Arkady has dedicated his life to the world of ballet. He is known as the bad boy of the dance world, and is an ever rising star. Then he gets injured in what is at first thought to be a tragic accident but turns out to be so much worse. He's lost ballet, and his life feels unbalanced. A friendship with his no-nonsense physical therapist starts him on a new path. He has her friendship, a more honest relationship with his parents, his beloved dog Lou and, for the first time, maybe love in the form of an artist with a disability of his own. But the past isn't done with him yet.

Rise Again

“I’ve seen a doctor. She said the damage…I won’t be getting better in a month.” Arkady’s mind grabs on to the word ropes. He remembers now he was going to be up in the air for a photo shoot. It’d been planned for weeks. He’d been worried about the bruise from the fight at the party. He’d gone to sleep with Lou, but he can’t remember a thing after that. It’s blank, like a book telling a story, and he’s turned a page, and suddenly there’s nothing, no words to tell him the story of what happened.


He’s worried about Lou, but won’t ask. Thomas has never liked his dog. He’s afraid of Lou, even though he’s a loving animal who’s never bitten anybody. Arkady hopes his parents have been looking after Lou. They like Lou. They like him having a big dog for protection, and despite not being a violent dog, Lou is protective and will chase away anyone who gets too close to Arkady with a bad attitude.


“So, what are you saying? What? Like six months?” Thomas asks.


Chapter 5