🏁 Tetrology Of The Sea - Book 1: From The Sea 🪼🔨💻 💞 🔮

Twenty-Two

FIVE YEARS LATER
Shana tossed and turned in her bed, the dream she was having causing her to move about. Finally, she woke up and sat up, looking around her room. She ran her fingers through her hair, still getting used to the haircut she had gotten some days before. She didn't know why she was having the dream again but as usual, it woke her up and she got up from the bed, going to the computer. Since it was an Apple computer, all she had to do was move the mouse and it came on. She went to Facebook and updated the status' that were waiting. She sighed when she saw a picture and stared at it for a long time.
It was of Travis and Esper at a theme park and he had taken a selfie of them both. Esper was so adorable with her hair in two blonde ponytails and a stuffed dinosaur in her arms as well as a missing tooth. Travis had grown so handsome over the years and was even sporting a small five o'clock shadow. His black eyes were through glasses and even though the nerd factor of his personality was still there, Shana saw past that and saw the man he really was.
She could do that now... She could see past the surface of people and into their real person. After the incident.
"Shana?" She looked over at the door. "Why are you up so early?"
"Had a bad dream... I didn't mean to wake you up, Aylin."
"I wasn't sleeping. You know I hardly ever sleep anymore."
Shana nodded and looked back at the picture, saving it onto her computer.
"Yeah I know..."
Aylin looked her over and walked into her room.
"You need to get some sleep so that you and Craig can go to the dance studio tomorrow and learn to dance. Can't do the robot at your own wedding."
Shana sighed and got up, getting back into her bed.
"Have you taken your pills yet?" she asked her brother as she snuggled under the covers.
"I'm awake aren't I? Besides, I don't like taking them because they make me feel weird after a bit."
"You need some sleep, Aylin."
"Can't."
He left it at that and Shana sighed, going back to sleep.

