AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"You're going to learn how to skate," Yamina said, heading toward me. "You're going to fall, then learn how to get up, and do it again. And if you actually try, I'm buying you a hot cocoa when we're done."
I grabbed her shoulders, letting her tow me forward. "I'm going to take you down with me, you know."
"So?" she asked. "Friends rise and fall together, right? Besides, I bounce."
Sure enough, the little brat did! She also made me get back up, talked me through how to balance, and eventually had me skating around on my own. No, I wasn't pretty about it, but her teasing kept pushing me to do a little more. Her laughter made the failures hurt a bit less. Before I knew it, I was actually having fun.
For another hour, Zeal skated with Nari. Talin skated with Ela. Maela swirled between all of us, catching Yamina a few times before I could pull her down. It was like the family outing I'd always dreamed of as a kid, but had never gotten. I actually loved this.
"We are going to have to make this a yearly thing," I said the last time I was lying on my back after crashing again.
Zeal skated over to help me up. "A family tradition," he said. "I like the way you think. Next year, however, we need to bring Anver."
"And he can be the one falling." I slapped my hand into Zeal's and got back on my feet. "Although, I'm starting to think this is half the fun."
Before I could even form the thought, I shoved. Zeal yelped, his skates slipped out from under him, and the God of Temptation landed just as hard as the rest of us had at some point today. The first laugh that came from his mouth was soft. The next a little louder, until he was roaring, unable to help himself. Zeal even reached up to wipe at his eyes, because tears were leaking out.
"You are the only man who's ever been able to knock me off my feet," Zeal said as he sat up. "I guess even a god needs a little humility."
"No," I assured him, offering my hand. "You just needed to laugh that hard. I have a feeling it's been a while."
"Centuries," he said as we worked together to get him back to his feet. "Thank you, Wraythe. I needed that."
"We all needed this, Zeal." Then I hugged him, the pair of us thumping each other's backs. It was perfect. The entire day was, and I never wanted it to end. Sadly, time didn't work that way.
