* * *
Richelle changed feet and finished her combination spin with a blurred back scratch spin, then exited onto a sharp outside edge.
“Great job today, tiny mite.” Charlie high-fived his youngest student. “Promise me you’ll skate just like that next weekend.”
“I promise,” the nine-year-old skater said with a spark of determination in her eyes, approaching the area of the ice where Charlie and Gemma stood. “Can I have Mommy video call you after I skate my short program?”
“Absolutely! I’m hoping she’ll send a recording too.”
“Mommy always makes my big brother or sister film it. She says she gets too nervous to watch me.” She took a long drink from a glittery pink water bottle. “Mr. C, I forgot to ask, but can you and Coach Frankie come to my school’s Halloween festival? I want all my friends to meet you because you’re the coolest person I know. You’re like twenty years old!”
Gemma snickered.Try thirty-something.
“I’m alittleolder than that, Richelle, but good guess. When’s the festival?”
“Um?.?.?.” She glanced to the door of the ice, where her mother stood in a thick white parka. Loudly, she shouted, “Mommy?.?.?. when’s the Halloween thing again?”
“It’s this Friday at four. Now hurry up; we need to pick up your brother from judo.”
Without a care that they’d be late to pick up her brother, Richelle repeated, “It’s this Friday. Can you come?” She laced her hands together in a begging motion. “Please, please, please?”
Charlie ran a hand through his hair. “Richelle, Coach Frankie and I are leaving for our own competition on Thursday.”
Her face fell. “Oh.”
Quickly, he glanced at Gemma. “Maybe you could ask Coach Gemma?”
Charlie’s eyes pleaded with her, saying, “Can you do me a favor? We can’t disappoint her.”
“I’m flying out to Austin, Texas, to skate—” Gemma started.
Richelle lowered her head, staring at the ice. “It’s okay. Maybe next time.”
“But I’m not leaving until Saturday morning. As long as I have everything packed and ready to go, I think I can make it.”
Richelle’s head rose. “Really? You’ll come?”
“I’ll come,” she said, closing her eyes.
“Thank you!” Richelle launched herself at Gemma’s legs with enough force to push the pair of them into the wall.
Charlie chuckled. “I know Coach Gemma isn’t me, but she’s the next best thing. You’ll have a lot of fun with her,andyou can even tell your friends that Coach Gemma is a real-life princess!”
Richelle’s eyes widened. She glided back and appraised Gemma. “You are?”
“Er?.?.?. in a way. I’m Cinderella with Dreams on Ice.”
“Richelle! Let’s go!”
“Coming, Mommy!” she called out, glancing over her shoulder. “Bye, Coach Gemma! Bye, Mr. C!” She waved, then powered her way to the rink’s door.
Gemma scratched her forehead. “Did I just agree to go to a kid’s Halloween festival?”
“Yup.” Charlie grinned. “I owe you one for going too. It’s like I was saying earlier, she’s such a good kid. I can’t stand to disappoint her.”
I think it’s more that she sees you as her hero and you don’t want to fail her.
They waited for a skater warming up their backward power pulls to cross in front of them, then started toward the exit.
