We Met When The Flowers Bloomed In The Spring

May sat behind the desk in the small antique shop, watching the rain patter outside the window. It was another overcast day. The wind must have picked up because the cherry trees lining the sidewalk were dancing. May looked on as petals blew past the windows of her shop. Rain was always bad for business. She had been half tempted to stay upstairs in her apartment after checking the weather earlier in the morning, but her landlady had called and asked if she'd be able to greet the new tenant coming in to rent the vacant shop space next door.

May watched the cars continue to drive by for a while before picking up the dust cloth and wiping down all the surfaces again. She stopped when she came face-to-face with the giant jade dragon on display. The jade dragon always drew lots of admirers, but because of its high price, no one was willing to bring it home. May absently wiped down the dragon. That was alright. She didn't mind it accompanying her here in the shop. Just then, movement outside the front window of the shop caught her eye. A car was parking next to the sidewalk.

May set down her dust cloth and hurried over to the door. A young woman with blonde hair was climbing out of the car now. The young woman opened a clear umbrella. "Are you May Chen?" she called over the patter of the rain as May emerged from the antique shop.

May nodded as she opened her black umbrella. "You must be the new tenant Ms. Millar was telling me about."

"My name's Abigail," the young woman introduced herself with a smile. She was pale, and her wavy blonde hair just fell past her chin. "I just moved into town."

"Welcome. If you ever want someone to show you around, I'm available," May offered. "Oh, here's your key. Ms. Millar left them with me."

Abigail took the key from her. "Let's take a look inside, shall we?"

The two of them walked over to the door on the right side of the building, and Abigail unlocked it. May followed and set her umbrella down next to Abigail's. Abigail looked around the empty space, and her eyes sparkled as she turned to May. "It's perfect. The last time I came to look at the store was when it was still occupied by its previous owner. Now that it's a clean slate, I get to remake it."

"What kind of business are you going to run?"

There was a dreamy look in Abigail's eyes. "A cafe. I can already picture it—I'll have tables here and curtains there. The theme will be springtime pink."

May smile faintly. "If you need any help setting up, just let me know. I live in the apartment upstairs."

Abigail turned back to May. "Thank you. I'll be taking you up on that. I don't think I can do everything on my own. I'm curious what the previous store owner was like? I vaguely remember that she was a middle-aged woman."

"She ran an instrument repair shop. She always got good business, but I remember Ms. Millar telling me that she wanted to find a better location. If you don't mind me asking, you said that you just moved into town. Where did you go to university?"

✦ ✦ ✦

Since the rain had lightened to a drizzle, May suggested that they catch lunch at a restaurant a couple of blocks away. As they walked down the empty streets, Abigail admired the cherry trees dotting the misty world with their pale pink flowers.

"My grandparents used to live in this town," Abigail commented as she brushed fly-away strands of hair out of her face. The hem of her white skirts fluttered as she skillfully avoided the puddles accumulating on the sidewalk. "We flew over here to visit them once a year during the summer. I always loved this place. I've been in the big city long enough. It's time to get away and live a slower-paced life."

"I love this place too," May agreed as they turned the corner to wait for the street light. "I came out this way on my own for a trip once, and I completely fell in love with it. It's quiet and beautiful every time of the year." She showed Abigail to the noodle shop in the middle of the block, and the two of them set their umbrellas down in the white bucket by the door. After they ordered, they sat by the window. The restaurant was empty save for a young man sitting alone on the opposite side of the restaurant, simultaneously scrolling through his phone and working through his bowl of noodles.

May watched the branches of the cherry trees sway in the wind. From inside, the entire world beyond was a mystical mix of pink and gray. They didn't have to wait long before their noodles were ready. When they were done eating, Abigail insisted that she take the bill. It was just the two of them by the time they left the restaurant, and the rain had stopped for the time being.

"Thank you for spending time with me today," Abigail thanked May when the two of them came to a stop in front of where Abigail had parked her car. "I'll be back next week to start setting up. I want to paint the walls first, so maybe I can trouble you to help me."

