At the end of the performance, Noah cheered loudly and gave Violet and her colleagues a standing ovation. He yelled her name as she and the prince came forward to take their bows and for a split second she met his eyes and beamed at him.
As soon as she joined the New York City Ballet officially, Noah bought a season ticket in one of the VIP seats up close to the stage so he had the best view in the house. He wanted to be able to see her facial expressions as she danced.
It was a worthwhile investment solely for the end of each show when she looked out into the audience, saw him cheering her on, and the corners of her eyes crinkled with genuine delight. She only did that when she was at her happiest.
A few minutes later, Noah met her out in the lobby as she was graciously accepting people's compliments. He handed her the bouquet of colorful gerber daisies and smiled.