Page 113 of Learn Your Lesson

They both about lost it when they saw my face.

But the show continued, and as much as I wanted to keep my scowl in place, it was impossible to do when I saw my daughter like that. How long had I wished for a lightness in her, for her to be a fuckingkid?

Chloe had released that side of her in mere weeks.

When they made it to the living room, Chloe set the speaker on the coffee table before hurriedly running back to her place next to Ava. It was just in time for the bridge, and they looked at each other, nodding their head as if counting down the beat.

As soon as the chorus began, they broke out in a synchronized dance.

It started with them hopping up into the air and crossing their feet. When they landed, they used their new position to do a swivel turn and wink at me over their shoulders. The chorus was something about being a woman in a man’s world, about being unapologetic and loud and weird. Chloe and Ava hit some new move with every word, including a twisted-up version of the hand jive along to the lyricskick some ass. When that final word sounded, they both covered their mouths with wide eyes instead of lip-synching it.

At this point, the TV remote lay abandoned by my side, the episode fast-forwarded all the way to the end on the television. I watched with amusement bubbling through me as the two weirdos continued dancing, each move more bizarre than the last.

Chloe stood behind Ava, both of them straight as a board, and then they broke out into opposite waves, thumbs over their shoulders and goofy grins on their faces.

When they hopped up only to somersault in opposite directions, the music grew to a crescendo, and the finalecame with Chloe encouraging Ava to run at her. My daughter leapt with a mix of fear and unfaltering trust in her little eyes, and Chloe grabbed her wrists, swinging her up and onto her shoulders in a feat that made my jaw drop. It was like an acrobatic circus move or a swing dance — maybe a combo of the two.

They threw their hands up in victory as the song ended, and then there they were, both of them panting in the middle of the living room with their final poses held strong.

It lasted only a second before Chloe was helping Ava off her shoulders, and they were high-fiving each other and squealing over how they’d done it, they’d pulled it off, they’d even nailed the landing. Chloe held onto Ava’s hands as she bounced excitedly around her, eyes wide as she replayed the whole routine like it hadn’t just happened.

And my chest locked.

I thought it was a heart attack at first, and I bolted up from where I was reclined on the couch, clutching my abdomen as the unfamiliar sensation seared through me.

But before true concern could set in, a strange noise barked out of me.

A laugh.

A…laugh.

It rattled the rust off my rib cage, the first roll of it shocking me.

And then the girls pivoted toward me, their necks nearly snapping in the process. Their eyes were wide, their conversation and excitement muted.

And I laughed again.

I bent at the waist, coughing a bit like my body didn’t fucking remember how to do this properly. That made melaugh even harder, my hands braced on my knees, eyes watering.

God.

I was laughing.

Reallylaughing.

I peeked at Chloe and Ava, who stood completely still and gaping at me in the middle of the room. It sent another rip through me, and I fell over sideways on the couch, clutching my stomach as I laughed and laughed and laughed.

It hurt as much as it healed. It was as painful as it was a relief.

I didn’t know I evencouldlaugh anymore.

But here I was, unable to keep it together after a ridiculous dance routine put on by my daughter and her nanny.

I was still trying and failing to school myself when the girls blinked and looked at each other.

“Daddy’s laughing,” Ava whispered, shaking her head. Then, her eyes doubled in size, the biggest grin I’d ever seen spreading on her face as she started jumping with Chloe’s hands in hers. “Daddy’slaughing!”

They squealed together before they were barreling toward me, and I held up a hand, unable to tell them through the fit of laughter to stay away from me. I was still sick, even though I probably wasn’t contagious anymore.