May nodded. "Would you like to add my number? That way we can keep in touch more easily."

Abigail smiled. "Good idea."

"Should I just put Abigail as your contact name? Or do you go by any nicknames?"

"Abigail is fine. I really don't like it when people call me Abby." Abigail wrinkled her nose at the thought, and May bit back her laughter.

After they said their goodbyes, May watched Abigail's car disappear down the road. The rain was beginning to start up again, so May made her way back into the antique shop. She sat down in front of the computer behind the counter to find that three orders had been placed. While some days she didn't receive any customers at the shop, she could always rely on people ordering online.

By the time May had finished packaging their orders, it was time to close shop. She'd take the packages to the post office the next morning. May stretched before turning out the lights and locking the door. After switching her keys, she unlocked the door between the two shops and climbed the stairs to her unit.

A soft meowing greeted her as she opened the door at the top of the stairs. May smiled as the black cat padded toward her. "You must be hungry." May opened a new can of cat food and put it in one of the bowls on the floor. "Here you go, Wafer."

May made herself dinner next. It was dark by the time her food was ready, and she brought her bowl over to the table. She tugged her long black hair out of its low ponytails before leaning back in her chair and watching her reflection in the window. She could see her face among the outline of the flowering trees beyond. May smiled to herself as she turned back to her food. She had a friend in town now.

✦ ✦ ✦

"I hope I'm not troubling you too much," Abigail said with a wince as the two of them hauled cans of paint from Abigail's car into the empty store.

May shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

Today, Abigail was wearing a pair of paint-stained overalls over a loose pink shirt. May was dressed in black like usual, but she had made sure to wear clothes she didn't mind getting dirty.

"I'll open the windows," Abigail suggested once they set down the last can. "We can leave the door open, too. It's going to smell like paint in here for a while." The sky outside the windows was a clear blue, and sunlight streamed into the room. "I ordered floral wallpaper online," Abigail informed May as she squatted down to examine her choice of paint rollers. "The color will match the cherry blossoms outside. I was thinking that the wall by the door and the one on the back of the store can use the pink wallpaper. The longer ones we can paint white. The brown they are right now is a little too dreary for me."

May nodded in agreement. "Which can do we use first?"

Abigail pointed to one of the cans with a pink-nailed finger. "That one should be the primer."

It took around an hour with the two of them working on the walls, and when they finished, they left their supplies in the shop while they went to get lunch. When they returned to pick up their rollers again, the sun was high in the sky, and the gentle wind had blown petals in through the window. After all the painting was done, Abigail climbed down from her ladder to admire their work.

"It does look much brighter in here than before," May commented as she showed Abigail the pictures she had taken of the shop before it had changed colors.

Abigail smiled. "Thanks for the help. I'll start bringing my furniture and appliances over tomorrow. I have the lights in my trunk. We can put them up now while we still have the ladder."

The two of them spent the rest of the daylight hours replacing the old lights and hanging clouds from the ceiling. "These are cute," May noted as she passed Abigail another cotton cloud.

"I thought so too," Abigail giggled. "I was thinking about painting the ceiling blue, but then I ultimately decided to keep it to pinks and whites. I had to keep the clouds in my car for all this time—I was afraid my cat would get to them otherwise."

"You have a cat?" May looked up at Abigail. "I have a cat too."

"Do you have any pictures?" Abigail asked as she climbed down from the ladder. "What's your cat's name?"

"My cat is called Wafer," May laughed as she showed Abigail the black cat on her lock screen. "He's sweet."

Abigail smiled down at the screen as May swiped through her pictures. "What a well-behaved-looking kitty. My cat is quite well-behaved as well; she's just shy. When I moved over here last month, she spent the first week hiding." Abigail wiped her hands on her overalls before taking out her phone and showing May a picture. "This is Mira. She's a British Shorthair." After May and Abigail moved the paint cans into the storage room in the back of the store, the two of them bid each other goodnight before going their separate ways.

