Chasing Shadows

09 Winning

A L E C

As we entered the ice-skating rink, I could see why Ella had wanted to go. First of all, they had a date night promotion on Fridays. The rink was lit with string lights, and music blared from the speakers on either side of the giant room. Second, she was a natural-born skater. She helped me to lace up my skates and led me out onto the ice with a gentle hand. I was impressed by how soft her hands were. I loved the feel of them in mine. It felt natural.

As she began to drift across the ice, I watched in awe. It was as though watching someone completely in their element. I did my best to follow her but found myself stumbling over the ice, holding desperately to the wall.

"Here, put your hands in mine," she said into my ear, as she returned to my side.

I did, and she began to pull me across the ice. I was suddenly gliding along with her. "Now move your feet, like this." Ella gestured to her own feet, and I tried to replicate the motions she made. Still, instead, I ended up tripping, pitching myself forward into the wall. Face burning, I turned to look back at Ella, expecting her to be laughing. But instead, she knelt beside me and was looking into my eyes with understanding.

"It's ok. Everyone falls. It's the only way we learn to get back up." With that, she stood, taking my hands once again and pulling me up. Despite her slight frame, she was surprisingly strong.

"How are you so good at this?" I asked as we sailed together. I began to feel steadier as she led our dance across the ice. This was actually kind of fun.

"I've been skating since I was little," she said. It certainly showed. "My dad thought it was a good sport to get into. 'Graceful and lyrical,' he called it."

"Like a ballerina on ice," I laughed.

Ella shook her head and gave me a light, but friendly nudge with her shoulder. "Trust me, I went face-first into the ice plenty. I still do sometimes."

I couldn't believe that. There was no universe in which Ella was anything but a graceful creature. It was impossible to imagine her faceplanting into the ice. As she glided across the rink now, she was anything but clumsy.

We skated together for the rest of the hour, stopping only when the buzzer sounded. I was breathless by the end. I was also loathed to let go of her hand at the end. There was a warm imprint, growing cold from her absence.

"What does that mean?" I asked as she began to pull me towards the rink's entrance.

"It means we have to get off." She said simply. "The Zamboni's coming."

"The what?"

"It's a machine that smooths the ice over." Ella laughed, and we stepped out onto the rubber floor. "We can stay and watch if you want."

My stomach growled and I shook my head. Watching a machine smooth ice sounded about as much fun as watching paint dry.

"Nah, I'm kind of hungry," I said. "That really works up an appetite."

We exchanged our skates for shoes and stepped out into the sun. Her face was still pink from the cold, and I couldn't help but feel happy to be by her side. There was something there, I thought. A spark between us. And it felt good. I only ever felt this way with Reagan. A rogue butterfly flapped around my insides thinking of her.

"Are you ready for dinner?"

She nodded. "Where do you want to eat?" She slid into the passenger seat of my car and buckled her seatbelt, turning her large eyes on me imploringly.

"McDonald's?" I suggested, half-joking. I saw that her smile faltered slightly, but she seemed to be trying her best to hide it. "I'm only kidding," I said quickly.