The Promise I Refused to Break
Once I said yes to ballet, I had to make it real.
So I did what working people do when the numbers don’t work: I created a system.
I pulled an old envelope from a drawer and wrote “LILY – BALLET” on the front in fat Sharpie letters.
Every shift, every crumpled bill, every handful of change that survived rent and groceries went inside.
I skipped lunches.
I drank burnt coffee from a dying machine.
I told my stomach to stop complaining.
Dreams were louder than growling, most days.
The studio looked like the inside of a cupcake.
Pink walls. Sparkly decals. Inspirational quotes in curly vinyl.
