Dancing Shoes

By Amy Carder

My book is about what happens when Sophia Fisher forgives the driver that caused her accident. This story is unique because it’s a fresh look at an age old question - how to forgive those who hurt us.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 22, 2021
• ISBN: 9781664235267

Amy Carder

Amy Carder is a budding author who has written storied her whole life. She lives and works in Davenport, Florida and has written for a small media outlet there.

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Amy Carder.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by

any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system

without the written permission of the author except in the case

of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents,

organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products

of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or

links contained in this book may have changed since publication and

may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those

of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher,

and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3527-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3528-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-3526-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021910273

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/26/2021

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

About the Author

Chapter 1

S ophia Fisher took a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then let it out, trying to calm her nerves. She wiped her face with a hand towel before stuffing it back into her bag. She couldn’t understand why she was so nervous. It wasn’t like she hadn’t done this before. She had even been outside of the country. So what was so different about this time?

She caught sight of a familiar figure making his way toward her, and her heart skipped a beat. She took another deep breath, savoring the scent of his aftershave. The young man’s blue eyes twinkled merrily at her. Hey, Sophia, you OK?

She nodded because she couldn’t get her voice to work. Her mouth felt drier than the Sahara.

I brought you a bottle of water. I know how thirsty you get right before you speak, he continued, handing over the bottle.

Thanks, Trevor. You’re a lifesaver, Sophia said with a laugh. She opened the bottle and took a couple of swallows.

It looks like the choir is wrapping up their song. Shall I give you a push over the cables?

If you wouldn’t mind, I’d appreciate it. Sophia waited until Trevor rose before tugging on the black gloves that protected her hands from the treads of her wheels.

Trevor grasped the handles to Sophia’s wheelchair and pushed her forward. The chair bumped over the cables as they moved. Once they were past them, Sophia glanced over her shoulder. Thanks, Trevor, but I’ll take it from here.

Trevor nodded, bouncing his dark curls in the process. He reached out and gave her cheek a caress. Go get ’em, Soph.

Sophia swallowed hard, but her blue eyes sparkled with determination. I will. She rolled herself to the very edge of the off-stage area, gave Trevor a final wave, and then rolled onto the stage.

The sounds of cheering blasted over Sophia. The noise was so loud, she felt like she had to push against it as she rolled across the stage. She found her mark and parked her chair before looking out into the crowd and smiling. In reality, she could see nothing past the stage due to the harshness of the bright stage lights, but tonight’s crowd wouldn’t know that.

Hello, everyone! Wasn’t the choir great? She paused as the cheers crescendoed again.

Makes you feel like dancing, right? More cheers. Well, believe it or not, right this very minute, I’m wearing my dancing shoes. Now, I know that sounds a little strange, coming from a girl sitting in a wheelchair, but you have to understand what I mean. And to do that, you have to go back a year. A year ago, I was a normal teenager, looking forward to graduation …

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I will say, ‘ladies and gentlemen, to the class of 2019, stand up, take a bow, and then file off stage,’ the principal instructed.

Yada, yada, Felicia, Sophia’s twin, said, imitating the principal.

Quiet, Felicia, Sophia hissed. I’m trying to hear what Mr. Brown is saying.

Felicia made a face at her sister but fell silent as the principal continued with his comments. The two girls attended a private school in the town of Freedom, South Carolina. Their class of seniors consisted of twenty-five young men and women. To the casual observer, the girls looked identical with blue eyes and blonde hair, but their teachers had quickly learned that Felicia had a small scar next to her left eye. She had cut her head open as a child and had gotten three stitches from the resulting wound. The girls both also loved to have fun, but Sophia was a little more serious-minded.

Once the principal was done with his instructions, he dismissed the seniors. The girls made their way out of the auditorium and to the parking lot where they could talk to their friends. They stood in the shade of a huge oak tree because the temperature was rapidly climbing that late May morning. A vivacious redhead was the first to join them.

Hey, Jan, Felicia said, greeting her. You ready for the big day?

Absolutely, Jan answered. I can’t believe you’ll both be going to Julliard this fall.

We worked for this chance, Felicia said as she hung on her sister. That was actually an understatement. They had both worked hard enough that Julliard had offered them both scholarships—one for Felicia in musical composition, for piano playing, and one in dance for the lithe Sophia. Felicia’s eyes gleamed as she mussed her sister’s hair.

Hey! Cut that out, Sophia demanded. The two girls play-fought as more students, including Steve and Trevor, joined them.

Who’s winning? Steve asked. Steve wasn’t exactly part of their pack. His father had insisted he come to the school because it had a smaller football team. Steve had been promoted to captain since the team’s previous captain had been sidelined due to an injury. His father felt that being a captain improved his chances of making a college team.

I’m winning, both girls claimed.

Hey, a bunch of us are going to the beach Sunday if you want to go, Steve said.

Can’t do that, Felicia answered.

We have church, Sophia chimed in. But our youth group is having a movie night tonight.

I think I’ll pass, Steve said before ambling off.

Your loss, Trevor said before turning his attention to the twins. Hey, all! Are you excited about the movie night tonight?

Absolutely, Sophia replied for them.

Good. I’ve managed to invite a couple of guys who live on my block, and they said that they would come, so it looks like we’ll have a full house, Trevor said.

We’ll see you there, Felicia said.

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Mom, we’re home! Felicia called loudly as they entered the two-story house. It was white with a blue trim and had a wrap-around porch where the girls liked to spend most of their time.

I’m in the kitchen, Mrs. Fisher called back.

Felicia followed her sister from the living room, past the stairs that led to the upper story, through the dining room, and into the kitchen. What’s for dinner?

Spaghetti, Mrs. Fisher