Entangled Hearts

by Anastasia Sweet

  And all through it, he finds himself laughing with her, laughing at himself. She takes Weldon for who he is, not who he thinks he could be or who he has been in the past.

  If anyone had asked him for an explanation he would have come up empty. He can’t figure it out, how this happened. But for the first time in a few months he feels like there’s more in his life than just planning for competitions and how to motivate teenagers to try that piece of choreography a little differently ‘just one more time.’

  Not long ago when Weldon sat in front of his therapist and talked about the imagined woman who fit his ideal picture of someone to build a future with, he meant every word about how he described that person. And he hoped very much that he would meet a woman like that. He just didn’t expect it to happen so soon.

  *

  The last week of practices before heading to the holiday dance show go well. So well, in fact, Ciana can hardly believe it compared to the torture they put themselves through with just six months earlier. It’s a relief to discover they still have it in them to do this well.

  They’re taking a sip of water at the benches, going over the last of a few notes Estabella has given them.

  “Ciana, it is nearly perfection, truly,” she says, and Ciana nods, merely waiting to hear the note that’s coming. Estabella puts one hand on her arm. “Cherie, only remember to enjoy yourself!” she adds with a wide smile. “It is a beautiful program, have fun with it, alright?”

  Ciana breathes out a laugh, grateful for the reminder. She feels herself actively release some tension in her shoulders. “Yes, I will. We will.”

  “That is all I ask of you. Both of you, my dears.” She takes Ciana’s face in her hands and kisses both cheeks, then does the same for Weldon. Then she takes her leave, moving to join Mervin back in the office. Weldon and Ciana have the floor to themselves for another half an hour.

  “You ready for one more go?” she asks.

  “You bet. Just give me one second to tell my legs.”

  “Oh, poor Weldon. Getting old there, are we?”

  “Sweetheart, you’re only two years behind me, you know.”

  “I know, I’m just teasing,” she says, nudging him with her elbow. “We’ll do a couple of stretches first?”

  “Yes, please,” he answers. Weldon’s still smiling, though. In fact he’s been in a good mood all practice, despite any fatigue. Actually, now that she thinks about it, he’s been like that for a few weeks now.

  “Hey, you seem like you’re in a good mood these days,” she says, nudging him again.

  “Yes?”

  “Yes. Like you’re somewhere else, a little bit.” He glances at her, looking worried, and she quickly relieves him. “Not in a bad way, Weldon. Your steps are fine, Estabella would have said so if something was up.”

  “Good,” he answers. “Yes, well, the thing is…” he starts, almost like he’s hesitating. “I kind of met a girl,” he finishes.

  “Really?” she says, a strange mix of surprise and intrigue coming over her. “Who is she?”

  “She’s a teacher. I met her at one of those meet and greets I did a little while back, I told you about those, right?”

  He had told her, she remembers now. It had been when she was in the thick of it with course assignments and her test prep. She’d gotten to the other side of both with flying colors, and was now happy to be closing in on the end of the semester and her final grades. Soon she’d be submitting her application to the Carlton Faculty of Management and had all but started counting the days until she’d be able to.

  “Oh, that’s nice. What does she teach?”

  And then they move around the floor, while she listens to Weldon tell her about Aviana. As she listens she can hear the affection in his voice when he talks about her. It’s something like boyish infatuation, but more than that. The more he talks about her the more she realizes what it really is - he’s talking like someone in love.

  It hits her more sharply than she’d expected it to - more than she’d care to admit out loud. If she’s honest with herself she’d have to admit she’s feeling something else, along with the surprise and intrigue. Envy, perhaps, and then a kind of sad, shallow feeling she doesn’t want to examine very closely.

  He found someone, she thinks. He really did it, already. She can tell from his smile that he’s cautious about what this is, between him and Aviana, but hopeful and eager at the same time. He’s found someone he cares about, who cares about him back.

  “Anyway,” he says, finishing saying something about Aviana’s family. “You’ll have to meet her sometime, okay? I’d like to introduce her to you.”

