Chapter 29

As the planner talked, he looked at the steps again and imagined his feet on them: one step, two steps, three steps."Perfect, right?" the planner said."Yes," he replied quietly. "Perfect."That afternoon, in the backyard, he told the girl about the stage. "Three steps," he said. "Not many. But in front of everyone, it will feel like a mountain."She thought for a moment. "Then we practice steps," she said.They went to the stone path where there were three low garden steps near the side of the house."Today," she said, "you don't just walk. You climb."He stood at the bottom of the small steps and looked down at his legs. "If I fall, this will be a very bad plan," he said."If you fall," she replied calmly, "you stand again. That is the plan."He placed his hand on the railing and lifted his foot onto the first step. His leg trembled hard as he pushed his weight up. For a moment, he felt like he might collapse, but then he was up: first step. He stood there, breathing slowly."Good," she said. "Now the second."The second step was harder: his leg shook badly, and he had to use both hands on the railing, but he pushed and lifted himself again: second step.By the time he reached the third step, his legs were burning, but he forced himself up: third step. He stood there at the top, breathing hard, looking down at the steps he had just climbed."That's it," she said. "That's the stage."He nodded slowly. "That's the stage."He carefully walked back down, step by step, then sat on the stone bench, exhausted but smiling."Two days," he said.She nodded. "Two days."He looked at her and said quietly, "Do you know what the strangest part of all this is?"

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