May awoke the next morning to find a text from Abigail waiting for her on her phone. May sat up in bed and brushed her long hair over a shoulder before unlocking her phone. Want to meet up today? Abigail's text read. I saw the sign on the door to your shop that you have Mondays off as well.

Sure. What time? May texted back.

She had only just finished changing out of her sleep clothes before she got a response. Does 2:00 sound good?

After May sent a thumbs-up emoji, she set her phone down again and walked over to the kitchen to pour Wafer his breakfast. She headed to the bathroom next, where she took the fuzzy headband hanging on the door to pull her hair back from her face. After washing her face, she carefully applied her makeup.

When two o'clock finally rolled around, May went downstairs to wait for Abigail. She didn't have to wait long for Abigail's car to appear and for Abigail herself to climb out. Today, she was wearing a pink summer dress with a matching hairband.

May walked over to join Abigail. "Where are we going?"

"Do you know if people can visit the stables?" Abigail asked. Her eyes sparkled. "I see the horses a lot when I drive by."

May nodded. "I've gone a couple of times before. People volunteer there on the weekends, and the owner is nice. He lets people feed the horses, too, from time to time. Do you want to check it out?"

Abigail nodded eagerly.

"Are you a dancer?" May questioned as they walked down the block. "I've been meaning to ask you that."

"You could say so. I did ballet through my last year in college."

"You don't dance anymore?"

"Yep. I quit. The enjoyment I got out of it and the harm it was doing to my body were not adding up. I haven't been brave enough to wear open-toe shoes in years." Abigail turned to look at May. "Are you a dancer? You look like you might be one."

"Yes. I took traditional dance through college. Dance was my minor, too. I don't take classes anymore, but I still practice on my own. I even have a ballet bar in my living room."

Abigail gave May a look of admiration. "I'm impressed."

A walk of about ten minutes led the two of them to the stables and the rolling fields of grass beyond. This was the edge of the town, where the grass extended as far as the eye could see. "Look," Abigail said excitedly as she pointed at the horses in the fenced enclosure. "That brown one is beautiful!"

May giggled. "I thought so too the first time I came here. She's really sweet and gentle."

The two of them entered the stable to find a middle-aged man in overalls spreading hay over the floor with a pitchfork. "Hello there, ladies," he said as he straightened. He dipped his head in May's direction. "I remember you, Miss May." Then he turned to Abigail. "I don't think we've been acquainted yet . . ."

"I'm Abigail," Abigail introduced herself. "This is my first time at the stables."

"I'm Mr. Witson," the man said as he set his pitchfork down. "You ladies want to give the horses some carrots? I always leave that for the visitors if they want." May and Abigail followed him, and Mr. Witson handed them two large carrots each before gesturing to the horses on the far side of the stable. "Those ones haven't had any carrots yet today. Would you like to ride one of them? I can go prepare the saddle while you feed them."

Abigail nodded eagerly. Once Mr. Witson had walked away, May and Abigail looked at the horses excitedly. There were brown ones and black ones and spotted ones. "I heard there's only one white horse here," May told Abigail in an undertone. "If we go out to the enclosure later, maybe we'll be able to spot it."

After they finished feeding the horses, the two of them headed out to the enclosure. Mr. Witson had just put the saddle on one of the brown-speckled horses and motioned for them to come over. "Have you ever ridden a horse before?" he asked.

Abigail shook her head.

"I'll go over the basics, then. Who wants to go first?"

Abigail turned to May. May just motioned for her to go ahead. "I'm still a little intimidated by sitting on a horse. You can go ahead."

"Here"—Abigail handed May her phone. "Maybe you could help me take a few pictures, then."

Mr. Witson helped Abigail onto the horse, and once she was seated in the saddle, she held up a peace sign. May snapped a few pictures, then Mr. Witson led the horse by the reins to a slow walk. After a few laps around the enclosure, Abigail climbed off the horse, or at least she tried to before slipping and falling on her back with a startled cry.

May and Mr. Witson were at her side in an instant. "Are you alright?" May asked in alarm as Abigail sat up.

