Page 137 of Side By Side
“Belle can teach him hockey, too, if you want.”
“God, no,” Catalina said, chuckling. “Brutal sport. I’m hoping he stays away from that and football, but if either makes him happy, I’ll let him at least check them out. Just not until he’s older. So, tell your wife no hockey stick just yet, please.”
“I’ll tell her.” Chandler smiled over at Belle, who was trying to show a little girl how to put her arms over her head and skate forward.
It had been five years since they’d reconnected, four years since they’d gotten engaged, and they’d been married for three years already, but Chandler still couldn’t believe that she had a wife and that that wife was Belle Elrod. They’d moved into a house about six months after their final competition together, and after a few more competitive skates, Chandler had retired from professional skating and had devoted herself to her work at the Ice Park and to settling into this new part of her life.
The Ice Park had hosted many events over the years, including some major ones this past year. They’d also added more seating, updated the changing rooms, added to the gym equipment, and opened up some of the space in the back to allow more room for skaters to warm up. It helped that both she and Belle knew what the skaters would need. People had also been flocking to the Ice Park now, thanks in large part to the new billboard off the highway and their work trying to get people from other nearby towns to book it for events, parties, and more.
While money wasn’t exactly flying into a small town like this, things were definitely looking up. Belle’s dad had even taken Sheryl on an RV trip around the country for their honeymoon. They’d been gone for the past six months, enjoying themselves, based on all the photos they’d shared with Belle and Chandler, and they seemed incredibly happy together.
Chandler, for her part, felt so unbelievably lucky every day, and she tried to remind herself all the time how this might not have happened; how she could have seen Belle again, avoided her out of shame and embarrassment, and they wouldn’t have what they have now.
“Well, looks like class is over,” Catalina said. “I should get him out of here because he’s about to start wailing from exhaustion and will need a nap,” “When will you two be home? I can try to cook something tonight for us.”
“Probably around seven. I’m going to try to get her out of here early, but go ahead and eat without us, if that’s okay; I’ve got something planned for her. Then, we’ll be home.”
“Do I want to know?” her sister asked with a lifted eyebrow in Chandler’s direction.
“I’ll tell you later.” Chandler chuckled. “Just feed my nephew. I know how cranky he gets when he doesn’t get his chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese.”
“So true.” Catalina stood up and added, “I’m proud of you, Chandler. All this…” She looked around. “I remember what it looked like the first time we were here, and I can tell you and Belle worked really hard on it. Her dad, too, obviously. It’s great.”
“Thank you,” she replied.
Her sister had met her now husband while on a much-deserved vacation after Chandler and Belle’s nationals skate. On that trip, Catalina had gone to Italy and met an Italian man who wined and dined her, treated her well, and even moved to America to be with her. They were married a year later, and Jack had come along not long after that. They were happy, and Chandler was happy for her.
Catalina also no longer lived in their parent’s house. She and her husband moved closer to where Chandler and Belle lived so that they could see each other more, but they still kept some distance between them at the same time so that they weren’t in one another’s hair all the time. They’d done that for most of their lives. Whenever Catalina came to visit with Jack, though, they stayed at the house so that they didn’t have to drive back too late. Belle and Chandler did the same at Catalina’s place. Chandler was grateful to finally have a sister and not someone just like her mom, who only focused on her as a skater.
After Catalina grabbed her son off the ice, Chandler stood and waited for the other parents to take their kids home. She watched Belle give a high-five to one of the little girls, who was the last to get off the ice with one of her parents, leaving just Belle there. Then, Chandler went out on the ice herself and skated around her wife.
“Well, hi,” Belle said. “Are we skating?”
“Just for a minute,” Chandler replied and skated over toward her. “Cat is going to give Jack a nap and feed him so he’s not cranky when we get home.”
“Good. That kid is a handful. I love him, but he’s a handful. I hope ours aren’t quite as cranky as he is when he has low blood sugar.”
“Babe, of course they will be,” she said with a little laugh. “Now, skate with me. Then, we can change and go home.”
“Cat’s only here for one more night, right?” Belle asked as she wrapped her arms around Chandler’s waist. “I love your sister, but I’d like our house back. I miss you.”
“You miss me?”
“Yes, I miss you.”
“She’s only been here for two days.”
“And that’s two days without touching you because you don’t want your sister to hear us. You wouldn’t even let me go down on you in the shower because you thought she could hear us over the water. You’re not that loud, babe.”
“She’s leaving tomorrow morning. And we have the day off, so we can be as loud as we want. Deal?”
Belle nodded with wide eyes.
“Can we skip the skating, actually?”
“You put on your skates.”
“I know. Let’s just change and go grab dinner on our own; someplace that doesn’t serve dino nuggets and macaroni and cheese tonight. We can hold hands over the table, and I can tell you how much I love you for putting up with my sister and our nephew.”