Billy felt it, all right. He sent back his love and a wish for her happiness as he stood, carefully helping Ronnie and Alex along the way.

"Don't worry, she's not especially hard on you---yet," Billy laughed, fond of his own training sessions with Kaya. Oh, the embarrassment that had freely flowed at his inexperience then. He could perform now, and he did keep in shape, but those early days were what he remembered best.

The girls, eager to impress, were already racing down to meet her there.