She was laughing as she shook her head. "I'm fine. I should have seen that coming." Abigail stood up and brushed grass from her dress. "Do I have any in my hair?" May nodded, and Abigail gave her an embarrassed smile.

"Would you like to take a shower at my place?" May offered.

"I think I might have to take you up on that."

Abigail spent the walk back to May's place picking grass out of her hair. "Would you like to borrow some clothes too?" May asked worriedly. "You probably don't want to sit in your car with all the mud on your dress."

Abigail giggled. "The pictures were worth it."

When they arrived at the building, May led Abigail up the stairs to her unit. "Anyways, this is where I live. This is the living room and kitchen area; then through that door is the bedroom and bathroom."

"That must be Wafer," Abigail said with a smile as her eyes fell on the black cat sleeping on the post by the window.

"Yep. He's always sleeping."

While Abigail was in the shower, May rolled up her sleeves and got to work washing Abigail's dress in the sink. When she finished, she hung it up by the open window and then entered her bedroom to find a change of clothing. The two of them seemed to have a similar build and height, so May pulled out a pair of black leggings and a white shirt.

The door to the bathroom opened, and Abigail stepped out with a towel wrapped around her body. "I picked these out for you," May said as she handed Abigail the clothing. May paused as Abigail took the clothes from her. "Is that a tattoo on your ankle?"

Abigail nodded. "This one is a butterfly. I have five total." Abigail pointed to her collarbone. "I have another one here. Sunflowers. Then I have one on my spine, one on the back of my ear, and one on the side of my stomach."

"How recently did you get them? I know dancers having tattoos is still looked down upon."

"My most recent one was the spine tattoo," Abigail explained as she changed into her bra and underwear. "Here's the tattoo I have on my stomach. It's a bird with some flowers."

"It's really intricate. Big too. Did it hurt a lot?"

"Yes, but it was worth it. The spine one hurt more. I got the spine tattoo after I stopped dancing at the studio. They were already unhappy with the one on my collarbone. Whenever there were recitals, I'd have to cover it with powder and foundation."

"What do you have on the back of your ear?"

Abigail gave May a knowing smile. "It's the name of my cat."

Once Abigail finished changing, the two of them went back to the living room. The sun was starting to set outside, so May offered to make something for dinner. Abigail played with Wafer on the couch while May got to work chopping vegetables.

Abigail walked over to the ballet bar mounted on the wall of the living room once Wafer had lost interest in the cat toys. She stretched before doing a couple of graceful pliés. "This is a nice bar."

Soon, May brought the dishes over to the table and scooped two small bowls of rice from the rice cooker. "Will you be going home after dinner? You're welcome to stay the night if you'd like."

Abigail smiled as she walked over to the table. "I appreciate the offer. If I didn't have to go back to feed my cat, I definitely would. Oh, these smell delicious."

May sat down at the table, and Abigail took the seat across from her. "Please, help yourself."

When they finished eating, Abigail helped May do the dishes. And before long, the two of them were standing at the door. "I'll be back tomorrow for my dress," Abigail said with a nod in the direction of where her dress was still hanging in the window. "You get off work at four, right? I'll treat you to dinner."

May blinked as she shook her head. "There's no need for that—"

Abigail just smiled. "You helped me out today. I insist."

"Alright, then. I'll meet you after work."

"It's a deal. Goodnight, May. I promise I'll return your clothes to you tomorrow."

May watched Abigail descend the stairs from her unit. Once she was gone, May closed her door. Wafer meowed softly from May's feet, and May scooped the cat into her arms. "I like Abigail around, too," May told the cat as she glanced over at the window. Abigail was likely climbing into her car now, but May could only see her own living room reflected in the glass.

✦ ✦ ✦

Abigail was back the next day to work on her store and return the clothes she had borrowed. When it was time for May to close shop, she went to help Abigail. Abigail had moved in a number of boxes, and the two of them spent the next few hours assembling all the table parts inside.

