Where did you get this?

She swiped at her tears, but there was no stopping them as the screen lit up with a montage of still shots of Roni in the hospital in the days after the accident, her ravaged body casted and covered in bruises and scrapes. The song “Perfect Skin” by Olivia Lane played. Quincy held Roni tighter as an image appeared of her sleeping in a hospital bed and another of her tear-streaked cheek, looking away from the camera. There were pictures with Gram and Elisa holding her hand by her hospital bed, and a selfie Angela had taken of them lying side by side. Roni’s chest ached as pictures of her in physical therapy appeared, and of her learning to walk, making painful faces, smiling, and sticking her tongue out. Angela must have given you these. She remembered Angela taking that picture, cheering her on, and saying goofy things just to make her laugh. Angela had been Roni’s rock throughout her grueling recovery.

Pictures of Roni trying to dance again filled the screen, and then more video footage, this time from the studio, of Roni struggling through her pain. There was so much footage documenting months of her recovery, he could have only gotten it from Elisa, but she didn’t know how Elisa could have taken it. The way it was pieced together showed Roni’s transition from when she’d been too injured to walk to her gliding gracefully across the floor, throwing herself into every move, and all of the painful stages in between. She wiped her eyes, enthralled with herself as she danced in the studio after hours when she thought nobody could see her. Then Quincy brought out another surge of emotions with a montage of her teaching the teenage hip-hop class, ballet class, and Kennedy’s class. He’d even included the moment when Dottie had finally joined the others.

When the screen darkened, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, and in the next second, the song “Lose You to Love Me” came on, and the screen came to life again with Roni dancing in the studio more recently. Quincy appeared in the doorway behind her, looking utterly and completely awestruck as he watched. She was so lost in dance, she hadn’t even noticed he was there. What he’d said that night sailed through her mind. You’re strong, beautiful, and to me, an untrained eye watching you dance, you are the embodiment of perfection.

He held her tighter and whispered, “I think I fell harder for you right then.”

Tears spilled down her cheeks, though she’d thought she didn’t have any left, she’d shed so many already.

When the music faded and the lights came on, she noticed Quincy’s eyes were damp, too. He cleared his throat and blinked them dry, looking at her a little nervously. “I hope that was okay.”

She wiped her eyes, her throat raw with emotion. “How did you do all this?”

“Elisa had footage of the events and security footage from the cameras in the studio. I had the idea the day I first met her, and we’ve been working on it ever since. Remember when she walked me back to see you that first time? I had already asked her if she could help me with it. Angela helped, too. Her parents had video from most of the performances.”