Valeria didn’t think her legs would hold her up as she took Jo’s hand and led her out to the dance floor. They didn’t keep their hands high or put a lot of distance between themselves, so as to draw attention to their clasped hands. For one thing, they didn’t want to make more of a scene than they had to. For another, Valeria wanted to stay as close to Jo as she could.
The first general dance of the evening, once the traditional dances ended, was to Billy Joel’s “A Matter Of Trust.” Jo turned to Valeria, her face absolutely serious. “Are you sure you want to do this? I won’t be hurt if you don’t. It’s a big step.”
Valeria nodded. Her legs were jelly, and she couldn’t get enough air into her lungs, but she nodded. “I want to. I’m done hiding. I can’t anymore. When I had something to gain
