ciel and the sun

There was something serene about the studio at 8:30am. There weren’t ballerinas running around trying to get to their next classes or breaking in new pointe shoes. There weren’t teachers and instructors breathing down her ear while she was trying to stretch, it was simply breathing the fresh air of a new day. Mel liked to get to the studio bright and early because it allows her to set up her classes and still find moments to herself. She’s danced with the Pittsburgh Academy of Dance throughout her Master’s and now into her final years, and she still loved how the studio looked before her flood of small dancers filled the space.

The tan walls reflected back to her through the mirror as she sat in her split, stretching out her hips. Dance was her safe space and she was too scared to stop performing in a few years, but she was getting older and the things she was doing took a greater toll on her body than it once did. And in total honesty there are only so many productions of The Nutcracker she can take. Teaching the next generation of dancers was truly becoming her new favorite thing. The company asked her to take on a few classes 3 years ago and since then she’s seen dancers grow from barely being able to do a plie at the age of 4 to being able to do more pirouettes than she could do at 7. All because she taught them. She wanted to break down the stigma of terrible dance teachers, teachers that almost made her quit all together, and give these dancers something fun to find in dance.

She had 15 minutes before her Ballet 1 class began. Asking toddlers and 6 years to get up and to ballet at 9am on a Saturday was a tough task and she was grateful to the parents that were able to get their kids to this class. Sometimes she likes to tell herself they come to class because they like Miss Mel so much. Some of the older kids in the class are determined enough to get to class early and Millie Langdon is one of the kids. The tiny girl walked in the door with her black leotard over her pink tights and her brown hair pulled tight into a perfect ballet bun. She had a tiny pink bag attached to her shoulder and a blue water bottle in her hands. Mel smiled when she walked in, “Good morning Millie!”

“Hi Miss Mel!” The 5 year old said excitedly. Millie was a talented dancer and Mel saw great potential in her, even if her mother was a piece of work. “You’ll never guess what happened to my brother this morning!”

“What?” Mel answered with great intrigue. Mel loves working with the littles so much, they bring so much wonder and joy into class. Sometimes she’ll even let them get off topic and just tell her about their encounters with life.

“Well, we’re staying with our dad this week right, and daddy is a doctor, cool right?” Mel nodded as she placed her ballet shoes on her feet. “And Tanner was playing with our dog right and daddy was on the phone and all of the sudden daddy yells out loud and Tanner gets trampled by Winnie.” It was truly a simple story but to a 5 year old, this was the craziest thing that has ever happened to her.

“That is crazy Millie! Dad brought you here this morning?” Mel asked as she stood up to look at the viewing window in the studio. She didn’t see many parents, but some were slowly filing in as well as the older ballerinas heading to class. She’s never met Millie’s father before, only her mother brings her to the majority of classes, especially during the week.

“He did, he’s with Tanner out there. Tanner has to go to soccer after this.” The little girl rushed up to the desk Mel was standing at. “I don’t like going to soccer, it makes Tanner smell weird.” She sighed as she looked at Mel.

Mel giggled as she looked at her watch, 10 minutes before class starts, other students should start filing in soon. “I thought Tanner always smelled weird to you?”

“He does! But soccer makes him smell worse because he’s outside!” The girl explained.

Before Mel could respond the studio door opened. Mel expected it to be another few kids filing in or one of her older kids coming to say hi, but it was a tall man with piercing blue eyes. “Hi there!” He smiled, holy shit. “I’m Frank Langdon, Millie’s dad. I hope this is the right class, she just took off when we got here.”

Form words Mel, it’s okay, he’s just attractive, you’ve been around attractive people before, her brain shouted. “Hi! I’m Melissa King, everyone calls me Mel!” She smiled and moved towards him. “And yes! This is the right class, Millie is a great ballerina!” She put her hand out and he took it in his palm. His hands were large and warm as they clasped Mel’s.

“Oh that’s great to hear! My ex-wife usually takes her during the week but you might see my face around more, getting my shifts worked out.” He sighed and gave a soft smile. Ex-Wife.

Abby Langdon was a dance mom through and through. She has been at every single one of Millie’s classes and recitals since she started last year. She made corrections to her daughter at the end of class and once told Mel that she was running her class of 5 year olds too loosely. She wasn’t Mel’s favorite parent after that, but she still politely smiled at the woman and discussed her time at the company with her.

She remembered a few months ago Abby mentioned something about her “impending divorce with her husband who works too long on shifts to give a shit about their children.” It wasn’t her place to mention anything but 3 weeks after that, Millie came in talking about how her father was moving out and how her parents didn’t love each other anymore. Children were way too willing to spill their parents dirty laundry.

