Short on Time

Chapter 110

"How do you skate with twins strapped to you?" Iris asked.

I shrugged, "practice?" 

"You ready for this?" Barry asked Nora as we approached.

"Dad, I'm just I'm not fast enough yet," Nora objected.

"No backing out now, this is the biggest race of your life," Barry reminded. "Get ready, set, go!"

"Dad, Dad Wait, wait!" Nora said as she tried to follow after him. "Oh, God."

"Careful," Esther teased. "Mum doesn't like that talk." 

"Iris, can you catch my daughter?" I asked. "I kind of have my hands full." 

"Aye aye, Captain Ginger," Iris said as she skated up to Nora. "Whoa, whoa. Gotcha."

"This is so embarrassing," Nora muttered. "I'm really good at the ice skating game on my Pocket Pal!"

"Okay, you're just gonna bend your knees," I said as I skated up next to her.

"Kay," Nora nodded.

"And lead forward a little," I added.

"Just, yeah," Iris said in agreement.

"That it," I said smiling at Nora.

"I'm doing it," Nora said beaming.

"You're doing it," Esther said with an impressed air.

"I'm skating," Nora said. "This is like schway city, Mom."

"Race ya," Esther told Nora with a wink and they sped off.

"Look at you guys," Barry said skating up next to us. "Such a mom."

"What? What about you?" I asked smiling.

"You're the one who sprang for ice skating and game night," Iris reminded.

"Yeah, well, I know when Nora got hurt, I got a little frustrated," Barry said. "And now, I mean, we have an actual plan to stop Cicada. Waking up his niece to appeal to his heart. I know Dwyer's a killer, but he's still a person, and he loves Grace just like we love Nora. So I don't know. I just feel like everything's heading in the right direction."

"Here I come, coming in," Ralph added.

"I'm sorry, why are you wearing a helmet? I thought you were made of rubber," Iris asked.

"Somebody's gotta set a good example for these kids," Ralph said.

"Well I thought you grew up on the ice," Caitlin said.

"Well, I did, basically, my mom dated a zamboni operator, so-"

"And I tell you where I'm from we don't date zamboni drivers," Sherloque said. "Why is that? Because there are no zambonis. How do we clear the ice? All winter long, we are on our hands and knees with a squeegee in hand. Let me tell you. Best eight months of the year for this guy."

"It's a really great story, Sherlock," Ralph said.

"Sherloque," Sherloque sang before skating away.

"You know, speaking of squeegeeing, you know who could use a good squeegeeing is Larry Blumenthal," Ralph said. "He's dead."

"Do you open all conversations about dead people that way?" I asked.

"Larry Blumenthal is dead?" Iris asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Ralph confirmed.

"The patent registrar across the hall from you with the four hundred square footage," Iris said, "and the courtyard views?"