That weekend, Abigail invited May to join her at the department store to look for vases and faux flowers for table decorations. "Faux flowers last forever," Abigail said with a wink as the two of them examined a number of cloth roses. "I've been making a lot of faux flowers myself recently, but they're still far from professional. Pick a few. Each table can have a different flower arrangement."

In the end, they ended up with a variety of pink and white flowers. "I'm excited to see how the arrangements turn out," May commented as they drove back to the storefront.

"Would you like to help out?" Abigail asked with sparkling eyes. "We could work on them together."

May beamed. "I'd like to try."

When they arrived at Abigail's store, the two of them set their collection of flowers and glass jars down on one of the tables before pulling up chairs. They laughed and chatted as they put together different combinations of flowers. Once there was a jar of flowers on each table, Abigail hurried over to the corner of the room where numerous boxes were still being stored. From inside one of them, she pulled out a number of plastic bags.

May looked on curiously as Abigail cut open one of the bags and withdrew a string of fairy lights. "A little extra magic we can add to the jars," she said knowingly. "These ones are solar-powered."

May helped Abigail place the lights around the bottom of each jar, and when they finished, Abigail set up the power source and turned off the store lights. The jars flickered to life, twinkling softly as they illuminated the flowers within.

May and Abigail exchanged a grin. It was like magic.

✦ ✦ ✦

A week later, Abigail was ready to open the cafe, and May took a few hours off work in the morning to join her. After what felt like hours, someone finally walked in. May recognized him as the young man who had been in the noodle shop with them the first day she met Abigail.

He looked around the cafe before coming to the counter to read the menu. "I'll take the omelet with avocado and cheese, and a strawberry green tea."

"Will that be it?" Abigail asked professionally as she input the order. "Fifteen is your total," she continued after the man nodded. "Cash, card, or pay with phone?"

"Can I use my phone?"

"Of course."

After the man paid, Abigail motioned for him to take a seat before getting to work making the omelet and drink. Abigail was very skillful, and both items looked picture-perfect when they were done. Abigail brought these over to the young man.

Abigail returned to May, and the two of them shared a smile as they watched the man take pictures of his food before picking up his fork.

"Hopefully, he'll like the food enough to spread the word about my cafe," Abigail said in an excited undertone.

"I'll help spread the word, too," May told her with a laugh. "You spent the last week having me taste-test everything off the menu, remember? I can confirm that everything tastes as good as it looks."

"The town is small enough, right? I think the word should spread fast."

When Abigail closed shop for the day, she and May went upstairs to the latter's apartment. "How many customers did you end up with?" May asked as Abigail walked over to pet Wafer.

"About two per hour," Abigail said proudly. "For my first day open, I would call it a success. Most of the people, though, live in the same apartment complex as me, and I had let them know about my cafe's grand opening ahead of time."

The two of them made dinner together and sat down at the table.

"Would you mind if I took a shower after we eat?" Abigail asked. "I didn't realize how much I was sweating. I had to fix my hair multiple times in the bathroom."

"Of course."

May sat on the couch with Wafer. The water in the bathroom sounded softly, and a gentle breeze wafted in from the open windows. May blinked as pink petals rushed in through the window on a gust of wind. Wafer stared at them, half confused and half amused by their sudden appearance.

May reached down to pick up a few petals that had landed on the floor and placed one on top of Wafer's head. She laid the rest on his back, and a smile touched her lips as the cat went back to sleep, unfazed.

When Abigail was done with her shower, she came over to join May on the couch. She was wearing her own clothes again, but her wavy blonde hair was wet and smelled faintly of May's shampoo.

"Are you really alright with driving half an hour every day from the edge of town here?" May asked after a while. "You could live here with me. We both work downstairs, after all."

"Are you sure?"

May nodded.

Abigail just giggled. "You should have me spend the night first and then decide if you really want me as a roommate. If you're serious about it, how about tomorrow, then? I'll bring my cat over as well. But if I really do move in, what about all my belongings? Would there be enough space for the both of us?"

It was May's turn to giggle. "I've seen your apartment before. You have even less than me."

Abigail smiled. "I'm a minimalist. Besides, the less I have, the less I have for my cat to wreck."

