Skating

 

I think winter and the holiday season are very romantic times of the year.  As much as I talk about not liking hugs, it is a time of the year where you want to escape the cold by getting cozy with your partner. Right now, I am seeing the depressing montage of me being alone through this time. I am still very happy with my decision, but there is always a price to be paid. For me, that price is the chill of solitude. I decided to create some fictional winter romance to keep my spirits up. 

     The weather was very clear and cold, but I needed to spend some outside. I needed some fresh air so that I could think. I remembered that there was an outdoor skating rink at a park not too far from me. I had called all of my friends to join me, but they were all busy. This was always the point where I had to decide if I would just stay home, or if I would embrace spending time alone. I decided to go skating anyway. 

     I arrived at the park. I looked at the snow-covered trees covered in lights. It was magical how the snow could turn a pretty landscape into a breathtaking spectacle of shimmering light. The rink wasn't empty, but it also wasn't overly crowded. I put on my skates and thought about how long it had been since I had been skating. It had been years.

     I started moving on the ice and suddenly all of the sadness from my breakup faded away. I felt the ice crunch under my skate blades and I felt the cool air on my skin, the ice kissing my nose. The rink was surrounded by tall pine trees covered in soft white lights that glowed as I passed them. A classical piece was playing over the sound system. I was so happy that I stopped paying attention as closely as I should have and I fell. 

     I heard a swooshing sound and I saw a pair of black skates arrive next to me. I looked up and saw the owner of the skates. She smiled and said, you know, they work better on the ice." She was wearing a dark green jacket and a scarf with snowflakes on it. She had eyes the color of dark Irish whiskey. She smiled and there was a bit of mischief in that smile. She offered her hand and she helped me up off the ice. I brushed off the ice that was sticking to my jeans, thanked her, and skated away from her. What was I supposed to say? I wasn't good at these types of things.

     It wasn't long before she caught up to me and said, "hi".

I smiled and she decided to continue.

"Can I have your number?" She asked.

Um, yes, I thought. She was really cute and I was hoping that because she helped me up, she was also thoughtful.

    I finished my skating time and headed home. The next few weeks were busy with work and I did my best to enjoy this quiet time alone to reflect on things. One night I heard my phone vibrating. I went to see if it was one of my friends or my family. It was the girl from the ice rink. Her name was Lilly.

     Lilly and I went out for a really great meal. After our meal, she and I walked along the snowy path near the restaurant. She reached to grab my hand and it was incredibly warm. I walked a little closer to her and she didn't seem to mind. When she took me home we stopped outside my door. She asked if she could give me a hug, and naturally, I said yes. She was incredibly warm and her whiskey eyes sparked green for a moment with mischief. Winter melted away from my heart with that hug.