We spend the rest of our Christmas Eve skating together on the ice until it’s time to head over to my parents’ place. It’s hands down one of the best holiday experiences slash dates I’ve ever had.
It’s hard to believe that only a few weeks ago, Dylan had shot me down and I was sitting at home eating a pint of ice cream, trying to get over him. I never thought my heart would heal. And I certainly never pictured myself having an ice skater as a boyfriend, but fate works in mysterious ways. It doesn’t follow a timeline, and it doesn’t allow you to pick who you’ll fall in love with. It just happens.
Both Fernando and I still have a lot of growing and learning to do together, but one thing is for certain: I’ve finally broken out of that loop. I have a friend and boyfriend who loves me for being me, and I don’t plan to ever look back.
“Hey, Ava.” Fernando points up at the doorway, just short of us entering my parents’ house.
“Mistletoe,” I breathe.
“Shall we?”
He doesn’t have to ask me twice. Under the sparkling lights and falling snow, we share a Christmas Eve kiss. “I love you, Fernando,” I whisper into his ear as we take a moment to breathe.
“And I love you too, mi amor.”
Epilogue
An entire year has passed since Fernando and I became a couple. It’s a week before Christmas again. And here I am at the ice rink, about to skate in the holiday show with him.
“Just take a few deep breaths, Ava. You’ve got this,” Gemma tells me as she adjusts my hair one final time.
Internally, it’s like I’m being chased by a stampede of wildebeests. My heart is racing. All my muscles are twitching. I can’t stand still. “How do you guys do it? You make it look so easy.”
“Years of practice.” A small smile graces her lips. “It wasn’t always easy. Trust me.”
With a final flourish, she tucks the ponytail behind me, then gives me a hug. “You’re ready.”
“It’s go time,” Frankie says, popping her head into the makeshift dressing area. “Aww, Ava, you look just like Princess Jasmine.”
Heat sears my cheeks. “Thanks.”
“Just remember to breathe and skate just like you and Fernando practiced. He’s waiting for you.”
I remove the skate guards covering my blades and manage to walkdown the hall on jelly legs to the entrance to the ice. The cold air sends goosebumps up my arms as Gemma takes my jacket from me. My hands brush down my costume. I’m in a gorgeous turquoise dress trimmed with some gold accents and peacock feathers. Gemma personally designed for me.
“Princess, about time you showed up.” Fernando appears on my left side, clad in white pants and a white jacket trimmed in gold. “Are you ready for this?”
“Not really, but either way, I’m doing it.”
“You’ll be magnifico,” he whispers into my ear, then he kisses me. A tingle of delight spreads through my body, helping to calm a few of the nerves. “Trust your coach.”
“And now, please welcome to the ice Coach Fernando and his princess, representing our adult skating program, Dr. Ava,” the MC announces.
Fernando grabs my hand firmly, and we skate out onto the ice and assume our starting position in the middle. The music begins and I let my muscle memory take over as he leads me through the pattern of forward and backward crossovers, two-foot spins, bunny hops, and waltz jumps I’ve worked hard over the past year to perfect.
As the program progresses, I relax and settle in. It helps that the man I love is right beside me. Fernando floats across the ice with the ease of a swan skimming across the water.
“Are you ready for the grand finale?” he asks through his teeth.
I nod.
Slowing down, I arch my back and cross my legs, and allow him to lift me, trusting he won’t let me fall. If you’d asked me a year ago, I would’ve laughed at the suggestion of being six feet up in the air, and called you crazy, but now, it’s become one of my favorite moves.
We skate together every evening after work. Although I know Fernando is exhausted by six p.m., he never complains. He’s always full of encouraging energy, with a goofy smile on his face.
Speaking of work, after the redesign and our new website launched in January, the clients began to trickle in. At first,growth was slow, but by summer, I had more people than Laura and I could handle. Word has gotten out that there’s a vet in town who doesn’t charge an arm and a leg to treat animals.
As a result, my staff has grown from just Vicki to include a new receptionist, four vet techs, and even a third vet. I’m proud to say we’re an all-female business and were selected as this year’s Sequoia Valley Business of the Year award thanks to all the positive reviews we’ve received.
