AllFreeNovel
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Mom walks into the kitchen while Dad is bent over to mince an onion, so she takes the opportunity to smack his butt as she walks past.
“Do that again,” Dad says, playfully.
“Ugh,” my brother balks. “I’m going to my room.”
I laugh, shaking my head as I reach for jars of spices.
“Don’t get too wrapped up in your videogames, because you’re coming back down when our company gets here!” My mom calls up to my brother as he trudges up the stairs.
My mom sits on a swivel chair on the other side of the kitchen island as I set down the spices.
“So,” she begins, “given any thought to getting that teaching degree?”
English teacher was one of the options for my post-skating career that I’ve considered. I’ll already have the credits to graduate with a regular English degree at the end of this year, and staying one extra year to take teaching classes would let me get the certification.
“It’s still a possibility,” I say. “I’ve been looking into skate therapy as something to get involved in.”
Dad quirks an eyebrow, interested. “What’s that?”
“It’s ice skating as physical therapy. It benefits lots of people. Especially people with developmental disabilities. It can help all kinds of people who need physical therapy for all kinds of reasons, though. I was reading an article the other day about how it’s showing promise for people with Parkinson’s.”
“Really?” Mom asks, intrigued.
“And there are jobs in this field?” Dad asks. It’s not surprising that as an accountant, he always tries to look on the practical side.
I nod. “Mhm. And it’s growing as awareness spreads. I have a meeting with someone who runs a program in Philadelphia booked for after the New Year. I’m going to talk to them about what kind of opportunities exist, and how to get involved.”
Dad nods, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Would you need to get a whole new degree to do this?”
I shrug, feeling my chest tightening with the normal unsure tension that I often feel when contemplating my future now that figure skating is off the table. “Maybe. Hopefully, at this meeting, I’ll find out. My experience skating might count for a lot.”
“And your TikToking. I’m sure any facility would love to advertise having aninfluenceron their staff,” Mom jests with a smile.
I roll my eyes. “I’m not an influencer.”
“What’s that?” Dad asks.
Mom and I just laugh, and I get back to food prep.
Family members from both my parents’ sides start arriving. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I get so many big hugs that I start to feel like an old squeezed-out accordion.
Every time I hear the doorbell ring, I’m hoping it’s finally Aunt Ava and her long-time fiancé, Jack. They got together back when I was in middle school, and I’ve always been smitten by their relationship.
The way he looks at her with so much love in his eyes, how affectionate he is, the chemistry they have together. It feels warm, like being in front of a fireplace on a chilly winter night, just being around them.
It helps that Jack is totally gorgeous, too. A former lacrosse player with broad shoulders, tanned skin, and wavy, brown hair.
If Hunter saw the way I look at him, he’d probably be jealous.
The thought makes my chest squeeze a little and brings a smile to my face.
The doorbell rings, and I hear my mom greet Aunt Ava, her sister. I wipe my hands on a dish towel and step to greet them, but I stop when I hear the rest of their conversation.
“Where’s Jack?” Mom asks.
Ava huffs, and I hear her stepping into the foyer. “In a ditch somewhere, I hope.”
I frown, feeling my brow furrow.
