Page 38 of Side By Side

“You’d get to skate. I thought that was always the point.”

“I can skate here. And what do you mean by that?”

“Your mom and I didn’t put you into figure skating because we hoped you’d win a shiny medal one day. We did it initially because you never seemed to need to sleep, but then, you loved it, so we kept you in it. And it turned out, you were really, really good. Your coaches said you had this natural talent that most skaters aren’t born with, and you had the work ethic to keep improving on top of it, which was rare.” Her dad nodded toward the ice. “I watch you skate sometimes, Belle. And, honey, I’m no expert, but you’re still landing your jumps, and your flips, and loops, and all those other moves your mom used to know way better than I ever did. You still love it. So, even if you don’t go to the Olympics with Chandler, you’d get to compete again, and you might just get to have a little more fun than you do here when you’re only clearing your head.”

“Dad, what are you really saying here?”

“That I think you should go.”

“Go?”

“With Chandler.”

“Uh... I can’t. She just left. She’s probably at the airport already, heading home to her fancy rink made just for her and a mansion with a McDonald’s in it like she’s Richie Rich or something.”

“Well, now I regret watching that movie with you,” he said with a little laugh. “But I didn’t mean right now. We’d have to make some arrangements. You work here full-time, so I’d need to find some help, but–”

“Dad, I’m not leaving you without help here.”

“I know. But we can find some temp workers. And Steph is always begging me for more hours. She could step up until you get back, at least. Plus, we’re getting busier, so it might become permanent.”

“Dad, no. I’m not going. I’ve never even partner-skated before. I’m probably really bad at it.”

“Chandler didn’t think so,” he noted.

“She’s blinded by potential Olympic glory, I think. She doesn’t think she can make the team as an individual, so she wants to get some attention. That’s what I’d be to her.”

“Who would she be to you?”

“Huh?”

“Well, if you think she’s using you, use her right back.”

“Dad!”

“I don’t mean in a bad way. Just get back out on the ice in a competition. She can get you that.”

“I don’t want to sound egotistical, but I could probably still do that for myself if I wanted to.”

“But you don’t?”

“I don’t need it how she seems to.”

“But you want it, and that’s important, too. Belle, you gave it up not because you wanted to, but because you felt like you had to. You’re older now. You know who you are without skating now. But you’re still out here every day on that ice, doing spins and jumps, looking happy and like that’s the only time in your life that you’re ever free. So, if I get a vote, and I don’t know that I do, I think you should call Chandler and at least talk about what it would mean for you to partner with her. If you don’t like what she says, then you don’t do it. And if you do, we’ll talk about what changes here until you get back.”

“Dad, I don’t know. I’m not sure I’ve forgiven her all the way for what happened.”

“All the more reason to call her, then. Even if you don’t skate with her, you should at least get the closure you need on a difficult part of your past; don’t you think?”

“I never thought I’d get the chance to,” she said.

“Well, here it is, kid. Are you going to take it or not?”

Belle didn’t answer his question. He patted her on the knee and walked off toward his office. She sat there staring out at the ice for a few more minutes before she finally got up and went to change. They had three hockey games back-to-back, and after running around taking care of everything for that, they had an open skate night that Belle had to manage. She worked the front counter for a while and finally ended up in her office after close, lying on the cot she’d bought from an Army surplus store and staring at the tiled ceiling, thinking about what her dad had suggested that morning, which already felt like so long ago. She picked up her phone, checked the time, and noticed that it was almost midnight.

“Hey,” Chandler greeted.

“Hey. Sorry; I know it’s late. I just got done.”