CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE - AWKWARD MOMENTS

As she emerged from the scattered pads, her hair disheveled and a sheepish grin on her face, Erik couldn't contain his laughter. "Well, at least you're consistent in your landings." Anna stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "Oh, sure, laugh it up. I'd like to see you do better." Erik raised an eyebrow, accepting the challenge. With grace that made Anna both admire and envy him, he effortlessly walked across the beam, even adding a small hop at the end for flair. "Show-off," Anna muttered, but she couldn't keep the smile off her face. As the morning wore on, Anna's attempts at mastering the balance beam became increasingly comical. At one point, she managed to get halfway across before sneezing unexpectedly. The sudden movement sent her toppling sideways, right into a rack of exercise balls. The balls scattered across the training area, bouncing in all directions as Anna lay in the middle of the chaos, laughing helplessly. Erik, despite his best efforts to maintain a serious deme