Ballet Shoes: Encore

Putting Up the Shoes

Final chapter for this book y'all! There's some important notices in the endnotes. Enjoy!

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Third Person's P.O.V.

Age: 45

It was very early in the morning the day after the charity dance show. Given the escapades of the night prior, Ben felt drained. Even more so since he couldn't sleep. The entire night his brain wouldn't shut up. Once one line of thought ended, another popped up. Not to mention the near-constant pinging of notifications on his phone. He muted them after the first hour of spam but he was still hyperaware of it despite there being no sound. Hence, his current tired state.

Ben glanced at the alarm clock on his side table and sighed. It didn't make sense to try sleeping any longer. He wouldn't get much if he managed to fall asleep right now anyway. As such, Ben sat up and swung his legs over his side of the bed. Careful not to disturb his still sleeping wife. Ben then stood up and tiptoed out of the room. Gently closing the door behind him before his feet carried him along the familiar path an all too familiar room.

The basement dance studio.

Once there, Ben flipped the lights on and briefly scanned the room. Another sigh left his lips when his eyes landed on a particular object. It was the parting gift Caroline had given him last night. The box was still in tact as Ben hadn't dared to take the precious items that lay within it out. That would change momentarily.

Ben crossed the room to pick up the box. He held it with great care as he went to the centre of the studio. Sitting down crossed-legged with a small plop. Ben then stared at the box for a few minutes. The memory of receiving it and his reaction played in his head. Twinges of the emotions that he felt bubbled within him again. With a deep breath, Ben removed the lid of the box.

As his eyes landed on the pair of pointe shoes inside, Ben wanted to cry again. Luckily, he managed to hold his tears back and set the lid beside him on the floor. He then gently grasped both pointe shoes in his hands and took some time to examine them more closely than the night before. Obviously, they had been tailored to his shoe size as all pointe shoes are to their respective wearers. They were also in his signature green and had his name was embroidered in the insoles. That must've been difficult to do but nonetheless appreciated.

Ben smiled softly and glanced around the dance studio. The small smile slowly disappearing as his eyes trailed across the room. It just dawned on him the fate of this room. It would gradually become an unused space within the coming years. Ben was done with ballet. He had no more shows to prepare for. No dances to choreograph or practice.

Nothing.

With his umpteenth sigh for the day, Ben returned the pointe shoes to their box. He then retrieved the lid and slipped it underneath the box. He held his parting gift firmly in his hands and stood up. Ben then took one last, long glance around the room and made his exit. Flipping off the lights as he went through the door. Said door remaining slightly ajar after Ben gently kicked it behind him.

The house was still quiet as Ben walked through its halls. It was still quite early after all. The sun was just coming up. Softly illuminating what it could through the drawn curtains of the windows. No sane Tennyson would be up at this hour unless it was an emergency or a special occasion. Ben's current situation fell somewhere along that spectrum.

Soon, Ben stopped in front of a set of double doors. He glanced down at the present in his hands then back to the door. Ben did that a few times before shutting his eyes. He inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled before reopening them. He then pushed open the double doors and didn't bother closing them behind him. Kai would find him easier that way when she undoubtedly comes to look for him. Though, she might've come looking for him here anyway.

The display room.

As the name suggests, it's a room where important items are on display. Specifically, it was full of mementos. Not only from Ben's heroic adventures but from Kai's expeditions as well. What little she could keep from them anyway. There was also a section reserved for Kenny and Gwennie in the event that they want something displayed. So far, neither of them have wanted any of their accomplishments exhibited on anything other than the fridge. It's a shock that there's still available space on the appliance.

Ben shifted his hold of the giftbox briefly in order to feel the wall for the light switches. He flipped them in turn once his hand brushed over them. Instinctively shutting his eyes once the lights came on. Once his eyes adjusted to the brightness, Ben went further into the room. The corners of his lips occasionally curled upwards ever so slightly as he passed certain mementos. He didn't stop to indulge himself with the memories of how they were acquired though. He just kept walking.

Rather soon, Ben stopped in front of an empty pedestal. He'd passed a few others before this one but they were either much too big or much too small. The one he stopped at wasn't exactly ideal for displaying shoes but it would do. As such, Ben took each pointe shoe out the box one by one and laid them on the pedestal. Once they were centered, Ben took a few steps back and proceeded to stare at them. His face neutral despite the whirlwind of emotions now coursing through him.

Ben didn't know how long he'd been standing there when Kai sidled up by his side. She didn't break the silence her husband had kept up to this point. Instead, she simply hooked an arm around Ben's waist and rested her head on his shoulder. Ben soon wrapped an arm around her shoulders and rested his head on top of hers. The couple then proceeded to gaze at the green pointe shoes together. Unaware of everything else around them.

As such, Ben and Kai didn't notice when one of their children appeared in the doorway and watched them. A look of determination gradually growing on their face as they held a pair of demi-pointe shoes behind their back.

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And with that, the second book of this trilogy comes to a close. Thank y'all so much for sticking around and reading the series thus far. Your support means a lot to me 😊

Now for the notices. The third and final instalment of the main series will come out in a few months. I'm aiming for July but if not then August latest. As I've said before, I like to have most of the story written before I post any of it. 

Next, I have exams all throughout May and into early June so I won't be writing anything until they're done. I have some pre-written stuff though so y'all will have some stuff to read.

In regards to the spin-off series, I've figured out most of what I want to do. So if everything goes according to plan, it'll be out not too long after the main series concludes. 

I think that's everything I gotta say so have a good rest of your day/night!