So she moved.
Each step across the ballroom felt louder than it actually was, the subtle shift in attention following her as people registered her direction. She was aware of it, of course—of the eyes, the curiosity—but she didn’t let it slow her.
Aaron looked up as she approached, surprise flickering across his face before he straightened slightly, as though preparing for a polite exchange that would end quickly.
“Captain,” he said, his tone respectful, measured.
“Nora Bennett,” she replied, offering a small, genuine smile. “May I join you?”
He hesitated, just for a second, then nodded. “Of course.”
She didn’t sit.
Instead, she held out her hand.
“Would you dance with me?”
The words seemed to land somewhere between confusion and disbelief. Aaron blinked, his gaze dropping briefly to the wheelchair before lifting again to meet hers.
