The next morning arrived with harsh sunlight. It seemed determined to pierce through every window in the training facility.
"Good morning, everyone," Hailey called out, her voice stronger than yesterday.
She had barely slept. Her eyes were still puffy from the previous day's breakdown. The concealer she had applied wasn't quite enough to hide the evidence.
But she had forced herself to get up, to get dressed, to come back to the one place where she could lose herself in physical action.
Several of her junior stunt performers were already warming up on the mats. Their conversations created a low hum of activity.
Clara was stretching near the mirrors. Melanie and Sarah were practicing basic rolls on the padded floor.
Emma and Jessica were working on their balance exercises. All of them looked up expectantly when Hailey entered.
"Let's start with some light sparring today," she continued. "I want to see how much you've improved since last week."
