It was a bright, sunny afternoon in the Westwood's backyard. Jocelyn stood on the grass, arms folded, eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Evelyn attempt yet another cartwheel. Her little sister, decked out in her favorite sparkly shorts and an old Top Gun practice tank top, was determined to nail it perfectly today. Evelyn's small frame spun sideways, her hands touching the ground just before her legs followed in a wobbly arc over her head.
"Good try, Ev! That was a lot better than yesterday," Jocelyn called out, walking over to her.
Evelyn hopped to her feet, a proud smile on her face, even though her landing was far from perfect. "Do you think I'll be able to do back walkovers soon?" she asked eagerly, bouncing on her toes as she gazed up at Jocelyn, her big sister and idol.
"Maybe! But remember, it takes practice, like everything else. You've got your cartwheels almost down, so we'll focus on those first." Jocelyn smiled, crouching down to her level. "How about I spot you, and we try a cartwheel back walkover combo?"
Evelyn's eyes lit up as she nodded. "Okay! I wanna try it."
Jocelyn positioned herself next to Evelyn, adjusting her stance. She had been through this spotting process more times than she could count with her teammates, but working with Evelyn was different. She had to be extra gentle, especially since Evelyn was still working on gaining confidence in her skills.
"Alright, ready? Hands up, tight core, and go!" Jocelyn instructed, her hands hovering just above Evelyn's waist as the younger girl threw herself into a cartwheel.
As Evelyn's feet hit the ground, Jocelyn quickly moved to support her lower back, helping her transition into a back walkover. Evelyn's arms stretched out, her face focused as she arched her back, letting her feet sweep over her head. Jocelyn guided her gently until her feet landed back on the grass.
"Awesome! That was so good, Evelyn! You're getting stronger." Jocelyn beamed as Evelyn jumped up and down, clearly proud of herself.
"Was it really good? Really really?" Evelyn asked, eyes wide with excitement.
"Really really," Jocelyn replied with a grin. "If you keep practicing like this, you'll be moving up to level 2 in no time. Maybe you'll be throwing walkovers all on your own."
Evelyn giggled, her energy boundless. "I'm gonna be just like you, Jocey! I'll do all the big tricks. Can I try something else now?"
Jocelyn raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? What do you want to try next?"
Evelyn bit her lip, her eyes wandering over to where Jocelyn had been warming up earlier. "You always do back handsprings when you warm up... I wanna try one."
Jocelyn paused, trying to hide her surprise. "A back handspring? That's a big skill, Ev. Are you sure you're ready for that?"
Evelyn nodded eagerly, her determination written all over her face. "I see you do them all the time, and I wanna do one too. Can you spot me? Please?"
Jocelyn sighed, but it was hard to say no to that excited little face. Plus, Evelyn was stronger than most kids her age, and Jocelyn trusted herself to spot her safely. "Alright, but just a couple times, okay? I'll spot you really closely, but you've got to listen to every word I say."
"Yes! Yes! I'll listen! I promise!" Evelyn squealed, clapping her hands.
"Alright, come here." Jocelyn stepped back and motioned for Evelyn to stand in front of her. "First things first, a back handspring isn't like a back walkover. You have to jump and push off your legs a lot harder. It's fast, and you need to keep your arms locked out. I'll hold you the whole way through, but you have to trust me and really push."
Evelyn nodded quickly, her excitement making her bounce on her toes again. "I'm ready!"
"Okay, arms up, bend your knees, and remember to jump back-not just up." Jocelyn positioned her hands carefully, one on Evelyn's lower back and the other ready to support her legs.
Evelyn pushed off the ground with a little squeak, her body arching backward. Jocelyn guided her easily, making sure to keep Evelyn's legs straight and her arms strong. The younger girl's eyes widened as she flew backward in a controlled motion, her hands hitting the airtrack while Jocelyn supported her the entire way.
"Wow! You did it, Ev!" Jocelyn laughed as she helped her sister back onto her feet.
Evelyn looked up, her mouth open in shock. "I did a back handspring? Really?"
"You sure did. With my help, of course, but that was awesome! You've got the basics down. Now we just practice little by little," Jocelyn reassured her.
"Again! Again!" Evelyn shouted, pulling at Jocelyn's hand.
Jocelyn chuckled. "Okay, one more, and then we're taking a break. I'm starving, and I know you must be hungry too."
"Okay! One more!" Evelyn agreed, getting back into position.
They went through the process again, and this time, Evelyn seemed even more confident. Jocelyn could feel her little sister pushing harder and trusting the motion more. When they finished the second back handspring, Evelyn popped up with a huge grin, practically vibrating with excitement.
"That was so fun! Can we do more later?"
"Definitely. But we need to take breaks too. Let's head inside and grab some lunch. Mom made sandwiches earlier," Jocelyn said, wiping a bit of sweat from her forehead.
Evelyn sighed but nodded. "Okay, but after lunch, can we practice more?"
Jocelyn laughed, wrapping an arm around her little sister as they headed toward the house. "Sure, Ev. We'll practice more. But you've got to promise me you won't try the back handsprings without me around, okay? You still need a spot for now."
"I promise," Evelyn said, glancing up at Jocelyn with those big, serious eyes. "I'll wait for you."
"Good. Now let's go eat. I think Mom made your favorite-turkey and cheese sandwiches," Jocelyn said, nudging Evelyn toward the door.
Evelyn immediately perked up. "With pickles?"
"Yep, with pickles. And if you eat all your lunch, maybe we can go to the park later," Jocelyn teased.
Evelyn's face lit up again, and she darted ahead toward the house. "I'll eat everything! I'll even eat mom's sandwich if she doesn't want it!"
Jocelyn laughed as she followed her inside. It was moments like these that reminded her how much she loved spending time with Evelyn. Even though they had their own lives-Jocelyn with her level 6 cheer team, and Evelyn just starting out-they always found time to connect, to laugh, and to grow together. And who knows? Maybe one day, Evelyn would be throwing back handsprings and fulls just like her.
But for now, they'd enjoy a simple afternoon of sandwiches and sister time.
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