I never thought I’d make it here. It was always just a dream Mom and I would talk about for hours. Not too long ago, it was just for me—skating in the dark, hiding from ever being seen. Now I’m here to skate for an audience.
The coordinator talks frantically into her headset, then she comes charging back over to me and places her hand over her microphone before speaking.
“You're on in two minutes, when the lights flash, please step onto the ice. Good luck,” she says in a rush, and then runs over to the next competitor with her clipboard.
Where is Granger? Oh God, I don’t know if I can do this without him.
“Princess, get those thoughts out of your head right now. You fucking got this,” he whispers in my ear from behind, and I’m out of my seat in a flash, leaping into his arms.
“What if I suck? Maybe I’m not ready.” My voice is mumbled into his neck, and he grabs my shoulders to pull me back so he can look me in the eye, sheer confidence in his gaze.
“You're ready, and I think you’ve been ready for a long time. It’s time, Princess. I can’t tell you to get off my ice, because this time, it’s yours.” His deep voice is for my ears only and never ceases to cause me to shiver with desire. He smirks when he notices my skin break out in goosebumps under the sheer sleeves of my skating outfit, and I melt on the spot, feeling calm as he centers me with just one look.
It’s then I realize he’s still wearing some of his gear from training camp, his hair slightly wet from his shower but slicked back and highlighting his sharp features. He did promise to be here no matter what, and he must have left training in a rush to make it on time.
God, I love this man.
Looking behind him at the hushed whispers, I see half of the Bruins team has showed up to cheer me on at one of the most important moments in my life. He’s finally found a team that has his back, and even though the guys are rough, rugged hockey players, they’ve become family over the months. Granger’s been training on his own for months now before the start of the season, and I swear his muscles have muscles now. It never fails to get my body heated when he flexes for me.
“It’s time, Kat. Go skate your fucking heart out and for the love of… Skate because you love to. I love you, Princess.” He pulls me into his arms and grabs my hand into his, placing it right over his heart, thudding in a sturdy beat that stills everything inside me.
The lights start flashing, my cue to get on the ice before my song starts. Stepping back, I flash him a smile and slowly let go of his hand until only our fingertips are touching. I’m standing at the edge of the boards, my blades inches from touching the ice, but I have one more thing to say to him.
Looking at him surrounded by his teammates with his arms crossed and that cocky smile I love, it reminds me of the first time I met him, how everything has come together, like it was fate. He was supposed to be on the ice that day, pushing my buttons until my guard dropped to push right back. I’m not the girl who’s afraid anymore. I’ve learned to love without the fear of everyone leaving me. I chased Granger and held on tight, and we’re healing together everyday.
“I love you, Granger. Thanks for pushing me back, bringing my guard down and chasing after me always. We’ve overcome everything that was thrown our way, so I picked this song for us,” I tell him in a raspy voice full of emotion, blowing him a kiss and giggling when he pretends to catch it. He places my kiss against his chest with a lopsided smile as his teammates pound him on the back and razz him for being cheesy.
I glance at Nadia, and she gives me a single nod that tells me to get out there. With a deep breath, I focus on my blades touching the ice. Every moment comes down to this, there is no turning back. I’m ready.
The subtle sound of the crowd dissipates as they quiet in concert with the dimming lights, watching me take my first skate for nationals. I imagine the crowd holding their breath as I make my way over to center ice. The sound of my blades carving the ice echoes through the frosted air, puffs of fog escaping my mouth with each breath. Stopping, I face the judges at their podium with a soft smile and bow my head while I wait for the music to start. I inhale deeply and exhale a fog as the warm air leaves my lungs. My dress reflects off the surface of the ice, the sparkles of blues shining with the stoplight on me and complementing my pink hair. My eyes slowly close just as the opening of “Someone You Loved” starts to play through the speakers. My fingers graze over my racing heart as my thoughts drift to how I used to only skate to connect to Mom. Now I skate for both of us.
This one’s for you, Mom.
The End.
Thank you for reading For the Love of Skating!
It’s been unreal, emotional writing Kat and Granger. On and off for a year until finally, their beautiful story came together. I wanted these two to get their
