“Will you play with me?” Glory asked looking at Hadley. She smiled wickedly. “We haven’t played in a while.”
Hadley sighed. “North,” she didn’t look at me but at her sister. “Under my bed is a black case. Would you bring it down?”
Since she wasn’t looking at me, she didn’t see me frown, but saw my nod as I stood. “Sure. Be right back.”
“You said you didn’t play.” Wesley commented studying Hadley as I stepped out.
“I said I don’t play piano.” Hadley corrected. “I never said I didn’t play an instrument.”
Wesley smiled, “So what do you play?”
“You’ll see.”
I didn’t waste any time and came down with the case in less than two minutes. It was round–about as round as my palm was wide and a smidge over two feet long. Not very big at all and perfect for traveling around the world with.
I handed it to Hadley and sat back down on the chair.
“Thank you, North.” Hadley stood and walked over to Glory and shared her bench with her.
“You’re lucky it’s easy enough to play around you,” Glory grinned at her. “The usual then?”
Hadley pulled a soprano saxophone from the case and reattached the necessary pieces. “If you’d like.” She said before blowing lightly and drifting into a soft jazzy number.
Glory joined her moments later and the family room turned into a warm and comfortable jazz lounge.
It was beautiful. She was beautiful. This was something new and something I hadn’t expected from her. I only stared mesmerized as she and Glory went from one song into another in a smooth transition anyone would think they played professionally together.
I didn’t have a moment to tell Hadley what I thought. I wondered briefly, as we sat at the table, if the instrument enhanced her endurance for skating or if her skating enhanced the instrument. She didn’t appear to get winded at all.
Dinner wasn’t a grand affair. It was like any other dinner at the Knifeblade house with the additions of Glory and Hadley. The only difference I could see was the addition of the leaf to the table so everyone could fit.
Hadley, I saw, ate like someone who’s last meal was weeks ago. She hadn’t done that at my house. And she didn’t hold conversation with anyone just sat and ate quietly. But I saw her eyes paid attention to everyone.
Glory on the other hand, barely ate. Or it appeared her plate was lightly filled compared to Hadley, but she barely ate what she had. I wondered if I should mention it to Hadley or Avala. Would it be important to know if Glory was anorexic or suffering some other kind of eating disorder?
“How’s training going?” Avala asked casually as she handed Thierry the bowl of rolls.
I saw my brother tense and ignored it. Thierry would have to get used to it. “It’s going well enough. Hadley’s very strict and very thorough at what she does.”
“Wesley mentioned you’re in school too,” Morgaine interjected.
I raised a brow at my brother. “He’s awfully chatty. Yes, I’m in an English, Chemistry, and Still Life class for this semester.”
“Still Life? For ceramics?” Morgaine frowned. “I wonder why.”
“It’s important, I believe, to be able to draw my vision. Not just for me to see in my head but to share with others I could be potentially working for. And if I drew more of my work instead of just making it, I could post the ‘concept drawings’ on the website for people to see. If someone wants that concept created, they can purchase it. It would certainly save some of the waste of space for the stuff that isn’t selling.”
“Clever way to reduce overhead and cost of supplies.” Avala smiled. “More potatoes?”
I accepted and focused on eating. I fumed silently inside. I didn’t doubt one of my brothers had made a casual comment that had in turn prompted one of the sisters to ask. If they had wanted to know my business, why hadn’t they just asked? It was, I supposed, not atypical of them. They weren’t very good at face-to-face communication.
After the meal, Glory and Hadley vanished. Since neither Morgaine nor Avala took it as a serious event, no one made comment that the girls had ghosted without excusing themselves or saying good night to the Gratons.
“I’m going to head on home,” I stood and made eye contact with Avala. “Thanks for the meal. I have an early start tomorrow.”
“You’re welcome any time.” Avala smiled.
I turned to Wesley, “I’ll walk back. I’ll see you in the morning. Good night, Morgaine.” I nodded to her and made my way back into the kitchen to go out the solarium doors. I’d probably find Hadley in the rink.
Just inside the rink door, I stopped and could only stare. Music was on low enough that it wouldn’t attract attention from the main house, but loud enough that the door opening and closing wasn’t heard over it. The piano was soft and the instruments with it weepy.
Hadley skated over the ice in an easy fluid pattern. Her hair had been ponytailed on her crown and she had changed into what I would call practice clothes. The tights were black, and the oversized, loose tunic a soft pink color. Her arm and legwarmers matched her tunic.
Silently, I moved to a darker corner of the arena and sat to watch. I’d never seen her skate before. In the almost month of knowing her, I’d never even seen a pair of skates for her. She never mentioned wanting to skate or skating in secret. I should have guessed it. If I lost my legs tomorrow there wouldn’t be anything I wouldn’t do to skate again, even if only in the peaceful spins and foot works that Hadley was currently doing.
It looked like ballet and jazz dance on ice. She didn’t jump, I didn’t think she could jump, but even without it, there was no denying the skills in her every move. I almost wished I could have seen her skate before the accident. If this was so masterfully skilled, what had she really been like before?
