CHAPTER THIRTY #2
When Luca reached the security door, Ben could see that he was buzzed in right away. As the man disappeared from view, Ben glanced at Amelia’s balcony, his mind replaying the time they’d spent together there.
His heart thudded heavily in his chest as he waited for Luca to return. The delivery was more than just food this time. He’d bought her flowers and chocolate, too. But what he hoped she enjoyed the most was a cozy onesie he’d found for her, which seemed appropriate, given the recent snowfall.
Luca seemed to be gone for an eternity. Ben hadn’t given Luca a message to pass on to Amelia beyond telling her that he hoped she felt better, so it shouldn’t have taken this long.
Eventually, the door to the building opened, and Luca stepped out and headed for the SUV. Ben looked up at the balcony again, his heart racing.
The curtain covering the door moved to the side, and for the first time in three months he saw Amelia’s face. The reflections on the glass distorted it, but he still knew it was her.
He lifted his hand in greeting, uncertain if she could see him. But when her hand pressed against the glass, warmth flooded him and gave him hope.
“How was she?” Ben asked as Luca slid behind the wheel of the SUV, bringing with him the crisp winter air.
“She looked good,” Luca said with a glance at him. “I have instructions to deliver you somewhere tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, really?” Ben felt a rush of excitement. “Where?”
“I’m not allowed to tell you that yet,” he said. “She just told me that I need to have you there at ten-thirty.”
“Oh, well, now I’m super curious.”
“Curiosity killed the cat,” Luca said dryly.
“Then consider me dead.”
Luca chuckled. “Don’t stress about it.”
“Maybe you should have waited to tell me about this meeting until tomorrow.”
“It will teach you a lesson in patience.”
Another one? Ben was beginning to wonder if God had seen impatience in him. He hadn’t thought it was a particularly big fault of his, but apparently God had, because everything lately was a test of his patience.
But he’d already committed to being patient, so he would wait as long as it took for Amelia to feel as confident in their future as he did.
~*~
Amelia stood with her arms crossed, resting on the top of the boards. The ice glistened beneath the overhead lights, and there was a chill in the air that matched the one outside, which was why she was dressed warmly in layers.
“Ready for this?”
Amelia turned to face the woman at her side. Lexi gave her a gentle smile. There was love and support in her expression that Amelia had missed seeing over the past couple of years.
“I think so.”
“Can I just tell you again how much it meant to me to have that conversation with you on Sunday?” Lexi said. “Thank you for reaching out, and for forgiving me for not understanding all you were dealing with. I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.” Amelia gave her a smile that she knew held a bit of sadness. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to come to you.”
“All that matters is that we’re here now,” Lexi said.
When Amelia heard the door of the rink open, she turned to see Luca walk in, leading Ben. Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, and she grinned when she saw that Luca had blindfolded him.
That hadn’t been part of what she’d asked of him the day before, but it helped keep the surprise.
She waited until they were near where she stood, then she approached them.
“Ben,” she said as she reached up to remove the blindfold.
His gaze immediately found hers, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled. “Hello, beautiful.”
“Hello, love.” She slipped a hand behind his neck as she went up on her toes to press a kiss on his lips. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too.”
There was a wealth of emotion in Ben’s eyes that matched what Amelia felt in her heart. The distance she’d requested had been challenging, but necessary. And their coming back together felt sweeter for it.
“Thank you for coming,” she said. “And letting Luca blindfold you.”
“I was promised I would see you at the end of our journey, so I was willing to do pretty much anything.” He lifted his head and looked around, his eyes widening. “Are you skating?”
“We’re skating,” she said. “Nothing fancy. I just wanted to see if I can at least have a part of my skating back again.”
“I didn’t bring my skates,” Ben said.
“We have skates for you,” Lexi said from where she stood at the boards.
“Hey, Lexi.” Ben greeted her with a smile. “Long time no see.”
“Too long.” Lexi came over to give him a hug. “What’s your shoe size again?”
After Ben told her, she headed to the skate rental area. The rink wasn’t open that day, and Lexi didn’t have any students until after school was done for the day.
“Can I help you with your skates?” Ben asked as he led Amelia to a nearby bench.
“Do you remember how to tie them?”
“I’m pretty sure it will come back to me.”
Amelia removed her skates from her bag and handed one to Ben. He bent down on one knee in front of her, as he had so many times in the past, and carefully swapped her boot for the skate, then tightened the laces.
Lexi had returned with skates for Ben, and as he put them on, Amelia did some stretches, hoping to limber up her legs.
She was experiencing some pain in her joints that day, so it wasn’t going to be an extended time on the ice.
She’d just needed to get it over with. Her first time returning to the ice as a non-competitive skater.
When Ben was ready, he offered her his hand, and together they walked to the opening in the boards. After removing his skate guards, Ben stepped onto the ice and skated a short distance away before returning to where Amelia stood.
“Ready?” Ben asked.
At her nod, he held out both his hands. She grasped them tightly, then, keeping her gaze on his, she set first one blade, then the other on the ice.
Ben stroked backwards, drawing her away from the boards.
As they glided across the ice, grief welled up from deep inside her. Amelia blinked rapidly as tears stung her eyes, trying to keep them from spilling over.
“It’s okay to let go, love,” Ben murmured. “I’ve got you.”
He drew her close, wrapping his arms around her. With a gentle pivot, he positioned himself facing forward and took the lead, slowly guiding them around the rink.
Amelia clung to his waist, pressing her face into the solid warmth of his chest. She allowed him to move them across the ice, her blades never lifting off the slick surface as she mourned the loss of her ability to skate the way she once had.
She cried for the jumps she’d never be able to do again. The spin positions she’d never be able to hold. The speed she’d never be able to create on blades.
Since it had been over two years, Amelia hadn’t expected to feel so emotional when stepping back on the ice. She was glad that she’d waited until Ben could be there for her. His strong arms around her were reassuring and comforting.
It took a couple of slow laps around the rink before she finally felt her emotions settle.
Amelia loosened her hold on Ben and lifted her head to look at him. “Thank you for being here for me. For waiting for me.”
“I’ll always wait for you,” Ben said softly. “And I’ll always be here for you.”
The opening strains of a song began to play, and Amelia immediately recognized it. She hadn’t asked Lexi to play any music, but apparently her coach remembered the song she and Ben had skated to whenever they could.
“Our song,” Ben said, a whisper of a smile on his face.
“Our song,” Amelia agreed as Lionel Richie began to sing Endless Love, joined after the first few stanzas by Diana Ross.
It wasn’t a song from their generation, but because music was such a crucial part of her skating, she’d listened to music from all decades. This song from the eighties had struck a chord in her teenage heart, and it still did as an adult.
Smiling up at Ben, she sang along with Diana, knowing he’d join in. They’d played it so often in their teen years that they’d memorized it.
It felt like a full-circle moment.
And though they were in a different place from where they’d thought they would be with regards to their careers, it was okay because they were together once again.
As the music faded away, Ben said, “You have my endless love.”
When the final note of the music faded into the chill of the rink, Amelia felt tears prick at her eyes again.
But this time, they were different tears.
Tears of joy over finding her way back to something she thought she'd lost forever.
It might not be the same as it once was, but it was still something.
"I've missed this," she whispered, looking up at Ben. "Not just the ice. Us."
Ben's expression softened as he gently wiped away a tear from her cheek with his thumb. "Me too."
They continued to glide slowly across the ice, their movements in perfect sync despite the years apart.
Amelia prayed that this would be how they moved through the future that lay ahead of them. Together. Supporting each other. Always.