“That’s another thing you and I agree on. And I promise you, I have the best of intentions of never hurting him again.”
Rose studies him. Her gaze is thoughtful. Finally, she smiles. “You know, for some reason, I think I might actually believe you.”
“Yeah?” he asks, barely able to contain his grin.
“Yeah.” She turns to face the edge of the slope that looks out over the entire town of Lake Placid below them. She gives himone last look over her shoulder. “Now, don’t fuck it up,” she says and takes off like a bullet down the mountain.
“I won’t!” he yells out after her, then follows her at a much more leisurely and joyful pace.
As Holden pulls the car into the garage after their day spent on the slopes, Rose looks over the front seat at Sergio in the back. “Can you grab Henry from Jeremy?” she asks, giving him a little wink. “I need to get cleaned up and start getting ready for tonight.”
“Sure thing,” Holden says.
Sergio claps Holden on the shoulder. “She was talking to me, man.”
“Oh!” Holden says, surprised. “Well, this is a turn of events.”
“Maybe,” Sergio says with a little laugh. Then turns to look back at Rose. “Thank you,” he mouths.
“You’re welcome,” she mouths back and gets out of the car.
Sergio opens his car door, then pauses and looks at Adrien in the seat next to him. “Wish me luck.”
“Good luck,” Adrien says in a mocking tone despite the fact that he’s grinning. He starts pushing Sergio out of the car. “You’re gonna need it. Now don’t fuck it up!”
“I won’t,” Sergio says, closing the car door. Besides, as he’s all too aware, if he does fuck it up, there’s always another chance tomorrow.But then again, the last thing he wants to do is fuck this up and wake up once again with nothing but a kick in the nuts and a hissing cat on New Year’s Eve morning.
Strangely, though, this part of his day is the one he’s been the least worried about. Probably, because it’s been the part he’sspent the most time perfecting and subsequently enjoying. Who could blame him, though? What is there not to like? It’s a perfect moment on a not-so-perfect day in a not-so-perfect life. If Sergio could, he would frame the time he spends in this barn on this ice with Jeremy Owens forever in a photograph that his mind can create and keep.
Feeling good about himself and Jeremy and optimistic about their future, Sergio pauses and takes a deep, steadying breath at the barn’s door. Mentally, he runs through his checklist. Everything he’s set in motion is going according to plan. Taking a deep breath, he opens the barn door and listens to the music that, even after hearing it countless times, floods his heart and flows through all of his senses.
Walking in, Sergio eases into a serene smile. He pauses at the rink’s half wall and watches Jeremy skate and glide through his moves. He allows himself a few extra moments and beats of the music to do nothing but admire the man he’s found himself hopelessly enamored with, moving across the ice with strength and simplistic grace.
Slowly, he makes his way over to the cubbies where the skates are stored and grabs a pair for himself and the little pair for Henry, then makes his way to where Henry is sitting with his eyes wide as he watches Jeremy loop around the ice. Taking care not to startle him or pull Jeremy’s attention away from his skating, Sergio carefully sits beside Henry and winks as he holds up the skates. Henry nods excitedly.
Getting to work, Sergio helps Henry into his skates and laces them up, then puts on his own pair. Once they’re both laced into their boots, he directs Henry’s eyes back to Jeremy. “He’s great out there, isn’t he?”
“The best,” Henry says. “After Mommy.”
Sergio feels a new warmth bubble up in his heart as he repeats the words. “Yeah, after Mommy. Of course.”
Careful, still not wanting to take Jeremy by too much of a surprise, Sergio steps onto the ice and holds Henry’s hand to help him get his footing. Once gliding, he looks up and sees they’ve caught Jeremy’s attention as his own skating brings him closer to where they are on the ice.
Slowing in his tracks, he gracefully spins to a stop a few feet away. A blush blooms across his cheeks. “I thought Henry was my only audience.”
“Sorry,” Sergio says, taking care to hold Jeremy’s gaze. “I snuck in. I didn’t want to disturb you. You look so good out here. Henry and I had to join.”
“I didn’t know you could skate.” Jeremy grabs hold of Henry’s other hand and helps guide him around the ice.
“I wouldn’t go as far as saying I can skate, but I do alright,” Sergio says. He looks over Henry, who’s wobbling between them, at Jeremy. “In fact, I’m in the market for a new instructor.”
Jeremy bites his lip and eyes Sergio, looking intrigued. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. Do you know anyone who might be interested?”
“Perhaps we should ask Rose if she knows anyone.”
“No, Jeremy!” Henry yells. “You can teach him!”
