Love Is Messy, Love Is Sweet

Chapter 14

During the ride back into the city, we acted like complete lunatics singing on the top of our lungs to Christmas songs requested by an enthusiastic Sophie. Probably sounding horribly off-tune to every car passing by us. 

"Jingle bells, jingle bells

Jingle all the way

Oh, what fun it is to ride

In a one horse open sleigh

Hey!"

"So, how long have you been taking figure skating lessons, Sophie?" I asked hoping to give my screaming vocal cords a rest.

"Two years now! Auntie Abbie usually takes me to practice after school. OH! My class is putting on a Christmas performance! You should come too, Sydney! It's on Christmas Eve!" she said in the backseat clapping her hands.

"I'm sure you'll be great! I'd love to come Soph!"

***

We arrive at the skating rink in the park and Sophie gears herself up wanting to do it all on her own before she takes off in the rink, not waiting behind for us slowpokes. Lucas comes back from the rental booth with skates for us to use.

"So, how did you learn to figure skate, Lulu?" I teased him with his girly nickname for a girly sport and he looked up at me with a slanted smirk.

"I learned to ICE skate when I played ice HOCKEY growing up!" He said so matter of factly to prove his manhood.

"Ok then, what are some pointers, hotshot?"

"When I first started, coach told us to tie our skates right," getting down on his knees and dressing my feet with the skates and tying them correctly as he spoke.

"And to not look down which is surprising actually. You can tell who the beginners are out on the ice because they all keep their heads down focusing on each gliding step with their feet. But that doesn't help with balance and soon they start wobbling and pull themselves backwards too quick and wind up on their ass."

"Ok, so don't look down," I repeated.

"And don't lean backwards," he looked up at me in explanation. "Keep your knees slightly bent and your arms out in front of you. Open them wide to help even you're balance like you're walking a tightrope."

"How do I stop?"

"There's a toe-pick on the tips on the blade. But rather than coming to an abrupt stop, turn your toes inwards, point your heels out, and push out on your heels. This will slow you down like ski-skiing...which you probably haven't done either," he shook his head realizing as he said it.

"And lastly," he stood up from his knees and extended his hand for me, pulling me from the bench. "Don't take it too seriously, it's all about having fun." He finished with a smile.

"Yeah, I'm realizing that with you two. You'll surely have a laugh when I fall." I dissed myself laughing under my breath.

"You won't fall, and of you do, I'll be right there to catch you." With a loving smile he took my hand and made our way onto the ice.

I stepped onto the rink and the feeling of my one foot gliding on the slippery ice was uncomforting and I gripped his hand even tighter.

"You got it, just go slow," he reassured me as I added my other foot onto the ice. Feeling wobbly, I looked down at both feet slowly gliding one foot at a time until I felt his hand gently lift my chin to meet his eyes.