That was a fair point. Talking to anyone who had taken a parental role in your life about a hookup going south had to be one of the most uncomfortable conversations ever. “I doubt you’d say anything you might regret with him, though.”
Dom looked to the side in silence. “I’m sorry about how that conversation went,” he said. He turned to face me again, and I could see the remorse on his face. “I shouldn’t have implied that our friendship would suffer because of it. It turned out to be true, but that may have been a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
“And I shouldn’t have called you a dick.” I smirked and added, “Even if you were acting like one.”
He rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “So, my plan to move past it was worse than yours. Sue me. Maybe I should’ve learned to trust you by now. You haven’t injured me yet, so you can’t be all bad.”
“We’ll see what you think when you have to lift me again after the holidays,” I said. “I have not been eating very well.”
“In that case, it’s a good thing I’m strong,” he said, flexing his arm. “And besides, you’re a pipsqueak. That helps.”
At least our banter was back to normal. Maybe there was a sort of mild flirting with it, but now we had agreed that we could not risk trying anything more. Not this year. That didn’t mean we had to stop our joking around completely. Sometimes friends could enjoy a bit of flirty teasing. As long as we were on the same page, so what if people in the past had accused us of flirting with each other when we did it? We said that we should get back to being our usual selves. This was part of it.
By the time Dom left, it was late afternoon and already getting dark. The days were getting longer, but it was still close enoughto the winter solstice that the sun set early in the day. Even though it was dreary and grey outside and getting darker by the minute, I felt lighter and more relaxed than I had in weeks. I’d had plenty of time away from the stress of the rink. I’d gotten to see my family for the first time in ages. And, most importantly, I thought that Dom and I were going to be okay.
Chapter 23
Chapter 23
BythetimeMondayrolled around, I was more than ready to get back on the ice. All the reasons I had been dreading going back to the rink were gone. I felt lighter than I had in ages. Without the stresses of the previous year weighing me down, I felt ready to take on the challenges the new year would bring. Plus, it had been far too long since I had been thrown in the air. It was nice to have plenty of time to just be Hazel and not Hazel-the-figure skater, but apparently my limit of the number of days I could be away from the ice had been reached.
“Good morning,” I said, practically skipping into the locker room. I’d been to an early morning class at the gym, my first in two weeks, and it felt good. I hadn’t even minded having to get up earlier than usual. As I dropped my bag at my feet, I asked, “How was your holiday?”
Elodie looked towards Seohyun. “It was pretty good. My family all got together, so it was hectic and crazy busy, but nice. So much drama, though.”
Seohyun nodded. “Her family is very loud. So many cousins.” She joined Elodie at the Bergeron family functions, since her own family was halfway around the world.
I knew Elodie’s father came from a huge French Canadian family with half a dozen kids, all of whom had their own children. Many of Elodie’s cousins had families of their own, so she told me it was a loud, chaotic affair whenever they all got together. An extra person wasn’t just welcome, but expected. I turned to Seohyun. “Your family isn’t that big?”
She shook her head. “No. Only two cousins on each side. Nothing like hers. They played a drawing game. Everyone shouted their answers at once. It was hard to hear the guesses.”
“The drinks didn’t help the noise,” Elodie said with a shrug. She was digging through her bag, clearly having trouble finding something. “It wouldn’t be so bad if they didn’t cut each other off and try to have a dozen conversations at once, but that’s never going to happen. You kind of get used to the fact that they will all talk over each other in increasing volumes. It gets more pronounced the more they drink.” She pulled out a tube of lip balm triumphantly. “The fact that they insist on inviting everyone they know who doesn’t have a place to go for the big holidays makes it crazier every year.” She said it fondly, like she wouldn’t know what to do with a reserved family get-together.
“It is a lot to get used to,” Seohyun said, attempting to be diplomatic. “You would probably find my family boring.”
“Well, you don’t have two aunts who hate each other and are competitive behind each other’s backs, but who act polite. Or a cousin who is constantly bringing a date who somehow manages to be worse than the one she brought the year before. Or a different cousin who, rumour has it, is lying about his life on the rare occasions we see him and who refuses to tell us how he could buy such a nice car. You might think your family is boringin comparison, but at least you don’t have to worry about any of that.”
I repressed a laugh. “I knew you said things could get crazy, but I thought it was an exaggeration.”
“Nope,” Elodie said, capping her lip balm again and tossing it atop her messy bag. It would be a miracle if it weren’t lost again the next time she needed it. "But what can you do? Family is family, and you’re stuck with what you’ve got."
“I suppose that’s true,” I chuckled. “When do you guys want to try out a new class at the gym?” Seohyun and Elodie exchanged a pointed look. “What?”
Without exchanging a word, they gestured at each other. Finally, Elodie sighed and said, “It’s just that you weren’t like this the last time we saw you. Before Christmas you kept to yourself and didn’t want to talk much.”
“There was just some personal stuff that was bothering me,” I said. Best to keep it vague and to downplay it as much as possible. “I sorted things out over the break. Now that I don’t have that weighing on my mind, it’s easier to be cheerful.”
After a brief stop in the corridor to greet some acquaintances, I pushed open the door to the room where Dom and I liked to warm up for the day. He was already there, wearing black pants and a fitted green shirt. He wiped a lot of dark hair off of his forehead with the back of his right arm and grinned at me. “Hey.”
It was amazing how that one word was able to convey how much things had changed since the last time we were in this room. “Hey,” I replied. I couldn’t help but smile back. The fact that he was in such a good mood made me happy, too. “I am so ready to get back on the ice.”
“Same. I have a good feeling about this year.”
I walked up to him and smacked him gently on the arm. “Don’t say that,” I hissed. “You are going to jinx us if you talk like that.”
“I didn’t say why I thought it was going to be a good year. For all you know, it has nothing to do with skating. Maybe I just think I’m going to win the lottery. Ever think of that?” he joked.
I rolled my eyes. “Not buying it.”
