Page 122 of Stealing for Keeps
“Okay.” We continue to sit in silence until my body is cold and I feel numb all over.
“I better go.” Zoey stands. “If you ever want to hang out, we don’t have to skate. We could grab dinner or whatever…”
“I’d like that.”
She smiles. “It’s really good to see you back. The rink wasn’t the same without you.”
“Thanks.”
I sit there a while longer and watch the other skaters. Lauren falls on a jump, and the frustration on her face makes tears fill my eyes. I remember that feeling. Skating is not a forgiving sport. The smallest mistakes can put you on your ass so fast.
She lifts her chin defiantly and gets back on her feet to do it again.
That’s the other thing about skating. You have to get back up.
So I do.
When everyone else is finished and the Zamboni has cleared the ice, I pull myself up and step out onto the ice again.
Home. It feels like home.
It’s my favorite spot in the whole world. This rink made me into the person I am. I swear I can breathe easier with skates on my feet and my mind is clearer than it’s been in months.
I move slowly at first, gliding from one foot to the other. Muscle memory takes over quick, which is good because my legs shake, and I can barely see through the tears that have started to fall down my cheeks.
A million memories play through my head. My first skate lesson. Landing my first lutz. Winning. Losing. Planning for the future. All my hopes and dreams were created right here.
I stop at center ice. Inhaling deeply, my chest fills with the cool air. As I exhale, I let all those dreams go to make room for new ones.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Claire
“I need your help.” I set my backpack down on the table in front of Lacey.
My best friend quirks one brow and then says, “It better not be algebra. I can’t look at another math problem today.”
“It’s not homework.” I sit down and move my bag off the table onto the floor and take a deep breath. “I think I want to join the hockey cheer team.”
A slow smile creeps onto her face. “Since when?”
“I went to the rink yesterday.”
“You went to the rink…” Her mouth hangs open.
“Yeah. It was…great. I mean, a little sad at first, but great. I missed it. I thought it would be hard to be there and not be able to do all the things I used to be able to, but it wasn’t like that. I still love it even though I can’t do it the same way.”
“Of course you do.” She covers my hand with hers. “I’m so proud of you for going. That had to have been difficult.”
I nod. It was, but I feel a sense of relief. Like it was thelast step in grieving my old dreams. “So I was thinking, maybe I don’t have to give it up completely. The hockey cheer team would allow me to skate, but it shouldn’t aggravate my old injuries if I don’t go back to practicing like before. What do you think?”
“It’s a great idea. I wish I had given you this same speech weeks ago.”
Even if she had, I’m not sure I would have listened. I needed to remember how good it felt to be on the ice without the pressure of preparing for a competition.
“One problem. The season has already started.”
“Barely,” she says. “They’ve only had two home games so far.”
