Somewhere Between a Happy Ending

Chapter One

Come on, keep going. Just a little more speed...

Lacey leans slightly forward and the next step she takes propels her ahead. She keeps the image of the ice in her mind, cataloging the curves of the rink.

You got i—ooh! watch out for that turn.

A miscalculation; her elbow just barely grazes a window shield. Lacey pivots and readies herself for the jump.

Don't forget to tuck your elbows.

With her left foot Lacey launches herself into the air. Exhilaration fills her as the icey wind whips past her face.

Turn two degrees left and you'll land a quad.
An unintended third degree causes Lacey to land in the wrong position. Brace yourself! But it doesn't come. After a moment Lacey realizes she's still falling. She's trapped, in that momentary state of limbo. It reminds her of the crash, the one that took her sight, that took Sara's life. The rink's lights remind her of the headlights that came out of nowhere that night. For a moment she can still see her little sister laughing beside her, unknowing of her fate as Ian drives down the road. But then it's over. Lacey hits the ground, hard, the ice cool and cold on her legs. Her name is called but she doesn't answer. Just turns onto her back to stare blankly up at the ceiling.

"Hey," Ryan says after a moment. "Lace, you okay? You went down pretty hard there."

"I miscalculated."

"Yeah, but—"

"I never miscalculate."

"Yeah, and you've never had to skate with partial blindness before. First time for everything."

Lacey groans, covering her face with gloved hands. "This fucking sucks."

"You'll get it. I believe in you, Lace."

"Sixteen years I've skated this rink. I know every curve, every cut of the ice—I could go around this whole damn thing with my eyes closed and never collide into a wall or misstep a move. Now I mess up even the simplest of things."

"The doctors said—"

"I know what the doctors said!" she snaps at her older brother. "It will take time to regain my balance and learn how to navigate everything I took for granted. I'm not stupid, Ryan, I've memorized every-fucking-thing they said. It's just..." She sighs. "It's been a year," she murmurs softly. "I can't handle anymore change."

Ryan's hand finds hers and squeezes gently. "It's for the best, you know. We've gotta try being normal again."

"Nothing is normal about our lives," Lacey replies bitterly. "You've already sacrificed so much for me. All of you."

"It was decided that moving would be better for all of us, Lace."

"How is it better when none of you even asked me?"

Ryan sighs heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"What's done is done."

"Even a place as remote as Mystic, Wyoming has the Internet, bro. People will still know. They'll... I'll never get away from the humiliation over what happened with Ian. Our life hasn't been private since."

"Look, it's not like I wanted to find out a guy I've known since high school was shacking up with my sixteen-year-old sister." Lacey groans. "But whatever. Shit's in the past now. Moving will give us all a chance to start over."

"I'm just not sure I'm ready."

"Honestly," Ryan admits, "I don't think any of us are. But it's the best we've got."