““Shall we dance?” She takes a moment to answer, as if the question has thrown her. “Um— okay.” He cannot tell if that was a statement or a question, so he offers his hand for her to decide. He hears the breath she sucks in before she rests her palm against his. And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss. He shakes his head as the Shakespeare line interrupts his thoughts, and he leads her onto the dance floor. Classmates part for them, and once they are face-to-face, William lowers his mask. He rests his hands on her hips, and Lorena removes her own mask to clasp her fingers around his neck, finally revealing her face. The effect is like removing one’s sunglasses and peering at pure light. She glows in a way that makes it hard for him to look at her directly. A midnight sun.””
