Page 7 of Dancing Fools and All That Jazz

I see Janine’s bag is very messy. It is filled with bits of paper.

Some fly out onto the floor. I try to help her to pick them up, but she hurriedly snatches a bent piece of card from my hand, and I am a bit confusion at her response.

Janine drops down to the floor and she quickly pick up all the scrunched-up papers before anyone else can get them.

She does not seem to know we are only trying to help, and I wonder why so many people at dance are on edge tonight.

I do not mention my marriage or my new name as everyone hurries to go home. Perhaps I will tell them at the next lesson?

Outside it is pouring down with rain and we dash to the car. Asha, who is Neil’s dentist and lives just down the road from us, regularly gives me a lift. She grumbles – I think this is the right word? It is word Neil uses when he says Theo grumbles about everything – and she sighs as she drives.

‘What terrible weather and what a terrible class. I hope Monica and Ruby can sort out their issues before Paris. It spoilt the whole evening. You could almost feel Monica’s animosity and poor Ruby looked so miserable.’

I nod and see my wedding ring finger, it throb very badly as Asha continues.

‘And what is it with Fay that she has to have a go at Janine every week? I tell you if the class had this sort of toxicity when I first came for a trial lesson, I would never have joined. And to think we are going to spend three nights with each other in Paris in just over a week. I am not so sure I am looking forward to it anymore.’

I nod agreement and try to twist my wedding ring loose, but it is stuck tight on my finger which, after dancing, has…

uxbriest ? I cannot think of this word in English.

The ring was left to Neil by his grandmother and was a little small when Neil gave it to me.

He say there was no point in buying a new one, ‘It is the same symbol of marriage after all.’

I do not mind. I am happy to wear a simple plain ring. I do not like fancy jewellery, but I wish it was not so tight. I will have to get it make larger if I cannot lose some weight.

We stop at traffic lights and Asha glances across to my hand and gives me an incredulous look. ‘Is that what I think it is? Ingrida, you dark horse. You got married.’

I smile back. ‘ Ja , I am no longer Ingrida Valenko. I am Mrs Goodman.’

‘Congratulations.’ Asha waits expectantly and I remember she suppose to have married some years ago, but the pandemic then a family death put stop to her large Indian wedding.

We were all invited to go and dance there, Bollywood style.

In actual fact, we are going to be dancing this number in Paris.

We all have beautiful saris Asha has shown us how to wear.

In secret I am sorry to be only reserve for this particular routine in the competition as it is my favourite, but all being well, I will still dance for her wedding this summer.

Will she mind to see I have married before she has? I am nervous when I glance at her as the light changes to green and she drives off, but she flash me such a happy smile I find myself telling her more.

‘It was two weeks ago. It was very quiet. Neil did not want big fuss. We went to the local registry office, found two witnesses outside but we did not have wedding party. We need to get back for children. Neil’s neighbour look after them.

So now I am stepmama to his three beautiful little ones, and I am very, very happy. ’

‘Ingrida, that’s wonderful news. Did you not want a big white wedding?’

‘ Ne . In white, I look negl?ts .’

‘ Negl?ts ?’

‘It mean ugly… and anyway, weddings very crazy in Latvia with many strange and out-of-date traditions. I did not want Latvian wedding and Neil, he also did not want traditional wedding. I would have liked to marry in church but Neil, he say this is a lot of fuss. Maybe we will have a blessing in church sometime? I would like that…’

‘Well, we must tell everyone you are married next week. It will put the whole class in a better frame of mind.’

‘Do you think so?’

‘I know so.’

Asha then tells me all about her wedding plans as we drive through the pouring rain before she eventually stop outside Neil’s house.

No, I can call this our house now. I smile to myself.

I get out of car, putting up my umbrella and before I close door I say, ‘Asha, thank you for being so kind to me. It make me feel so much better to tell you and have your happy response.’

‘Well, it has made my night. Goodnight, Mrs Goodman. See you next week.’

Inside, Neil is working at his computer and Grace and Theo are waiting in bed for me to tell them a story.

When I have them settled to sleep and have make a check on Lizzy, I eat my stew at the same time as I do the wash up of the dishes and straighten up the kitchen.

I lay the table and make it ready for the morning.

Then I take a cup of sweet cocoa into Neil who closes his laptop and pulls me into his arms as soon as I sit next to him on the settee.

We cuddle and kiss. He is a very loving man and he want me even if I am hot and sweaty after my dance class and rushing about the house.

I am feeling a little tired, but I am so happy Neil want to make love with me and does not care if I have a little more weight than before.

To have this beautiful family is more than my best dreams; I think God, he had this plan for me all along.