I arrived as class ended. Through the glass, I scanned the dancers at the barre. Audrey wasn’t there.
As the others filed out, a woman with a clipboard approached.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m Audrey’s mother. Is she in another room?”
The woman introduced herself as Ms. Alvarez, Audrey’s teacher.
“Your daughter hasn’t told you anything, has she?”
Her smile faded. She closed the classroom door and turned back to me.
“Your daughter hasn’t told you anything, has she?”
My stomach tightened.
“Told me what?”
She led me into an empty office.
“Your daughter hasn’t attended class in almost two weeks.”
“She stopped lessons because she said you didn’t think she was talented enough.”
I stared. “She comes here three days a week.”
“To the building, yes. But she stopped lessons because she said you didn’t think she was talented enough.”
I pulled out my phone. “I’ve kept paying tuition.”