  His expression is so hopeful just then, so open. Almost like what he’s found wouldn’t be real if it wasn’t something he could share with her. The feelings that landed on her a moment ago start to slowly dissipate as she realizes this, and she smiles back at him.

  “I’d like that. We can all have dinner some time? Before the holidays?”

  His smile is so big then it reminds her of him at twelve years old, like they’ve just learned a new dance step down pat and he’s so proud he managed it as well as she did.

  “Yes, definitely. We’ll set it up.”

  Then they take their starting position, and Ciana smiles, and spends the next several minutes dancing as though she’s enjoying herself.

  She’s determined to succeed.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Weldon had wanted Aviana to come see him and Ciana dance at the holiday show but in the end it hadn’t worked out with her teaching schedule. Truthfully, a part of him had also been holding back from sharing that aspect of his life with her up close and personal just yet. He knows she’s seen them dance before - on television and video clips, some of which he’s been the one to show her. And she’s said she likes their dancing. But performances in person are different and he has to confess he doesn’t mind delaying that a little bit. He wants more time with Aviana, getting to know her and letting her get to know him, on his own.

  Still, he genuinely wants the two women in his life to meet, he thinks they really could be friends. He was being honest when, only a month into dating Aviana, he told Ciana he wanted all of them to get together. So not long after that, they do.

  Two weeks before Christmas, Weldon invites Ciana to meet them for dinner at a bistro in Carrington, not far from where he and Aviana first met for coffee. It’s a Wednesday evening, so he knows Aviana will be past the midpoint of her week and ready for a bit of relaxation and distraction. He picks her up at her place and they arrive at the restaurant first, a little early for their reservation.

  They wait by the front as the waiter checks that the table is ready. Aviana stands a bit closer to him and puts her hand in his.

  Weldon leans down and kisses her briefly, smiling. “Hey, you okay?”

  Aviana nods. “Yes, I’m good. I am,” she repeats, smiling back.

  “You sure?”

  “Yes, I promise. Just...why do I feel like I’m walking into a job interview?”

  “Is that really how you feel?” He’s taken aback slightly, but then thinks for a second and gets what she means.

  “Or, no, like I’m taking a test or something. Am I dreaming right now? You know, like the one where you have to take the final exam but you don’t remember taking the course?” She’s fidgeting a bit, worrying at her lower lip.

  “Hey, it’s okay, Avia, I swear. It’s just Ciana, she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.” Well, that’s not entirely true, he thinks. It’s not like he hasn’t seen all sides of her after twenty-some years. But that’s probably not the point to dwell on right now with his girlfriend who he very much wants to get along with his...well, his Ciana.

  “I know, but she’s still your…” her voice trails off on the next word, just as his thoughts did. “She’s important to you,” she finishes eventually. “I just hope she likes me.”

  “Of course she’ll like you, there’s no reason anyone wouldn’t like you,
including Cia,” he says honestly. He knows his perception is a bit skewed here, but still.

  The waiter comes over then and brings them over to their table. Weldon helps Aviana out of her coat and steps aside to hang it up. He’s just pulling off his coat and scarf and hanging it up next to Aviana’s when he turns and sees Ciana walking over to them. She waves and smiles at him. He can tell she’s dressed for dinner, but not as fancy as he’s seen her on some other occasions. He thinks about Aviana’s chatter in the car about how she’d taken forever deciding what to wear, and wonders if Ciana had done the same thing when she was getting ready to come. Suddenly his stomach drops a little, wondering how this is going to go.

  “Hi!” she greets him, kissing him quickly on the cheek. “Here, could you …” she starts taking off her coat too, and he holds out his hands for it. Of course he always takes her coat, she doesn’t need to ask.

  They step over to the table and Aviana’s standing, a ready smile on her face. She holds out her hand to Ciana first.

  “Hi, I’m Aviana,” she says brightly. “It’s so nice to meet you.”

