Chapter 9: Program Notes

Eight weeks remained until competition.

For the first time, qualifying no longer felt impossible.

It felt achievable.

That should have made Nadia happy.

Instead, it made her nervous.

Because now there was something to lose.

One evening after training, Dominic handed her a notebook.

"What's this?"

"Program notes."

"You made notes?"

"Several pages."

"Of course you did."

She opened it.

Inside were observations about every section of their routines.

Transitions.

Timing.

Performance cues.

Detailed comments written in Dominic's precise handwriting.

"You spent hours on this."

"Probably."

"You're a psychopath."

"I've heard worse."

Despite her teasing, Nadia couldn't stop smiling.

No one had ever prepared something like this for her before.

Not because they couldn't.

Because nobody had cared enough.

The realization caught her off guard.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

Dominic looked genuinely surprised.

"You're welcome."

For a moment neither spoke.

The atmosphere felt different.

Warmer.

More personal.

Neither acknowledged it.

Instead, they went back to discussing choreography.

Both pretending the moment hadn't mattered.

Both knowing it had.