I spent the next month fencing with Tessa.
She was still learning to trust her reach, but she listened when I gave her corrections and never pretended to understand something she didn't. After practice, we stayed to run footwork drills. When we lost a point, she asked what she'd missed. When I lost one, she asked the same.
It was a better partnership than I'd expected.
It was not the partnership I wanted.
At least once every practice, Miles and I ended up on neighboring strips. I could hear his blade strike Owen's, hear Coach call out a correction. I could feel when he looked in my direction, though I never caught him doing it. Each time, I kept my eyes on my own bout.
The first week of the month, Coach asked me to stay after practice.
"I'm sending Tessa to the regional open," he sai