  “You too,” Ciana answers, taking her hand and then leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. “Oh, you have the most beautiful hair!” she says suddenly, and then puts a hand towards her mouth. “I’m so sorry, you must get that all the time. I’m sure you know exactly what color your hair is,” she adds quickly.

  Aviana just laughs it off. “Oh no, thank you. I actually don’t so get that so much now. But when I was younger it took a long time before I could shake off the Anne of Green Gables jokes, so as long as we’re not doing that then we’re all good.”

  Ciana laughs too. “I promise I won’t,” she says. “I’ve had all sorts of nicknames too.” Weldon softens, then, seeing how much care she’s taking.

  “It’s so nice to meet you in person,” Aviana says again. “Weldon’s told me a lot about you, but it’s never the same as meeting someone.”

  “Oh, of course!” Ciana gives a nervous laugh, slightly performative he thinks to put her at ease. Both women glance back at him for a moment. “But likewise. I’m so looking forward to getting to know you.”

  Weldon gestures for them to take a seat, and they do. “So, drinks?” he says then, and waves for the waiter’s attention.

  *

  The next day he and Ciana meet for their early morning dance practice as always. Now with the show behind them, their sessions are less intensive than the previous couple of months. They’ll also have to think about what they’re aiming for next, show wise - or not. But that can keep until after the holidays, he thinks.

  He knows everyone left dinner last night with a smile on their face, and Aviana seemed happy with how everything went. He hopes Ciana feels the same way. The last month he’s spent getting to know Avia has been amazing - much more than he thought he would find in a relationship so quickly. Sometimes he finds himself pausing to remind himself he’s really managed it, he’s found someone again.

  Aviana’s not Ciana. No one else ever will be, he realized that a long time ago. That still doesn’t change the fact that he’s found someone who makes him feel he could belong - someone he can already see a future with, if he gets that lucky. And he truly does want that, but he finds himself wanting so badly for Ciana to like her, too.

  “So?” he asks. “What’s the verdict?”

  “Oh, she’s great, Weldon. Really,” she adds.

  “Yes?” He smiles, relieved. He looks back at her for a moment, really looking and listening. He knows she wouldn’t lie to him, but he also knows that if she disagreed with him on something big she’d probably find a way to let him down slowly.

  “She’s so great. I really like her, you…” she thinks for a second. “You were right about everything you said, you two really do seem to fit well together.”

  He nods some more. They both stand, ready to move to the floor now. “Oh, good. I’m so glad, Cia, if you didn’t...I mean, I know we’ve been good for a while, but if you didn’t…I mean, if things weren’t okay between us like this…”

  “I know,” Ciana says. She reaches both hands out, lets them rest on his arms. “Don’t worry Weldon, I know. I mean...I’d be wrong if I said I’d expected something like this to happen for you so fast,” she says, and he wonders if she’s smiling then to cover something else. “But I want you to be happy, truly. You should have this, if it's what you want.”

  He brings his hands up to hers, then, and squeezes. He lets out the rest of the breath he’d been holding in. “Thank you,” he says simply.

  She smiles back again, and then they step onto the floor.

  “Avia really likes you too, you know,” he says as they start on a warm-up. “She said you guys talked about meeting up again sometime?” He remembers they’d both walked off to the ladies room together while he settled the bill. They’d returned looking like they’d talked about a few things.

  “Oh, we did!” Ciana answers. “I said I’d love to go shopping with her if she wants. Or she said she’d show me some skiing sometime in the winter, I guess she still does cross-country sometimes?”

  “She does,” he confirms. “It’s one of the reasons she likes living here, easy access to lots of winter sports.” He wonders then what else they’d talked about.

  “Well she’s found the right person, then. Besides, I reminded her I know all your secrets,” she adds with a wink. “In case that’s something that comes in handy.”

  “Hah hah,” he brushes off. “Just let me enjoy the fact that both the women in my life are getting along, then I can adjust to the idea of you being in cahoots together.”

