Abby fell to her knees a moment later, not hard, more of a gentle collapse. She stared at the ice like it had personally offended her.
Eva skated over quickly. “You’re okay.”
“I know,” Abby said, already pushing herself up. “I’m just mad.”
“That’s also fine,” Eva said.
Abby stood again and looked at me. “Uncle Caleb, do you think I’m good at this?”
I opened my mouth automatically, ready to praise effort over talent, and then stopped because I heard my own voice from the lesson with Kitty.
You’re allowed to be bad at something.
“I think you’re getting better every time.” I said instead.
Abby accepted that, as if improvement was an acceptable form of greatness, and pushed off again.
Eva watched her for a moment, then skated closer to me, her expression shifting into something more knowing.
“So,” she said.
I exhaled slowly. “No.”
“Oh, come on,” she replied. “You’ve been weird all week.”
“I have not been weird,” I said.
“You have been cleaning your shop like you’re preparing for an inspection,” she said. “That’s weird.”
“That’s normal,” I argued.
“You texted me and asked if a shirt was okay. When I asked if you were going on a date, you said it was just for a guitar lesson. When I asked why the shirt would matter, you stopped texting me,” Eva remarked.
“I just wanted an opinion. Perfectly normal,” I told her, feeling slightly defensive.
“It is not normal for you,” she said, and then she smiled slightly. “Who is she?”
I turned my head to track Abby as she made another cautious glide. “Who is who?”
“The girl?” she asked in a sing-song voice.
I didn’t say anything.
Eva waited, which was one of her most irritating talents. She could outlast anyone.
“I misread a situation,” I said finally.
Eva’s eyebrows rose. “You misread a situation.”
“Yes,” I said. “She brought up the talent show. I thought she was asking me to perform.”
“And she wasn’t,” Eva guessed.
“No,” I admitted, the word tasting like annoyance at myself. “She was asking for advice on organizing the event. She’s overwhelmed.”
Eva hummed. “And you panicked.”
“I didn’t panic,” I grumbled.