It didn’t look like she was skating in any kind of routine. She just moved with the music in an easy, relaxed pace with fluidity that I realized I lacked completely.
It made her beautiful. She was beautiful anyway, but this seemed to shout beauty and grace in a way I hadn’t recognized before. As she moved over frozen water with her eyes closed and did naturally what any other person would have to work at, my stomach cramped and my hands tingled.
I wanted to go out there and skate with her. I wanted to hold her close and feel her pleasure in the movements, not just watch. I just wanted and wasn’t comfortable at all with the feeling. And, I doubted Hadley would welcome my intrusion on her privacy. There was a reason, after all, that she skated alone in the dark of the night.
I stood up slowly with the intent to walk out and leave her with her privacy when her eyes opened and pinned me in place. “I’m sorry.” I stuttered and felt like a fool when I realized the music was too loud and she was too far away to hear my words.
I walked to the wall and watched her slowly skate over. “I’m sorry.” I said again when she was in range. “I didn’t know…”
“It’s alright,” she didn’t look angry. Instead, she looked more tired than anything else. “I gave you freedom to come and go here; I expected someone to see sooner or later.”
“It’s beautiful.” I said because I really had no other word to use. I felt like a moron. I’d been training with her for weeks and seeing her skate had rendered me an idiot.
“It’s not the same.”
“Do you want it to be?” I asked quietly watching the sorrow and pain that hadn’t been there while she was skating flicker across her face.
“Sometimes I want it more than breathing and it hurts so badly that all I can do is curl up and wait for the pain to disappear.” She answered without looking at me. She was looking across the rink, at least her face was turned that way, but her eyes were looking someplace far away.
“And other times?”
“I hate it.” She whispered, “It destroyed me and I can’t stand it. Can’t stand to be around it; can’t stand to hear the music or be in this place.”
“Smile,” Hadley’s eyes returned to mine and I saw the glimmer of a tear streak down one cheek, “and pretend I don’t feel anything.”
Hadley
I sat in the passenger seat drumming my fingers against my thigh while staring out the window. I imagined I was probably a poor travel companion, but it felt necessary to accompany North on this trip. He was testing after all and I was coach.
“You didn’t have to come.” North said glancing at me from the corner of his eye.
“I’m fine,” I said quickly, too quickly. I sighed and started again. “It would look poorly if I didn’t come along. And keep your eyes on the road.”
I had spent a great deal of time over the last week chewing on it. It was entirely possible I’d be ridiculed or scoffed at in the center. It was entirely possible I’d be laughed at outright. But the test wasn’t about me, or at least not directly. It was about what North had learned in four weeks. I kept that in the front of my mind, as we grew closer to Fergus Falls.
“Remember to take the jump even if you don’t land it properly,” I reminded when he pulled into the parking lot. “The point is…”
“I know how to do it. Not that I do it well.” North finished for me and reached over to squeeze me hand. “It’s okay, Hadley. We’ll be okay.”
“Yes.” I squeezed his hand lightly and stepped out of the truck. He’d been doing more of that recently, I realized. Just touching. I wasn’t sure if it was to reassure him, or me. I wasn’t sure if he even realized he was doing it.
I was pragmatically dressed for the outing in jeans, work boots, and my coach’s jacket but it was still bitter cold to me. The wind caught my ponytail and whipped it for the moment it took for me to get inside. I was finding I liked winter in Minnesota less and less.
Inside, North walked with me over to where the testing judges were still setting up for the day. It was early enough that we could be one of the first on the ice and hopefully one of the first to head home. Not that I was a recluse or anything but the weatherman said eight to eighteen inches of snow starting in the afternoon depending on location. I didn’t want to drive in that and I didn’t want North driving in that.
“Mary, Sam,” North began getting the attention of the couple that was bickering on the pencil sharpness. Both stopped when he said their names and looked up at him.
“North. I see you’re set up for your junior free skate today.” Mary gave him a broad smile and looked over his shoulder at me. “And who is this?”
He stepped aside so I could step forward, “This is Hadley Becke, my coach.”
Her lips bowed up but I wouldn’t call it a smile. “Welcome to Fergus Falls.”
“Thank you,” I hated the stiffness in my tone but couldn’t quell it. I looked at North, “You should get ready.”
He nodded. “All right.” He walked away leaving me with Mary and Sam.
My back was ridged when I turned to face the two people eyeing me like a lab experiment.
“I must admit I was surprised when North called and asked when the next tests were being administered,” Sam began and took his spectacles off to clean them with a corner of his shirt. “Without a coach we all knew he’d never be able to take his junior test.”
“He’s been very cooperative in learning thus far. Where can I stand and be out of the way but close at hand?” I asked, hating the small talk as much as I hated my skating rink on certain days.
Mary gestured, “Coaches go over there.”
“Thank you.” I stiffly and without limping, I wouldn’t give them that, walked to where Mary gestured. Unfortunately, there were two other coaches albeit with skaters on the ice standing in the little area.
“Hi!”
I smiled nervously at the woman greeting me. She was taller than I, which was no hard feat for anyone. Her sunny smile matched her hair and her mismatch colored eyes seemed genuinely friendly.
“Hello.” I returned.
