Amber raises her hand, and I nod at her with permission to speak.
“Are you going to do it, Ms. Daphne?” she asks softly.
I puff up my cheeks. I guess if I expect them to do it, then I should do it myself. Besides, these tricks aren’t as taxing on my leg as the more advanced skills, so it should be just fine.
“Do you think I can do it?” I ask in a sweet and eager tone.
She nods while one of my other students shakes his head with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Hey!” I scold him playfully.
They all start giggling.
“Which one’s first?” I ask the group.
They all respond in sporadic shouts, “Toe loop!”
“That’s right!” I smile, bending one knee and kicking my other leg back.
In one smooth movement, I spin, lifting off the ground by, like, an inch before landing and gliding back on my other skate.
The nerves in my leg ache as I land from that minor movement, and a different kind of pain shreds my heart. My pulse begins to race, and my breath quickens. Putting my hands on top of my head, I forcefully take a deep breath, trying to stay calm and collected so as to not freak the kids out.
“Daphne,” Melissa calls out, and I can hear the worry in her voice.
It’s not that I can’t perform skills. It’s just that they can be really painful at times, and the likelihood of me tweakingsomething again is so much higher since my leg will never be the same. Muscle memory only goes so far when the muscles are out of practice and my leg is held together with a hope, a prayer, and a few screws. It’s more so just frowned upon than forbidden.
But I can’t look Amber in the eye and not do what she’s asking of me; she’s too convincing.
“Yeah?” I turn and face her, finding a look in her eyes similar to a glare I’ve seen my mom make.
“Everything okay?” She skates over with her hands clasped behind her back and face drawn taut.
“Yes, ma’am. All of my students aced it, and Amber asked me to go next. I couldn’t say no.” My cheeks warm at the situation and being called out by Melissa.
“Well, Amber, what’s your verdict?” Melissa turns to the little blonde girl with bangs.
She lifts one pointer finger into the air and makes a zero with the other. “She nailed it. Ten out of ten!”
Melissa claps. “Well, there we have it.” She turns back to her group and waves them over, quickly joining our circle. “Great job today, everybody. Next session, we will begin learning a new skill.”
A few of the kids gasp with excitement and quietly cheer. It’s adorable, watching their faces light up.
“We will see you all on Friday. Remember to drink your water and get good rest.” She starts giving out high fives, our usual dismissal to each individual kid.
One by one, they skate off of the ice, greeted by their parents until only Melissa and I remain.
She stops beside me, and we watch the kids and guardians leave. “You’re such a natural with them, you know? That’s not something you can teach. The skills? The practice plans? Sure. But you can’t teach that extra sparkle. And you’ve got it in spades.”
My heart warms at her genuine compliment. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She leads the way off of the ice to where our bags are waiting. “How would you feel about riding solo on Friday?”
“Are you serious?” The pure glee in my voice catches me by surprise.
“Yes, very. The kids already love you. The parents like you. And you’re more than capable. On one condition.”
We step off the ice and sit on the bench, undoing our laces and changing into our shoes.
