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“So, can you tell I’m a little nervous about this?” she says as she sits down on the chair and takes off her shoe.
“What about it?” I ask. I hand her the pair of skates I’ve picked out for her. She quickly checks the size and then nods.
“Well, I haven’t really skated since I was a kid,” she admits. “And even then, I just went in a circle around the rink once or twice with my parents. I guess I’m a little nervous about doing something I’m not good at.”
I lay a hand on her shoulder. “I hope you know I’m not going to judge you for not being an experienced skater. Not out loud, at least. The reason I suggested this date is that I think ice skating is fun, and I wanted you to have a chance to get that experience without having to worry about anyone else.”
She looks at me very seriously and nods. “Thank you. That helps to hear.”
She finally gets the skates on, tied tight, and stands up. She wobbles like most early skaters, obviously not used to the thin blades or the stiff sides.
I take her hand and lead her towards the ice. “Remember, the skate is going to do most of the work. All you have to do is push your foot forward and follow it.”
She nods and carefully sets her skate on the ice. One hand in mine and the other firmly on the side of the rink, she brings her other skate onto the ice and makes her first attempt to glide forward.
Barely a few seconds later, she crashes into the side of the rink again, grabbing on to keep herself from falling. She looks at me and laughs nervously.
“Well, as you can see, I wasn’t kidding.”
“That was good!” I reassure her. “It takes a few tries to get used to what the ice wants to do, but you were moving there and your whole body was into it. Just keep leaning into it and trust the ice.”
“You’re sure I don’t look like an idiot?” she asks, taking little baby steps to point herself the way she wants to go.
I smile. “You look like you’re learning. And that’s about the least idiotic thing there is.”
Watching her, I remember when I first learned to skate. I remember that feeling, that fear that if I didn’t cut every movement short, I’d end up on my butt. I also remember falling on my butt quite a few times.
But I also remember what it felt like to realize I could just lean into it. How powerful it felt to finally soar across the ice, to feel myself going faster or slower or turning when I wanted to.This is the hardest part, but it’s also the most exciting.
For a while, we just skate around the rink. At first, I hold her hand while she’s doing it, but she starts to get more confident. I can see her starting to lean into each skate just a little bit more. Her balance is getting more solid, too. She’s definitely got a lot to learn, but she’s also learning it faster than I expected.
“I see why you like this,” she says suddenly.
“You do?” I reply. “I’m curious. Why do I like skating so much?”
“I can just feel it from time to time. How cool and fast you get to be. It’s like having a superpower.”
“Well, it’s also fun to get to hold a big stick and whack a puck with it as hard as you can, but yeah, you’ve definitely got the heart of it.”
“You’re sure I’m not being irritating? Too slow, too cautious, too not good at skating?”
I know that feeling, too. It’s been a very long time since I’ve had it on the ice, but I certainly remember worrying that everyone was staring at you and being so sure that you weren’t doing a good job yet.
“You’re doing just great,” I tell her. “And even if you were doing terrible, that would be fine because I like you a lot.”
She smiles. “Well, that’s kind of flattering.”
I hold my hand out to her. “Do you want to try messing around a little?”
“Someone’s being bold tonight.” She giggles, looking up at me with a coquettish grin. “I don’t know if I can do that and stay upright at the same time.”
I smile and forget the clever quip lingering on my tongue. I want to be sweet right now, not spicy. “Stick with me, kid, and you’ll be multitasking in no time.” I take her hand in mine and squeeze it. When she squeezes back, I take off, pulling her along with me.
I could get used to this,I think as we randomly skate around.
I use her hand to spin her around a little bit, and I show off some of the little tricks I’ve learned to change direction quickly or stop on a dime. It starts to feel less like a lesson and more like the two of us just playing on the ice. Sure, I have to slow down and be cautious for her, but who cares? We’re still doing it.
At one point, she starts to slip backward, and instinctively, she grabs for me. I’m not expecting her to do that and before I realize what’s happening, we’re both lying on our backs on the ice.