“I’m Denise. Denise Harbored. I coach here in Fergus Falls.” She held out her hand expectantly.
“Hadley Becke. I’m coaching from my arena at home for the time being.” I shook and let my hand fall.
“I’ve heard that name before.” The other coach, a tall, very tall, older man focused his eyes on me. “Connor Postern.” He said shaking my hand.
“I won first in Regionals a few years ago, and second in Sectionals that same year.” I offered hoping the local information would be enough.
He seemed satisfied with the knowledge because he nodded. “I remember those. Maggie,” he gestured to the ice, “was skating as a Junior at the time. We’re taking Senior tests today. You skated as a Senior didn’t you?”
“Yes.” I answered, “She skated to Swan Lake didn’t she?”
He nodded again. “Yup, at her insistence. You always had obscure music, if I recall.”
“I enjoy being unique in all practices.” I answered and turned to the ice when North came onto it to warm up.
He circled once, stretching his legs than skated over to me. “Well?”
I studied him a moment. His hair was tousled but that seemed to happen the moment he stepped onto the ice. His black pants were expected, the red pirate’s shirt was tucked into his pants to show off the over wide brown belt. Simple and yet effective. I had done his eyeliner before we’d even left the rink and it was a little smudged now but only added the effect.
“Good,” I said. “Remember…”
He flashed me a wicked smile. “How can I forget with you drilling it into my head every waking second?”
“It’s not every waking second, and your mind is like a sieve. I must continually pour for knowledge to remain,” I smiled back because he needed it though it was forced. “Relax, have fun.”
He saluted and skated off to finish warming up.
“Interesting coaching,” Denise commented.
“I lectured him on the drive up,” I murmured watching North progress across the ice. “If he doesn’t know by now, it’s not going to help in a few minutes.” I waved him over after watching his practice stretches.
“Yes?”
“You’re stiff?” I made it a question in case my eyes were off.
“Nervous.” He muttered not meeting my eyes.
“You’re not competing against anyone but yourself,” I told him. “All these other people don’t really matter. What matters is will you be satisfied with your performance when you’re done? Don’t worry about them. Worry about doing your best and being better than your best was yesterday.”
“And you,” North glanced at me. “I’ve got to worry about you.”
I shook my head. “Nope. Not even me. I’m not out there, this isn’t a pairs test. This is between you, the ice, and the music.”
He exhaled shakily and nodded. “All right.”
“I don’t think I’ve seen him nervous before,” Connor said to me. “I think that’s a good thing. If you’re not nervous a little, something’s wrong. It doesn’t matter as much.”
I nodded my agreement without taking my eyes off North. “It also means skating isn’t fun anymore if you’re not a little excited and nervous.”
“Very true.” Denise agreed and the three of us stood in companionable silence as the tests began.
North shifted in his seat again. I hadn’t spoken since before his test. He passed, which he’d been worried he wouldn’t but he had. It wasn’t the pass or fail that bothered me but I needed him to see it without me telling him. He needed to be able to pick out his flaws. If a person can’t acknowledge their own flaws there’s no way to grow.
I let the routine run in my head as he drove in the near silence of the cab, navigating through the blowing snow on the way home. I really couldn’t be too disappointed. He had passed. That’s what mattered. I had enforced that one thing quite thoroughly. He had to pass.
“Hadley,” he began.
I didn’t answer him. He needed to think ab
out this without my input. I had my head leaning against the window and my eyes closed, feigning sleep. I was truly tired but I didn’t think I’d sleep on the drive home.
The day had been extremely stressful. It was the first time in a long time that I had publicly exposed myself. My introverted self was exhausted from all the people contact, but I hadn’t always been introverted, I needed to overcome this as well. I stopped fighting the fatigue and let myself fall into sleep.
North
The silent drive gave me time to think about my performance. I tried to focus on that and not on Hadley’s perfume, or body mist, or whatever it was that gave her that musky secret night garden scent. It was alluring and maddening. I cracked the window slightly hoping the cold air would help keep myself in check.
I focused on my routine. Focused on examining every move I had made. I had been nervous. It had thrown me half a beat ahead of the music. I’d touched the ice with my hand landing the double Axel but I landed it.
The closer we got to home the more flaws I pulled out of my own performance. She’d have every right to lecture me, I decided. I could have done better. I would do better.
When I pulled up the driveway to Hadley’s rink, I let the truck idle a moment. The snow was blowing in sheets. Not unheard of in the second week of November but it was still irritating. It was also a reminder that Hadley’s birthday was next week and I still hadn’t bought her a gift.
I was suddenly glad I had provisions in Hadley’s apartment. Even the short distance home in this would be risking life and limb. Better to wait it out.
I climbed out and cursed when the snow slid into my boots. Deeper than six inches then, I thought and sighed. Hadley wouldn’t walk easily through it. I stomped around the cab to Hadley’s door and gently opened it.
Hadley was leaning at an angle that had her seatbelt keeping her from falling out of the open door. Her breath was even and steady–she hadn’t even noticed the door had been opened. I carefully unbuckled her belt and let her head fall onto my shoulder. She still didn’t wake.
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