Travis watched over his class as they danced in their pairs for one of the songs he was playing. All of them seemed to be doing well except for two, as usual. The poor kids just couldn't get this dance right for the life of them. Travis sighed and walked over toward them as they bumbled along.
"Adam, you need to lead, not look down at your shoes." He said softly but firmly.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Bagery, but I just don't want to step on her toes."
"You won't step on her toes if you listen to the music."
"But if I focus on the music then I'll forget."
The song ended and everyone began to disperse.
"Thank you everyone! Great practice today! We'll be sure to nail that trophy at the nationals in eight weeks people! Come back Thursday for assignment of dance numbers!" His students said goodbye as the couple he was talking to tried to leave. "Adam, Elana, can I speak with you?"
The two looked like they were going to be in trouble and approached him with hanging heads.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Bagery. We'll try harder Thursday but please don't kick us out of the competition."
"I wouldn't do that." Travis said with a smile. "I just wanted to talk with you both. I know you have been struggling with some personal things and I'm sure that's all that's on your mind. I understand very well how that can take up our desire to do anything but you two are one of my best dancers."
Elana looked up at him. "What do you mean? We suck at pretty much everything! We'll never be able to get three national trophies like you, Mr. Bagery."
"That's not true. You are both very good dancers, it's just you seem to focus too much on the steps than the music. You need to let the music flow through you and go into your feet, not the other way around. I want you both to listen to any version you can find of the song "Sway". Dean Martin, Michael Buble, the Pussycat Dolls, or whatever you can find. I want you to listen to it and let it go through you and show me what you came up with on Thursday, alright?"
"Yes, sir."
"You both have great potential; you just have to let it out without nervousness. I'll see you both on Thursday; I've got a private lesson to instruct in a moment."
"Okay. Thanks, Mr. Bagery." Adam said, waving goodbye.
Travis waved him away and began to go through his CDs to put on while he got ready for the private lesson. Just as he was about to put the CD in, he heard footsteps across the floor and then someone wrap their tiny arms around his leg.
"Daddy!" she yelled.
He turned and looked down as Esper hung onto his leg. He looked up and saw Josh walking in with his keys.
"She has a little bit of homework to do but that's it. Color a page or something." He told Travis.
"Thanks for picking her up for me. If this private lesson wasn't so close to her getting out I would have gotten her." He said, picking her up.
"I don't mind at all."
"Say goodbye, Espy."
"Bye, Grandpa!" she said, waving.
Josh left and Travis looked at his daughter.
"Kiss." She wrapped her arms around his neck and smacked him on the cheek with a kiss. "There's my girl... I have someone coming in for a lesson so you need to go and do your homework now."
"I wanna dance! Can we dance to our song?" she said, reaching behind him to grab at the CDs.
Travis grabbed her legs to keep her from falling as she grabbed her CD and stuck it into the CD player and turned it on. Mariah Carey's 'You'll Always Be My Baby' blared on the radio and Travis put her down as she grabbed his hand and they began to dance. Travis had taught her all the moves he knew and even though she was little, she knew enough of them that he didn't have to worry about his big feet hurting her. He twirled her around a little when Travis heard the door close and looked up at his arrivals but stopped smiling as soon as they came in the doors.
"Travis?"
"Shana..."
She turned to Craig and almost wanted to throttle him as he walked into the door.
"What?"
"W-welcome to my dance studio. I'm Travis Bagery, your instruct-" The last person to walk in was Aylin and Travis almost didn't recognize him. "Instructor."
Aylin looked at him and gave a sardonic smile to him.
"Well, isn't this a coincidence? Haven't seen you in a while."
"Yeah, it's been a while."
"Are you a pirate?!" Esper practically yelled at him from between Travis' legs as she looked between them.
"Esper!" he hissed, moving her from his legs and pushing her a little. "I'm so sorry, Aylin."
Aylin looked down at the little girl, the eye patch he was sporting on his right eye covering the other half of his glare towards her. Travis started to push Esper behind him in a protective stance.
"I get that a lot." He said, looking away from her. "It's the first thing kids ask when they see me. It's nothing new. I'll just be over here, Shana." He said, pointing to the benches that were along one side of the studio.
He walked away and Craig looked at Travis and patted him on the shoulder, making him jump.
"Well who would have known we'd be taking dancing lessons from Fish Boy, eh Shana?"
"Yeah, who would have ever thought." She mumbled as she looked Travis over.
He had become so much manlier yet he still had a childish quality about him. He was taller, almost six foot, and he was very muscular from dancing and seeing his arm muscles bulge made Shana almost want to cry. She knew that if she had been better that those arms would be around her, holder her and loving her instead of the one that was around her waist at the moment.
"So, you two are getting married? That's great. When's the big day?"
"July." Craig said just as Shana said, "November."
Craig looked at her and she looked at him.
"What? Remember, there were some complications with family in July."
Travis looked between the two, not sure what to do so he just cleared his throat.
"Uh, what song are you using for your wedding?"
"We have no idea." Craig said with an over exaggerated laugh as he hugged Shana to him. "We're having some trouble with that as well."
"Um... okay... well... I've never taught people to dance who didn't know what they were dancing to. I mean, I need to know if you're wanting something traditional like a waltz, something spicy like a Spanish dance, exotic, or you just want to know how to keep in time with music and wing it but still look like you know exactly what you're doing."
"What was that song you wanted, Shana? That Train song."
"'Marry Me'."
"Yeah. We'll do that one."
The sound of laughter caught them all off guard as they looked over as Esper was talking with Aylin. He was listening to her and there was a small smile on his face as the little girl talked with him as if he was an old friend.
"Oh god... he's smiling." Shana said with tears in her eyes.
"Yeah, and not scaring the little runt." Craig said with a turn of his head.
"Is that something new?" Travis asked, remembering Aylin smiling all the time in high school.
"Ever since the incident, he hasn't been much of anything..." Shana said and turned away. "Excuse me!"
She left the room and Craig went after her. Travis was very confused.
"Daddy! This pirate is funny!" Esper yelled. Travis turned as Aylin walked up with her hanging on his arm. "He tells funny jokes."
"Esper. He's not a pirate. What did I tell you about making fun of people?" Travis said with a look to her.
She pushed her lips out but didn't say anything. Aylin smirked at her and looked at Travis.
"She's cute. Looks like my sister." He said with a knowing look on his face.
"She told you I guess?"
"I know what you are. I was there too when you came out of the water. I hated you because I thought you were going to take Shana away from me. Guess I messed that up because you took her anyway."
"Look-"
"I know what went down. Really, I do. But I also know what you did to her and as mean as I used to be, I would never be that cruel to a woman." He nodded toward where Shana had run to. "You can tell she doesn't love him, yeah?"
"I think anyone with a right mind could tell that."
"Well, Craig's an idiot and he's really only doing it because of blackmail and guilt. Would have been better if he had just stopped being friends with us like the rest of them."
"Daddy, can we bring him home with us?"
"Esper, go do your homework, sweetheart. Daddy and Aylin are talking for a moment... Grown up stuff."
"Oh... okay! I'll make him a pretty picture!" she said, skipping off.
Travis shook his head at his charismatic daughter as Shana and Craig walked back in.
"I'm sorry about that. Shall we begin, Mr. Bagery?" Shana said in a professional tone.
Travis nodded and found the CD that had the song on it.