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

They take a cab to a cute little cafe that Cade promises does wonderful food. Cade picks a table near a bookcase in one corner, and Arkady’s reminded of the way Cade had been reading when Arkady first saw him. It doesn’t feel like it was such a short time ago, but then, a lot has happened.


Coffee and burgers make up their lunch, and they’re eating when an adorable little African-American girl with braids comes over and tugs on Arkady’s arm.


“Hello, sweetheart. Are you okay? Are you lost?” Arkady asks, worried. The girl looks no older than ten, so too young to be in the cafe alone.


“My mom’s over there, but I wanted to ask you something,” the little girl says, glancing over to a table where a slightly embarrassed looking woman is sitting, feeding a baby a bottle. The woman has the same gorgeous dark skin and eyes as the little girl, which makes Arkady relax. The kid is safe. She probably saw him and Cade hold hands at some point and wants to ask about that.


Chapter 30