Page 7 – Nutcracker
Abdiel doesn’t think it’s a particularly attractive decoration, but it seems to be one of Eden’s favorites, and putting it beside a bowl of nuts makes them festive, so he’s all right with it.
It’s Andre who guesses the significance of it, on Christmas morning, when the three of them are lounging in the living room, doing nothing in particular.
“Did your ballet class perform The Nutcracker?”
“Yes.” Eden sounds surprised, but pleased. “The one on the table was actually a Christmas present from my ballet teacher that year.”
“That’s cool,” Andre said. “What role did you have?”
“She was Clara,” Abdiel says.
Eden looks at him, surprised. “I never told you that.”
“I doubt your teacher gave presents like that to everyone in your class,” Abdiel tells her. “She would have only given them to her best students – and you were her very best.”
Eden shrugs, looking a bit embarrassed. “I was okay.”
“You’re being modest.”
“Okay, I was pretty good.”
“You’re a gargoyle,” Abdiel reminds her. “We excel at any physical activity that we want to. You were the best.”
“Yeah, well . . .”
“I want to see,” Andre says. “Show us something.”
“I haven’t practiced in years. I don’t remember any dances.”
“Yes you do,” Abdiel tells her. “Start and it will come back to you.”
Eden hesitates.
“Please?” Andre begs.
“Just try it?” Abdiel asks. “I’ve never seen you dance.”
That does it, just like he knew it would. Eden gets up from her chair and picks up the nutcracker. She takes several steps away from the table and tilts her head gracefully as she looks down at the nutcracker, then she lifts it high into the air.
She’s in motion now, and even if Abdiel knew the names of the individual movements or steps, he doubts that he could pick them out. They all flow together, like a river, like a song, and he almost swears that he can hear music as his sister spins and leaps.
He doesn’t know how long it’s been since the last time Eden danced ballet, but time holds no sway over some things, and her skill is one of them. She twirls on the tips of her toes, in a manner that looks extremely painful, but there’s a smile on her face and she looks happy. Abdiel kind of wishes that she was holding the sword he gave her last night, instead of the nutcracker, because that would be so much cooler.
Eden ends her dance with a swan-like bow then straightens and sets the nutcracker back on the table. “I guess I remembered more than I thought.”
“The important things stay with you,” Abdiel tells her, and he’s glad. This is one Christmas he never wants to forget.