“Well it’s nice to meet new parents, Mr. Langdon!”

“Please, Frank is fine.”

“Frank.” Mel smiled.

“Miss Mel! Can we do across the floors today?” Millie shouted loudly from behind them.

Mel rolled her eyes fondly before turning to the five year old, “Millie we do across the floors everyday!”

“It was nice meeting you, Miss Mel, I hope we can talk more soon.” He gave her one last smile before moving towards the exit.

“Oh! It was nice meeting you, too!”

He opened the door to be met with three little girls trying to get in, he laughed and moved aside to let the girls in. The girls rushed in greeting Mel with wild anecdotes and complaints about their tights. As her final students strolled in she decided to call everyone to the mini barre. Throughout she caught small glimpses of icy blue outside the studio, those eyes were something you could swim in.

-

When Frank and Abby got divorced he really didn’t know how to feel. His relationship with Abby had been falling apart since Millie was born, but then the stints in rehab truly broke everything. Frank didn’t know how to operate as a normal father especially with work on top of everything. When the two settled the custody arrangements with Tanner and Abby he got the longest schedule for their extracurriculars.

MILLIE DANCE SCHEDULE (SHE HAS TO BE THERE)

Monday;

OFF

Tuesday:

Ballet Combo 1 5:30PM

Jazz Combo 1 6:30PM

POSSIBLE RECITAL REHEARSALS

Wednesday:

Ballet Combo 1 5:30PM

Thursday:

OFF

POSSIBLE RECITAL REHEARSALS

Friday:

Jazz Combo 1 5:30PM

Saturday:

Ballet Combo 1 9:00AM (if she gives you trouble tell her mel will be there)

Jazz Combo 1 10:15AM

It wasn’t that he wasn’t aware that his kids were off doing things like dance and sports, he just wasn’t expecting his five year old daughter to be going to dance 4 days out of the week. Tanner’s soccer schedule he was a little more used to, under Millie’s schedule were notes about recital rehearsals and company auditions. He got the kids for a very limited time, but she insisted that he knew this because he needed to care about something that wasn’t work.

The second week he showed at the Pittsburgh Academy for dance was a Tuesday night. Dressed in scrubs and dead on his feet, Millie dragged him through the corridors and up different flights of stairs before they reached a familiar studio. Parents were already gathering in front of the window to watch their kids. The hallway lined with different studios were crowded with parents and older dancers trying to get through the sea of kids. Standing at the studio door was Mel, greeting kids and making small talk with parents.

Frank didn’t want to be this person, recently divorced dad already finding a woman attractive especially when that woman was his daughter's dance teacher, but he was simply a weak man. He always had been. Mel’s hair was loose today, in a braid cascading down her shoulder. She was wearing pink tights and a black leotard with a small skirt. She looked gorgeous and he’s barely talked with this woman for 5 minutes.

“Oh hi Millie!” She catches the attention of his daughter as she approaches the door. “How are you doing today, girl?” Mel asked.

“My daddy saved someone's life today.” His daughter chirped and she shrugged the pink dance bag on her shoulder. Frank’s eyes widened, he forgot how truthful children were. His day would not be categorized as a great one, his shift was tiring and dreadful. He may have saved a few people but there was nothing easier about handling death in the ER.

“Oh I’m sure he did!” Her brown eyes caught his as she smiled. Her eyes could be something to drown in, something warm and easy–simple. “Saving lives is always a good thing, are you ready for today?” She asked and Millie nodded excitedly. Millie rushed into class without wishing Frank a goodbye which wasn’t as shocking to him as it should be.

Mel looked up at him and smiled. “Pulled straight from work?” She asked.

“Huh?” Frank had forgotten all language, maybe from the hard day or simply because Mel stripped it away from him.

“You’re in scrubs.” She pointed out.

“Oh! Yes, I was in a rush, I didn't want them to be late to anything.” He sighed.

“I’m glad you still made it, Frank.”

“Guess we were both pulled from work.” Jokes. Jokes work always. Or not. Mel’s blank stare bored back at him for a second. “Your outfit, too.” He pointed out.

“Oh yeah, I had rehearsal and my own classes today and it’s just easier.” She mentioned, looking down at her clothes.

“Well, you look beautiful.” He smirked. Maybe the lack of sleep is really catching up with him, because what did he just say? Frank was really no stranger to flirting, but he was a little shocked that it came out so easily after his doomed marriage ended.