Satin and leather.

Floor confessions.

Susan followed her gaze. "Now that you make me think about it, I haven't put it to test in a while"

Vivian looked at her and began smiling as she took a seat on the floor, stretching her legs out in front of her. "Alright, Ms. not-that-good-at-diving. Join me-let's see if we've still got it."

Susan laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, no way".

Suddenly, she felt something, someone, tugging at the end of her dress, almost pulling her onto the floor.

She started fighting it, but didn't back down.

"C'mon, do you have anywhere better to be?" Vivian said, raising her voice as she was much more distant than she actually was.

"Alright, alright, okay"

She slipped down beside Vivian, mirroring her stretch. "Alright, but don't laugh if I'm a bit rusty," she warned.

Vivian chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it." She leaned forward, reaching her toes with ease and glancing sideways. "Come on, I won't judge... much."

Susan playfully swatted her shoulder but followed suit, reaching forward, only to feel the tightness in her legs reminding her it had been a while. "Ouch, alright, maybe I lost more flexibility than I thought," she admitted, laughing.

Vivian's laugh was genuine and deep, echoing on the walls. "See? Guess we'll just have to keep each other in shape." She gave Susan a playful wink.

Susan shifted her legs into a cross-legged position, leaning back with a soft smile. "Shut up. Even if, I wouldn't mind a few sessions of your 'gymnast-approved' stretching routine. At least then I'd have a good excuse to complain about how sore I am the next day."

Vivian chuckled, mirroring her relaxed posture. "Careful what you wish for. I could bring my old coach so he could yell at your for being bloated, old training bands and everything-real conditioning."

Susan laughed, raising her hands in playful surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll stick to stretching on my own terms. But seriously, I bet you were incredible back then. Do you ever miss it?"

Vivian paused, her gaze thoughtful as she ran a hand through her hair. "Sometimes," she admitted softly. "There's a rush to it, being on the beam or the floor...like you're balancing everything perfectly, even if just for a few seconds. But it's also exhausting. You start living in a constant state of control, both in training and outside it."

She took a breath, then continued. "You know, trainers kind of control your life.
Although, I was never that good, or incredible as you kindly put it, so I never reached real professional or Olympic training. I honestly don't think I would have handled it, so it was what it was. I did some competitions and that was it. I had a small scholarship in college though, It helped me pay some bills even if I ended up dropping out."

Susan nodded, understanding the weight of those statements. "Education is for everyone, or at least should be, at any age. That's what I always tell my students. There's no problem in losing a few years; the world moves fast, and none of us will ever fully keep up with it. What's important is not giving up. If you want to pick up again, it's not too late," Susan said, now sitting cross-legged on the floor, with a gentle look and a hand resting on Vivian's leg.

Vivian looked at the floor, her gaze sad and lost in thought. Rationally, she knew she was right, but why was it so hard to actually believe?

She had always felt out of time and during that particular moment in her life she created her own bubble. A job, a home, few people, few hobbies or real interests and men who adored her.