  She laughs, then. “We’ll see. It might turn out that you won’t have much control over that one, sweetheart.”

  Weldon laughs back, albeit little more hesitant this time. He has to admit he hadn’t considered that.

  *

  Ciana returns to Morsely a few days before Christmas, arms full of suitcases packed with all her cozy clothes and far too many presents for her little nieces - Eze’s new little one is just a few months old but Ciana’s ready to spoil her too.

  She gets back to her waiting house and starts brushing the dust out of the corners, warms it up after so many days spent empty. She lights a fire in the fireplace and makes herself a cup of tea, leaning back into the couch and letting herself absorb the restful feeling for a moment.

  In spite of all of her reassurances with her mother, it’s true that she can’t help but feel the solitude a little bit differently, now. It’s not a bad feeling, necessarily, but it is different. Like her house is quieter than before, waiting for her to bring someone else into it.

  The next day she shakes it off. She throws herself into the momentum of the holiday and all the family visiting. Her older niece is getting so much bigger and more grown-up. Ciana gets good at braiding her long hair just the way she likes it, learns her new clapping and singing games. Her brothers and sister are happy to see her again as she is to see them. It’s been a full year for everyone, not just Ciana, and hearing them talk all about their jobs and homes and families turns out to be even more reassuring than she expected. She tells them all about how she’s ready to submit her school application once her transcripts for this semester are final, and with any luck she’ll be full time starting next summer. They’re proud of her for pursuing her education, in the way that only siblings can be.

  Boxing Day arrives and she heads to the Fensworth family’s brunch open house. Joslyn and her mother come with her, but her brothers have other commitments with their wives’ extended families and they make their goodbyes in the morning.

  Weldon had told her Aviana was spending Christmas in New York with her stepbrother and his young family, but that he had been encouraging her to come by to meet his family at some point. Sure enough, she’s there with him in the crowd when Ciana arrives. In that moment she’s hit with a sudden wave of empathy for Aviana, meeting so many new people at once. Meeting the Fensworth family is not a cas
ual activity. Not for the first time, Ciana feels glad she herself got to do it growing up and not all at a run like all of Weldon’s girlfriends have had to do over the years.

  But she can tell that this isn’t just another relationship like the others. She can already see he’s in this for the long haul, and to her credit Aviana seems to be taking everything in stride. There’s nothing false about her, nothing mistrustful. She comes across so warm and genuine because that’s exactly who she is.

  If Ciana hadn’t already decided to be friends with her at first, she certainly has by now. If this is the person Weldon has opened his world to, then Ciana has room in her heart for her too.

  Nichole and Joslyn pause in the kitchen to ask Dewer about drinks, but Ciana keeps walking into the living room where Weldon and Aviana are chatting with his mother Estella. She hugs Aviana first.

  *

  It goes even better than Weldon had hoped, spending a couple of days sharing Aviana with his family.

  “Oh Weldon, she’s lovely,” his mother says to him while he’s helping clear plates.

  “Thanks, Mom,” he says. “I hoped you’d say that.”

  “Did you see little Romilda with her over there? She can’t get enough of her, I think she’s her new best friend.”

  Weldon laughs a little. “Yes, I think she’s got Romilda convinced she knows every cool book ever written.”

  “Well I would hope so, if she’s as good a teacher as she sounds,” his mother says. “I hope we see more of her here, if that's what you want,” she says, a little quietly this time.

  “You will, Mom. I can promise you that much,” he answers, blushing in spite of himself.

  His mother pauses then, as though thinking over the next thing she wants to say. “I know a year ago we all expected something different to happen for you,” she says gently. “And I know you said you’re both okay with it.”

  He can tell everyone’s still a bit surprised, when just a year ago it had seemed he and Ciana were a sure thing - or at least, had seemed so to the outside. He still thinks about it sometimes, wondering whether he and Cia had just been oblivious from the start. But every time he goes over in his mind he concludes that no, they did love each other. And they still do. But maybe they’re meant to love each other as friends and partners, in the way they always had before.