"I thought Mira was well-behaved."

"She is, but in her defense, a lot of my dance shoes and hairnets could look like cat toys."

May burst into laughter at that.

✦ ✦ ✦

The next day, Abigail was over again, this time with her cat. Mira was very cautious at first when Abigail let her out of the carrier. Wafer eyed the gray cat from the other side of the room, not sure what to make of her.

May took a seat on the floor. She took one of the cat toys lying on the carpet and waved it gently in the air. Abigail had brought a backpack with her today and set it down next to the door. "I brought my nightgown."

May motioned for Abigail to join her. "What do you want to eat tonight? Does stir-fry vegetables sound good?"

Abigail smiled as she took the cat toy from May. "It sounds great to me."

After dinner, the two of them spent time chatting before washing the dishes and taking turns in the shower. When May finished with her shower, she joined Abigail on the couch. "Do you want to watch something?"

"Do you like cooking shows? There's one I've been addicted to recently."

"Let's check it out."

The two of them ended up watching almost three hours of TV, and by the time May looked at the clock, she had to do a double-take to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. "We should probably get to bed."

Before long, all the lights in the apartment were out, and May and Abigail lay next to each other under the covers of May's bed.

"I like this," Abigail said softly. "It brings me back to my childhood sleepovers. You know, those simpler days before everything became complicated."

May let out a sigh. "I know what you mean." Her dark hair spilled over her pillow as she turned to look at Abigail through the dark.

Abigail rolled to face May. "What do you want for breakfast tomorrow?"

May thought about it for a moment before answering. "How about pancakes?"

"I love pancakes."

In the morning, May awoke before her alarm went off, only to find that Abigail was already awake too. She was in the middle of changing out of her pajamas and turned when she heard May getting out of bed.

"Good morning," Abigail said as she fumbled with the closure of her bra. "Do you think you could give me a hand?"

May nodded and stepped over to fasten it for her. "There you go."

"Thanks."

May admired the lace. "Where did you buy this one? It's really cute."

"I got it from a store online. I can text you the link later."

Once the two of them were dressed, May fed the cats while Abigail started on mixing the batter for the pancakes. As the pancakes cooked in the pan, May joined Abigail in the kitchen and washed her hands in the sink.

"Have you tried putting fruit on top of the pancakes?" Abigail asked.

May shook her head. "I've tried putting blueberries inside the batter before, but that's about it."

There was a dreamy look in Abigail's eyes. "They're delicious with strawberries on top."

May stepped over to look in the fridge. "I don't have any fresh berries, but I do have some strawberry jam."

"Let's give the jam a try."

Soon, the pancakes were done, and Abigail set them in two stacks. She passed one of the plates to May, and the two of them slid into their seats at the table. The pancakes had a rich and sweet smell to them, and adding the strawberry jam only made them more fragrant.

May eagerly picked up her fork and took a bite. "You're right! They are delicious with strawberries."

Abigail let out a contented sigh as she took a bite as well. "I could eat these every morning."

When they were done, the two of them brushed their teeth in the bathroom together before heading downstairs. May helped Abigail get the cafe ready before heading over to open the antique shop. The quiet morning went by quickly, and soon May was on lunch break. Instead of going back upstairs to her unit to cook like she usually did, she stopped off at Abigail's cafe.

Since it was lunchtime, the cafe was almost completely full. May waited in line to order, looking up to read the menu even though she already knew the items by heart.

When she reached the counter, Abigail flashed her a smile. "And what can I get for you today?"

May smiled back. "I'll take a blueberry muffin and a hot tea."

After paying, May took a seat at one of the tables by the window. The flowers in the planters outside swayed gently in the wind. Above, the sky was a soft blue streaked with clouds. May didn't have to wait long before Abigail arrived at her table with her muffin and tea. "Here you go, Your Highness."

May burst into laughter at that. "What? Your Highness?"

Abigail just winked as she returned to the counter.

