I felt the truth of that description.

She hadn’t announced that I’d redeemed myself.

She had said I was learning.

I stood, not to make a speech but to offer her my hand.

She took it.

We danced in the space between the dining table and the windows, laughing because we were still terrible at it.

In the background, someone started clearing plates and Rosa told them to sit down because she wasn’t on duty.

For the first time in a long time, joy in that room did not feel like a performance.