AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Only day they had available. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” He rubs his knuckles up and down my side from my ribs to my hip.
“Do I have to go?” I whine.
“Yes. You’re sick enough to be asking for permission and taking orders. You’re not yourself and you don’t feel well. You’re going.”
“Ten years and one day of being married and you turn into a dictator,” I grumble, making him laugh. I should go to the doctor, I know this. Doesn’t mean I want to go. Doctors deliver bad news to me. I can’t help but think mine will give me more.
“Don’t think about it until Friday. Come shower with me and then let’s go get our girls.”
I and my sick mind do as he says. We don’t spend much time at my parents’, which is fine. I’m sure I’ll see them soon at some point. Once in the car, Stella asks if we can go skating. Scott glances at me, seeking permission even though she asked him. I nod. This is our last day together before preseason gets underway. I had Scott to myself yesterday, so it’s only fair that we do something with the girls today.
Of the four of us, I’m the least qualified to skate. It’s a damn shame that at three years old, my twins could skate as well as I did and then, it didn’t take long for them to surpass my skill level. Scott thinks I’m cute. The girls wish I could get with the program and skate at least as well as them. I can move, but barely. Scott has to keep a hold on one of my hands or a hip instead of holding onto the girls’ hands.
“She’s gotten so good,” Scott murmurs in astonishment as Stella skates up the ice with Stephanie a few paces behind her.
“She ought to be as often as I bring her here.”
“We should find something Stephanie wants to do.”
“No, we don’t. She likes to watch Stella and talk with the other kids. She doesn’t need a sport just because Stella is learning one.”
He nods. “I know, but I don’t want her to feel left out.”
“She’s fine,” I reassure him. For right now, she’s fine. I lose my balance, my legs shuffling and separating.
Scott laughs as I rush to cling to him. “Easy, Sylvie. I never let go of you.” He pulls me in front of him and flush against his chest so I can get steady on my feet again. “What would these people think of me and my skills as a hockey player and skater if I let my wife fall on the ice?”
“Oh, so this is about protecting your image?”
“And protecting you from falling.”
“Mhm,” I hum as if I don’t believe him. I haven’t fallen once and that’s strictly because of Scott.
Stella zooms by us, slapping my butt as she goes, her giggles fading the further she gets. Stephanie comes by next, but she grabs ahold of my hand.
“Momma?”
“Yeah, sweetie?”
“How is she so fast?” Stephanie is breathing heavy. Her cheeks are pink. Her hand is grasping mine tightly and I’m pulling her along now, so I come to a stop to give her a rest.
“She practices,” Scott answers. “You could be as fast as her if you practiced.”
Her eyes follow Stella as she basically does suicides from one end of the ice to about center ice or so. It might not be quite that far as she’s not going all the way to the boards. She’ll be exhausted when we get home. For some reason that’s her favorite thing to do for the moment.
“She always beats me when we race,” Stephanie whines. “By a lot, Daddy.”
“Then practice on getting faster. You can take the classes with her if you want.”
“Can I, Momma?” She glances up to me.
Well, I guess her wanting to beat her sister is making her competitive enough to want to learn how to skate better and start learning how to play hockey. I’m not so sure it’s good that they are starting to be competitive with one another, but then again, boys are this way with one another all the time. As long as it doesn’t become a problem, it can’t hurt, right?
“If that’s what you want.”
Stella comes over and stops so little shavings of ice fly up and snow our legs.
“Stella,” I start, the warning already in my tone.
