Act Two

XX

"Coming up, a triple-axel, triple-loop combination." "Perfectly executed!" The right outside-edge met the ice's surface with ease, scraping across with a low crunch as shards flew up onto the cold, silver blade. "Now, a flying-camel, sit-spin." The wind caught light hair strands and disheveled it even with the amount of hairspray to hold it down in the first place. Pushing away after standing up straight, the men's skater glided across the rink with the slow tune of Clair de Lune in the back. The visage of a special person came to mind. The one this song reminded him of. The distraction ended the upcoming triple-flip, Euler, triple-salchow in a stumble. With a quick touchdown on the ice, the young man recovered and regained his balance before continuing on with the program.

He never messed up on that jump before.

It feels as if the ice will split down the middle and swallow him whole. Of course, that won't happen but with the new nervous thoughts and feelings of being lonely again, he is not ready. "The last jump, a triple-lutz, triple-loop." Extending back, his right pick stabs into the frozen ice, launching counter-clockwise into the air. The flood of relief always washes in like an addictive substance, instantly calming the body from pent up nerves and anxiety. The last jump before the end of a program will always make or break so it is always best to finish it flawlessly. Now, towards the center of the rink, the barriers as well as the audience flashes by dizzily from the high-speed of a broken leg sit-spin. Ending in the finishing pose, the man is greeted with four pre-teens excitedly clapping for their coach who performed a magnificent show in front of them.

"Coach Yakov-Ivanovich, that was so cool!" Alek shouts from behind the barrier, leaning over the top of it. Yaletha continues to clap her small hands, not realizing her rink-mates had ceased until Kira cups her hands together, smiling at her. Panting out of breath, the coach glances towards his students, lost in time from concentrating on something other than waiting for everyone to arrive. He had come in early and had a lot of time to kill before class so he decided to bust out an old routine from his early years. Only, he did not expect an audience for it. With a gentle grin, he loosens up then glides over to the barrier to greet the kids. "Finally! I've run through that three times now just waiting for one of you to show up." He teases, earning gasps of shock. "Nuh-uh!" They whine, listening to their coach's snickering.

That song always reminded him of the woman he held feelings for. The song takes him back to those older days of being young and in love. It's been a while since he's thought about her or seen her face. Tight strawberry-blonde curls, permed every quarter, just past her chin. A side-swept fringe framed her diamond-shaped face, just above her down-turned hazel eyes. Her voice was as smooth as honey, always so gentle and timid. That's what he knew her as. As they become closer and physical, her personality switched to controlling and demanding. Yakov was never enough for her, he blamed himself. He could not love her the way she had wanted or needed. After cutting ties, they never spoke to each other again. No paths had been accidentally crossed that would result in an awkward glance and questioning if either should wave out of politeness.

His family always tried to remind him that none of it was his fault. The cause was simply a falling out. It's possible for love to fade like a flickering lightbulb losing its energy. A common ending for most couples. The feeling of loneliness he felt after leaving his first lover was terrible. He suffered for years and fed into the demons he created in his mind without realizing how damaging it was to his self-esteem and well-being. He only hopes he does not fall back into his old ways once Lilia leaves for Moscow. The old Yakov could hardly sleep every night for the past ten years, wishing he had someone to numb those feelings. To make him forget that life is hard and is not always pleasant. Finally, he found his addiction. A feel-good substance named just Lilia. She brings a smile to his face just by thinking of her. He forgot what that feeling was like. To feel blessed that someone wants you and loves you. He truly is lucky to have her in his life.