Something In The Way She Moves

Every day of Lena's life for the last year started the same. Her eyes blinked open. Crippling sorrow washed over her, followed by the icepick pain in her head and the wave of sickness from her usual morning hangover. Once the pain subsided, she would remember he was gone.

Last night she nursed the cheapest swill she could find and passed out in the garden wearing nothing but a pair of silk undies and a t-shirt that said, "Kiss Me, I'm Irish... and killer in bed." A gift from Lex. Lena treasured that terrible shirt now that he was no longer there to tell her how funny it was.

"Lesson learned. A change of scenery clearly wasn't the answer," Lena said aloud as she picked her frigid body off the ground. The foggy Irish countryside was the perfect backdrop for her walk of shame back to the cottage. "At least I didn't freeze to death."

No matter how hard Lena tried to drown her sorrows, losing Lex consumed her.

He wasn't just her brother. He was her confidant, her confessor, and the best dance partner she could ever ask for. She could say with all certainty that Lex knew her better than she knew herself. She knew in her heart that their effortless connection and love for each other was the secret to their success. The Luthors were known worldwide for their poise, their precision, and their perfection. Their unbreakable bond and their silent cues made them unbeatable on the dancefloor. Until a month before his death, Lena and Lex were the most successful and recognizable ballroom dancing team in the world.

He died on a Tuesday. Christmas Eve. Lena decorated Lex's home from top to bottom. She strung 10 strings of twinkle lights all around his bedroom to brighten his spirits. Lex adored Christmas. They both did. They never danced on special holidays. Channeling the whimsy of their childhood, they spent every Christmas together watching old movies, drinking cocoa and unwrapping presents.

"Another Christmas without you," Lena said aloud. It's only been a year, but it feels like an eternity.

It was only the first of November and Lena was already dreading the constant onslaught of commercials reminding her of the Christmas she wouldn't have.

The last year had been terribly cruel. She managed for a few months after Lex passed thanks to their dear friend Sam. She stayed with Lena, offering her a shoulder to cry on, cleaning and cooking, and holding her at night when the demons of guilt and regret tried to take over.

Lex and Lena met Sam when they were teens, and they became an inseparable trio immediately. Sam loved them both dearly, and she was the only person in the world who seemed to understand what Lex and Lena meant to each other. When Sam eventually returned home to New York, Lena was a mess. She tried to hold herself together, but his illness came on quickly and he died before Lena could process it all.

Everything fell apart when she agreed to do an interview with Ballroom Magazine. She was like an exposed nerve, vulnerable and volatile. All it took was one question to release the powder keg of emotion she was trying desperately to suppress.

"So, Lena, when will you find a new partner and get back on the circuit?"

The question was innocent enough. The kid they sent to interview Lena couldn't have been over twenty-five, but she was delicate, and he was unintentionally obtuse. Lena wasn't proud of her actions that day. Her response was fueled by every feeling she attempted to bottle up. She was a bomb ready to explode and the poor kid lit the fuse.

Lena stood, her face flushed red and jaw clenched. She balled her fists and lunged at the kid with a ferocity she never felt before.

"I will NEVER dance on this circuit again! No one ever appreciated how magnificent my brother was. The ballroom dancing community never hesitated to talk about us behind our backs, and only a couple of good friends have reached out. I was abandoned by this community. It comes as no surprise. We were treated as outcasts when we danced and now that my brother is dead everyone is licking their lips hoping they can pick apart the carcass of my career. There is no other dance partner on the circuit that could ever compare to Lex."