Page 94 of Snow, Ice, and Spice
“You don’t need to plan something for me, Maya.”
“I’m not.” She flashes a knowing smile that leaves me wondering what she’s up to.
* * *
“Coach Theo, you look so pretty in your tiara!” Annabelle says when she sits next to me at the table set up outside of the ice rink.
I smile down at her. “Thanks, birthday girl. And thanks for letting me come to your party.”
“Are you having fun?” she asks, her cheeks rosy from skating with her friends.
“A blast.” I glance out at the ice, where my teammate Dylan is currently skating while dressed as some pink bunny mascot I don’t recognize. A couple of kids skate up to him and hug him. One kid crashes right between his legs and he doubles over. I burst out laughing.
Annabelle notices and chuckles. “Dylan’s so funny.” She starts talking about her favorite cartoon, which is where that bunny character is from.
The rest of the parents start corralling their kids from the ice rink to the table for snacks and cupcakes.
Isaac, who’s holding hands with his twin daughters Sloane and Emerson, walks over to the table and helps them get seated.
I point out Dylan hunched over on a nearby bench, elbows on his knees, his bunny head hanging low. Isaac chuckles.
Annabelle points to the cupcake tower in front of us. “My mom made sure there’s two cupcakes at the top. One for me and one for you.” She grins wide.
“Thanks so much, Annabelle. You’re so nice to share your birthday party with me.”
I catch eyes with Maya, who’s helping Parker get out of his ice skates.
“Did you see what Coach Maya got me?” Annabelle turns her face to the side, then the other side. Gold heart-shaped clip-on earrings dangle from her ears.
“Whoa! Those are pretty cool,” I say.
“Coach Maya made them!” Annabelle says excitedly.
“She’s really talented, isn’t she?”
I think back to earlier this morning when I helped Maya pick them out for Annabelle. I’ve been racking my brain, trying to figure out the best way to bring up the topic of us getting serious without completely freaking her out…if she’d ever be willing to change her mind about our status.
I glance over at her as she chats with a couple of the parents.
“You and Coach Maya smile at each other a lot,” Annabelle says.
I clear my throat. “Yeah. We do. You smile at your friends too, don’t you?”
She nods. “But you look at her the way Dylan looks at Mommy.” Her expression turns curious as she looks at me. “Do youlikelike Coach Maya?”
I ruffle my hair as I laugh. Damn, kids can be observant.
“Yeah. I do.” I fiddle with the tiny plastic tiara that’s about to fall from my melon head.
“Does Coach Maya know you like her? Like, have you told her that youlikelike her?”
I smile despite the uncertainty I feel. “I’m trying to work up the nerve to tell her.”
“You should tell her. It’s always best to be honest,” Annabelle says.
I laugh. “Good point.”
All the kids crowd around the table. Annabelle’s mom sticks two candles in the top two cupcakes of the tower, lights them, and everyone sings Happy Birthday. When they finish, I help Annabelle up and out of her chair. Together we stand side by side and blow out the candles together.