May pulled out her phone to snap a few photos of her lunch. Abigail really did have an eye for aesthetics, and everything down to the drizzle of sweet lemon sauce on top of the muffin was picture-worthy.

That evening, after May got off work, she was in the bathroom washing her face when she heard the jingling of keys, followed by the sound of the door opening and closing. "Her Highness is back," May called.

Abigail's laughter echoed from the living room.

May came out of the bathroom to help Abigail start prepping dinner. As the two of them waited for their pasta to cook, Abigail waltzed over to pour two bowls of cat food. Wafer and Mira eagerly hurried over. "Enjoy, Your Highnesses," Abigail said as she dropped into a curtsy.

May giggled. "Is Mira a princess?"

Abigail's eyes sparkled. "Of course! She's Princess Mirabella, the graceful princess meeting the dashing Prince Wafer."

May couldn't stop giggling. "Prince Wafer."

When she and Abigail were done with dinner, they washed the dishes and then took turns in the shower. May sat at the dining room table, editing the website for her online shop while Abigail stood by the ballet bar, stretching. Even just stretching, her movements were controlled and elegant. After watching her for a few more moments, May closed the lid of her laptop.

"You've reminded me that I haven't stretched yet today."

Abigail smiled. "Together, then?"

May joined her at the bar, and soon, the two of them were sitting on the living room carpet. Abigail let out a laugh as both Mira and Wafer wandered over to the two of them, walking over and on their legs.

Before long, May and Abigail were getting ready for bed. May flopped down onto the bed, and Abigail flopped down beside her.

"So," May said as she rolled over to face Abigail, "have Wafer and I managed to convince you to stay?"

Abigail let out a laugh as she nodded. "I'll stay."

✦ ✦ ✦

Over the next few days, after work, May went with Abigail back to her apartment to help her move her belongings. Soon, Abigail's apartment was empty, and the two of them were setting up Abigail's decorations in May's living room.

Abigail showed May the display of photographs she had as May helped her put them up. "This one was my first dance recital," Abigail said wistfully.

May took the photograph from her, smiling at the little girl in the pink tutu. "You were adorable."

Abigail let out a sigh as May handed the photograph back to her. "That was back when she thought she'd be dancing forever. She would have never imagined I'd quit one day."

May picked up another photo from the stack as Abigail clipped the first photo to the strand of fairy lights. "What about this one?"

"That one was when I got to be Clara in The Nutcracker. And then there's this one"—Abigail shuffled through the photos—"this is ten years later, when I got to dance the part of the Sugar Plum Fairy."

May admired the glittery pink costume. "Your dance journey really went full circle."

Abigail's smile was wistful. "That was the beginning of the end, though. After that, all the signs were pointing to me to stop for the sake of my physical and mental health."

May placed a hand on Abigail's arm.

Abigail covered May's hand with her own. "During those years, even though I got countless compliments for looking my best, no one knew or cared that I was suffering from eating disorders and anxiety. Once I graduated from college, I made the decision to quit. It wasn't easy stopping something I had been doing and loved all my life, but at the same time, it's been freeing."

Abigail clipped the picture to one of the strands of fairy lights. Her smile was back. "That's the last one for display. I'll put the rest back in my photo album."

May was quiet for a moment. "If you still love it, just because you quit dancing doesn't mean you need to stop dancing."

Abigail smiled at that. "You're right. But something just feels silly about it when I'm not working toward a performance. When I try to dance for fun, I get caught up in all the technical aspects."

May was smiling as well as she took Abigail's hands in her own. "Come on, let's dance!"

Soon, the two of them were giggling as they twirled around the living room. May ended up teaching Abigail some choreography from one of her past performances, and then the two of them were dancing again.

After striking their final pose, Abigail clapped her hands together. "That was fun!"

"Right?"

Abigail glanced over at the clock. "I want to keep dancing, but look at the time. We both have work tomorrow morning, too."

May glanced over as well. "I guess we got a little carried away. Let's get ready for bed."

Once they changed into their nightclothes, May and Abigail climbed into bed. There was a rustling as Abigail turned to look at May. "May?"

