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When she’s finished, I pull her goggles down over her eyes, and those big, plump burgundy lips smile up in thanks at me. I stare at them for a moment too long because she turns away.
“Sorry,” I apologize, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.
“You’re okay,” she says, looking at me again with a bright smile.
“You guys ready?” Lauren asks, pulling her goggles up and glancing at our group.
There’s a chorus of “yeses,” and then Tyler interjects, “The question should be, are the slopes ready for us?”
My friends laugh as they all start heading off in that direction.
“Sooo...I’ll go to the bunny trail with the little kids. See you guys later?”
“Okay,” Shepherd and Andrew call out.
Lauren and Tyler look at me and then at Yaya. I glance at my friends, who are all trudging off in different directions, and I feel bad. As much as I want to tackle the slopes that I’m used to skiing, I feel bad that no one, including Stacey, who invited her, has thought about her. They’re all prepared to leave her alone on her own.
“I’ll go with her,” I volunteer.
“Are you sure?” Lauren asks.
“Yeah. It’ll be fun,” I say.
“No, you don’t have to,” Yaya says.
“I know that I don’thave to,but I choose to,” I say, selecting my words carefully. I almost said “wanted to.”
She smiles shyly at me and nods.
“Come on, let’s do this,” I say, leading her toward the trail marked with the green circle.
Along with all the kids on the easier trail, some other adults are here, too. An instructor goes over the rules and gives a mini-lesson before he lets everyone go on their own.
“I’ll stay with you, don’t worry. It’ll be fun,” I advise when I see her freeze up.
“I hope so,” she mutters before pulling her goggles down.
“Remember, when you want to stop, you just need to point the tips of your skis together like this and then push your heels out this way to form a wedge. Just don’t overlap them,” I advise.
“Okay,” she says, nodding eagerly.
“Ready?”
“Yes.”
I bend my knees and lean forward a bit. Using my ski poles, I take off, keeping my speed steady and slow so I’m never too far ahead of Yaya.
Every so often, I’ll look over my shoulder to check on her and ensure she’s not too far behind. I can tell that she’s a quick learner and that she’s also enjoying herself. I can’t help but wonder again what led her here. Who is she, and what’s her story?
The more I’m around her, the more curious I become. I want to know this young woman. This girl. I don’t know why I want to know these things.
***
WE SIT AROUND THE FIRE, warming our hands with hot chocolate, coffee, and cocoa mugs based on our tastes. Laughter fills the large cabin as new skiers come in with the excitement of preparing to tackle the slopes and as those of us who’ve finished for the day excitedly recount our adventures.
We’re at the lodge for the ski trails and haven’t found the energy to return to our cabin. It’s okay, though, because these moments are what I treasure. The memories that we make now are the ones that will get me through the tough times when I return to my company.
My family’s company. It’s my legacy. It was supposed to be the legacy of my brothers and me, but they’ve chosen different paths in life. Shep, as the oldest, seems to still be figuring his life out. My youngest brother, Ezra, is a professional golfer and is seemingly happy with his chosen path.
