Felicia was holding onto Gerard with skilled hands, as they gracefully moved around her dancing studio. She was amazed that a man with his skill would put his name into a drawing for a free dancing lesson, he did not need it. His motions were as graceful as a swan gliding across the top of a crystal clear lake. With each step across the smooth floor, Felica was amazed at how gently he was able to hold here, without sacrificing his grip upon her.
“You know I’m a little surprised at your skill level, Gerard.”
“I’m sure its just beginners luck,” Gerrard said with a warm smile. After a moment he ever so slightly tightened his grip upon Felicia as he whispered into her ear, “It also helps that I have the best teacher in the world.“
Felicia’s face reddened with the whispered words, she leaned her head upon his shoulder inquiring, “Gerard, there is no way this is your first lesson. How long have you danced?”
Gerard let his head gently rest upon hers as he guided them along the studio’s floor, among the countless reflections bouncing among the mirrored surfaces. Gerard breathed in letting the various scents fill him, he lingered upon the smell of watermelon coming from her hair. Closing his eyes, he whispered, “I haven’t danced like this in quite some time, Felicia.”
“So you have graced a dance studio before?” Felicia asked as her lips curled up forming a playful smile.
“When I was much younger, but that was quite some time ago,” Gerard answered as he pulled her closer into him as the glided effortlessly across the floor.
“So why did you put your name into the drawing for the lesson?”
“Honestly,” Gerard began with a smile forming on his own face. “I thought winning the drawing would be the simplest way to ensure an evening with you.”
“Gerard!” Felicia exclaimed as her cheeks took on a deep scarlet coloring.
He stopped their dance and lifted her chin up with his hand so he could look into her pale blue eyes, so striking as the light from above stuck them. He studied those eyes for a moment before he spoke with immense care, “I didn’t think you would say yes if I just came up and asked you for an evening like this.”
“Well Gerrard, I can say you were probably right before.” Felicia bit her lip as her cheeks began to blossom with a hint of rose as she whispered, “Though I think you would find me open to another night like tonight.”
“I would yearn for another night like this with you, Felicia,” Gerard spoke with eyes holding sorrow that marked his words true yet showed there was something that would keep them from becoming true.
“You speak as if we will never get another night together.”
“We will not be able to have a night like this for some time, Felicia.”
“Why? Are you just visiting?”
With a sorrowful smile, he pulled her closer to him as he whispered into her ear, “Yes I am simply a visitor for the day.”
“Well, when do you have to leave?”
Gerard loosened his grasp and looked at his hand before giving his answer, “I believe our lesson is just about finished.”
“We can keep our evening going.” Felicia immediately answered with desire evident.
Gerard took her hand in his and brought them back into the dance before he corrected her assumption with sorrow overflowing each word. “Felicia, we cannot. I was granted a precise amount of time.”
“Why can’t you go over?”
With a sorrowful sigh, he answered, “Because I’m on borrowed time. I died three years ago, having never gathered the courage to speak with you.”
As Gerard’s words are heard Felicia stumbles slightly, she only managed to keep her feet with Gerard’s help/ “That’s not funny Gerard.”
“Look at my hand.”
Felicia glanced over to her left hand and saw that his fingers were slowly fading away. “But…”
“Let’s enjoy the remaining time we have.”
“How?” Felicia managed to squeak.
“I was given an opportunity, and I seized it,” Gerard answered as he pulled her into him and kissed her. As they stood there sharing the passionate embrace, she could feel his lips beginning to fade. Felicia pulled him into her, and he immediately responded tightening his grip upon her. As the embrace continued, she began to feel her arms collapse through him. Losing her balance Felicia fell forward she attempted to break her fall, but her head hit the floor.
She looked up catching Gerarde’s face as it faded, once he had vanished entirely as she sees herself in the mirror. She watched the single drop of blood as it traveled from her left nostril to her upper lip. As the drop of blood began to well up threatening to fall, her tears began to flee from her eyes and some began to follow that drop of blood’s path. When the tears started to collide with the blood on her lip, the blood was dislodged from her mouth. And it began it’s journey from her lip to her studio’s floor and when it impacted Felicia could hear it’s earth-shattering splash in the once silent and now empty room.