Lead & Follow

Echappe

Part 1: Lead

Fourteenth Movement, Échappé

Échappé

échappé [ay-sha-PAY] Escaping or slipping movement. An échappé is a level opening of both feet from a closed to an open position.

🖤 🤍

You make your great escape from Sunset Bird in the passenger seat of Baxter Ward's car, and a weary sigh leaves you as you watch the town grow smaller in the mirror outside your window.

It's taken a unified, concerted effort for the two of you to get here, and the act of even broaching the subject with your parents had felt like pulling teeth.

"Moms," you'd begun, and you hoped the confident tone you'd equipped was enough to conceal your nerves from them. "Baxter asked me to go on a weekend trip–uhm, w-with him."

Seated across from you at the dinner table, your mothers had shared a meaningful glance. The mood grew tense, and the usual, muted sounds of eating stilled.

Ma's fingers halted around the rim of her dwindling glass of wine, and Mom's knife slipped and made a scraping squeak against her plate.

" Oh , I see," Ma murmured after a moment or two of palpable silence. "You are at that age now."

"Where to?" Mom cleared her throat and asked you as she freed her hands of silverware.

"T-The mountains," you'd squeaked, your conviction slipping under the heat of her expectant state. "For hiking and stuff. There's a lodge."

Your mothers then exchanged another pointed glance. Shit , you'd thought as you observed them. That never bodes well .

"You're a grown up now, and you can make your own decisions," Ma spoke gently, and she wore a small, tight-lipped smile. You knew it well as the smile she plastered on whenever you and your older sister got into mischief as children. You shivered. "Isn't it a little...early in your relationship to be sharing a room?"

You jolted, and your face caught flame. " Ma! Two rooms, separate rooms!"

Your Mom placed her elbows on the table, and rested her chin in clasped hands. She hoped the gesture was enough to hide her amused expression; she snorted quietly into the cover of her hands, and mused, Oh, kiddo. If locked doors were an obstacle, the neighbor's boy wouldn't be sneaking into your room on a weekly basis.

In your flustered state, you hadn't noticed your mom's muted chortle. Unfortunately, though, Ma had.

"Pam," your Ma started, her tone reproachful. "Did you hear that? Our youngest baby is going on her first overnight trip with a boy. "

"I know, I know," your Mom murmured with a heavy sigh. "She is 18 now, 'Lani."

"Still," your Ma frowned as she turned her gaze back to you. "Even if you're a capable, responsible young woman, I'd like to offer some conditions."

"Though we're proud of you for even coming to us about this," Mom added with an earnest grin. "It's better safe than sorry."

"...what conditions?" you'd queried. Truthfully even broaching this sort of subject with anyone besides your cousin and closest confidant, Lee, made you squirm.

"I expect frequent updates while you're gone, and for you to leave your ringer on in case we call," Ma explained in a very formal, business-like tone.

"And we'd like that Baxter boy's number as well– just in case !" your Mom offered. You'd gotten the impression that she wasn't nearly as apprehensive as your Ma about this sort of thing, and that her requests were little more than lazily piggybacking off Ma's parenting style.