When we reach one of the benches, I sit her down and kneel in front of her.
“We’ll take it nice and easy,” I tell her as I remove her boots to put the skates on her. I lace them up. “Nothing fancy. Nothing fast. Just the two of us, under the full moon, enjoying a midnight skate. Sounds romantic, right?”
She smiles softly, her shoulders relaxing somewhat. “It really does.”
I finish helping her with her skates then put mine on. Taking her hands, I let her lean on me as she pushes to her feet. Her legs wobble and she grips my arms so tight that she might actually leave bruises.
“One foot in front of the other,” I murmur, easing her onto the ice with me.
“Don’t you dare let me fall,” she squeaks.
“I got ya, baby.”
“If I fall, you’re catching me,” she declares.
“If you fall, I’m going down with you. That’s love, babe.”
She grins, her blue eyes sparkling. The red of her puffy coat really enhances the color of her gaze. We slowly make our way toward the middle of the pond and as she gets her bearings, her legs stop shaking as much and her grip on me lightens. Still, she remains in my arms, and it feels like we’re slow dancing—snow falling around us, our bodies pressed together.
This moment feels perfect. The woman I love, my wife, is in my arms, trusting me to keep her safe as we move. Some days I can hardly believe she’s really mine. That we’re married and living our life together. It feels like a dream, and there are mornings I wake up and am certain I’ll be alone in my bed, dreaming of the girl who rocked my world in Miami.
But every time, she’s right there next to me, and I love her so much I can’t imagine loving anyone or anything more.
“All right, baby,” I say softly. “Keep your feet in a V, toes out, and keep your knees loose and bent.”
She adjusts her feet, squeezing my arms tight as she keeps her balance.
“Like this?” she mutters.
“Perfect.” Warmth spreads through me along with pride. “You’re doing so well, baby. Now push off from the inner edge of one foot and glide with the other.”
I could easily stay like this, but as she gets more comfortable, she gets braver and starts to carefully push away from me until I’m holding her hands and nothing else.
“Ah!” she exclaims, breaking her gaze from her feet to smile up at me. “I’m doing it! I’m doing it!”
“Yeah you are!” I adjust my hold on her so I’m just connected with her fingers, giving her more space to balance totally on her own.
She grows bolder and more confident, her strides becoming more sure. She’s catching on so quickly, and I feel a wave of pride washing over me as I move with her. My wife is so fucking brilliant.
We continue like this, fingers locked, moving along the smooth ice as the snow continues to fall. Grace’s cheeks and the tip of her nose are red from the cold and her eyes are sparkling. She’s so beautiful in this moment that my chest aches, and when she laughs, it’s breathtaking.
I start to pull her in, unable to resist.
“What are you doing?” she asks when I wrap my arms around her waist.
I don’t answer in words. Instead, I drop my lips to hers in a teasing kiss. She lets out a little gasp, but returns the kiss, curling her fingers into my coat and leaning into me. Her mouth is warm and giving against mine, and she tastes like sweet wine and cranberry. So delicious. It takes all my willpower to part from her.
“Are you ready for me to let you go?” I ask softly as I pull back from the kiss.
Her eyes go wide. “What? No! Not yet…”
She loses her focus and her balance and suddenly starts to fall.
“Grace!” I reach out to catch her and we both go crashing to the ice, though I manage to cushion her with my body.
“Ugh, ouch,” I groan, then look down at her. “You okay?”
She doesn’t respond right away, but surprises me when she starts laughing.
