore. She missed how things had been during college, having gone back to her mother's wayward ways when she had been done with school.

About ten years ago, Gina had realized that she wanted that feeling again, the feeling of belonging somewhere. So, she retired from dancing professionally and opened up her own dance school where she taught everyone from beginners over intermediate to her advanced students. It was vastly different from what Gina had done before but she loved it just as much if not more. Because that big decision she had made hadn't only enabled her to pursue a new career path, but it had also enabled her to make another kind of dream possible.

And that dream was in front of her right at this moment. Inside the pink and purple themed room, lying on the purple and silver canopy bed along with an entire army of stuffed animals. A big grin immediately spread across Gina's face as she took in the sight in front of her: a little girl, about eight years old, lying on the bed on top the covers, a book open and ready on her lap for when her mother got home. She was wearing a purple Tangled themed pajama along with her favorite white fuzzy slippers and her curly dark hair was spread across the pillow.

Gina had expected excited squeals and bubbly chatter upon her arrival but since she had run a bit late, it seemed like the little girl had fallen asleep while waiting. Chuckling a bit at that, Gina moved over to tuck the little girl in more snugly and put the book away. However, it seemed like she hadn't drifted off to far into dreamland, since the smallest movement of the blanket made the little girl's beautiful blueish-green eyes pop open.

"Mommy!" the little girl exclaimed as she jumped up off the bed and threw her arms around her mother's neck. She tackled the older woman with such force that it made the two of them fall back on the bed with the little girl coming to lie on top of Gina.

"Woah, easy there, Emma!" Gina laughed as she struggled to sit up without letting go her daughter.

"Told ya I'd make it!" Emma boasted cheekily while placing a kiss on her mother's cheek.

"Nah ah." Gina shook her head teasingly. "I distinctly remember coming in here to find my one and only daughter sleeping soundly in her bed."

"Yah ha!" Emma countered, bouncing up and down in place. "I wasn't sleeping," she insisted. "I was just resting my eyes."

Gina bursts out laughing at that. "Where did you learn that, Emmy?"

"Daddy," Emma said matter-of-factly.

"Of course." Gina shook her head laughing as she watched her daughter still giggling softly. "Now sweetie, as much as I love seeing my beautiful little girl after the day I've had," Gina took a look at the Cogsworth alarm clock sitting on Emma's bedside table "I fear that we're already past your bedtime."

"Awww." Emma looked up at her mother with big puppy dog eyes. "But I'm not tired, Mommy!" The yawn that immediately followed this statement made both mother and daughter chuckle.