"What is it?"

"I'm really happy you're here with me. It's like a sleepover with my best friend every night."

✦ ✦ ✦

As the months went by, May found herself getting more and more used to life with Abigail to the point where she couldn't even remember how she had managed alone. Every day was full of light conversations and laughter. Having another cat around was a delight as well, and Wafer certainly seemed happy to have Mira there. May had noticed Wafer trying on multiple occasions to get closer to Mira, but Abigail's cat would turn her nose in the air and ignore him.

May and Abigail were eating breakfast together when they caught another episode of this occurrence. Abigail clicked her tongue. "Oh, Mira. You won't give the poor cat a chance?"

May looked over at Wafer. "Wafer, don't feel discouraged! If you keep trying, maybe Mira will eventually fall for you."

Abigail leaned closer, lowering her voice. "Do you think Prince Wafer has a chance?"

May had to hold in her laughter. "Not at all."

Once the two of them got off work for the day, May was in the bedroom, rummaging through the closet. Abigail's dresses hung on one side, and her own dresses hung on the other. May withdrew one of the costumes she had kept from her time dancing. It was a Chinese-style dress with flowing skirts and sleeves. May absently walked over to the mirror, holding it up to her body as she looked at her reflection.

"I think you should put it on," a voice said from the doorway.

May turned to find Abigail smiling at her.

May beckoned Abigail over. "I think you should wear this pink one. I have a black one in the closet as well."

May helped Abigail change into the pink dress and tie the flowing ribbons before putting on the black one. After May adorned their hair with glittering pins, the two of them looked at their reflections in the mirror, giggling.

"The costumes were always one of my favorite parts about dancing," Abigail said wistfully.

"Me too," May agreed.

Abigail reached for her phone. "Let's take a picture of us like this to add to the wall of photos."

After the picture, the two of them spent the next half hour learning choreography from a video before taking turns in the shower and getting ready for bed. Abigail was in the bathroom washing off her makeup when May stepped inside to grab her toothbrush. Abigail smelled of rose shampoo.

May leaned in closer. "You smell good."

Abigail giggled.

Back in the bedroom, May and Abigail huddled together as they watched a show on Abigail's laptop. "I just remembered something," May said through the quiet night.

Abigail lowered the volume of the show. "What is it?"

"I saw a poster for a local dance studio that takes students of all ages. I always just thought it was for kids and teens, but they're actively looking for new members. I took a picture of it too." May pulled out her phone to show Abigail the photograph. "It's not a professional studio or anything—it would just be for fun. They say they want to start doing performances open to the public at the community center."

Abigail's eyes sparkled. "That sounds wonderful, actually. When is it open? Would you be interested in checking it out together?"

May smiled. "Let's give it a try."

✦ One Year Later ✦

May stood in the wings of the stage, watching the current group finish their dance. She was dressed in a simple black leotard and a pair of pink ballet tights. Her hair was in its signature low ponytails, and on her head was a headband with fluffy cat ears.

"Here you go." It was Abigail, and May turned as Abigail handed her a long black tail.

This, May tied around her waist. Abigail already had her own tail and ears on. Unlike May's black leotard, Abigail was wearing a white one.

"Ready?" May asked with a smile. This was one of the first times that, despite being in the wings of the stage, she didn't feel weighed down with nerves. The piece she had choreographed with Abigail was a playful and lighthearted one, telling the story of two cats.

"Can't wait," Abigail replied. Her new tattoos were visible and decorated her skin elegantly.

Before long, it was their turn to take the stage. As they danced together, there was laughter and squeals of delight from the children in the audience as May and Abigail took on the roles of cats, mimicking their motions and mannerisms.

When they ended in their final pose, the audience burst into applause. May couldn't help but smile as she looked at Abigail. She found Abigail looking back at her, smiling radiantly. This wasn't their first dance performance together, and it certainly wouldn't be their last. Outside the large glass windows of the community center, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. Pink petals fluttered in the wind, and the sky was a clear blue. It was another beautiful spring day.

✦ End ✦