Love on Ice

by Olivia West

  “Come on, it’s just filing papers, checking over documents, and things like that. Besides, you’ve watched so much Law & Order, you might as well have a degree.” Anya laughed as she ate another piece of orange.

  Hannah began to realize that Anya was right. She did need a distraction from her injury, and she couldn’t just sit on her behind for months while she healed. “Alright, Anya, I’ll do it.” Hannah grinned as she squeezed her best friend’s hand with affection.

  “Fantastic!” Anya polished off the rest of the orange slices. “Now, when are you going to be discharged? I bet you’re sick of all the hospital food and oranges. And I miss having someone to shop with!” At Hannah’s humorously raised eyebrows, Anya laughed. “You know I’m just joking. I know you’re going to need your rest.” Now her expression turned somber. “I really hope you can skate again as soon as possible, Han.”

  “The doctors say I can be discharged in a couple of days. But I’m going to need crutches for sure for a while. Still, it’s better than just staying in the hospital.”

  “Of course. Do you want to stay with me?” Anya suggested. “I want to help as much as I can!”

  “I think I’ll be alright. There’s an elevator in my building, and I’ve got your number if I ever need help. Thanks for offering, though. You’re the best.”

  The door opened, and the nurse walked in. “Good morning, Hannah. How are you feeling?”

  “Much better, thanks, Nurse Joyce.”

  Anya checked her watch. “Oops, I’d better get back to the office. I took a little break to come see you, but it’s almost over. I’ll text you, okay?”

  “Okay. See you later.” Hannah nodded, and Nurse Joyce smiled. It was important for a recovering patient to have a good support system, and it looked like Anya was just that. As were Hannah’s parents.

  But her parents didn’t sneak a tea from Java Bean into the hospital and leave it in the bedside drawer so the nurse couldn’t see it before winking and leaving the room like Anya did.

  “You’re doing really well, Hannah!” Nurse Joyce exclaimed happily as she checked the medical chart. “Are you ready for your discharge soon?”

  “More than ready,” Hannah nodded as she finished the last scoop of her scrambled eggs and watched as Joyce took the tray. “Thank you, so much.”

  “No problem, dear. Get some rest!” Joyce left the room in a good mood, humming a tune.

  Hannah did as she was told, and lay down on the pillow, dreaming of being out on the ice again, skating.

  ***

  Several days later, Hannah was released from the hospital with a cast and crutches, as she had predicted. It was weird for her at first, but Nurse Joyce had sweetly taken the time to train her. Step by step, they had made it down the long hallway of the hospital, with Joyce making sure that Hannah kept steady the whole time. All she could think about, however, while this was happening, were the training stages of her figure skating and the likeness it had to this experience.

  “Now, honey, if you just hold on to my arm… that’s it…”

  Hannah had been going to the ice rink for a few weeks, and her trainer Susan thought it was time to try a waltz jump. It was still difficult to stay balanced on the ice but Susan ensured both Hannah and her parents that she was far more advanced than “normal” students.

  “But what if I fall, Miss Susan?” Hannah cried.

  “Then you fall, my dear. But then you’ll get back up, thankful for the invention of butt pads even if they make you look a lil’ chunky, and you’ll try the move again. Now, lift your right leg – that’s it – and push off on your left toe pick…”

  “I landed it! I did it!” Hannah said, elated with the result of her efforts.

  “Brilliant, honey. You’re doing really well.”

  It was now in the late afternoon, and the sun was beginning to set as Hannah gathered her things, making sure not to forget to pack her favorite book, Alice in Wonderland. It was the way that Alice was thrown into this new world and made the best of it that Hannah admired. She did a final check, then swung her shoulder bag over her body. Grabbing her crutches, Hannah made her way to the door. She was just about to attempt to open it when it opened of its own accord.

  “Oh, Hannah!” Nurse Joyce smiled brightly as Hannah took a step back in surprise, usurping her balance. “Careful!” she warned as she helped Hannah back onto her feet and into the wheelchair that the hospital required all patients to leave in.

  “Ah, I’m such a klutz,” Hannah said as she grimaced. “Thank you so much.”

  “It’s no problem at all, Hannah, it’s my job after all,” Joyce laughed as she cheerfully spoke. “You’re getting discharged! Congrats!”

  “Yeah, I am,” Hannah said as Joyce wheeled her out into the hallway.

  “Is someone coming to pick you up?” Joyce asked as she and Hannah slowly made their way down the corridor, heading towards the hospital exit.

  “Anya should be here anytime…” Hannah said as they reached the exit. They made small talk as they waited for Anya to arrive.

  The doors opened and Anya clacked in. “Hey, Han, ready to go?”

  Hannah gave Nurse Joyce a warm hug. “Good luck, darling.” Joyce grinned. “I have to get back to work. Have fun!”

  “Thank you for everything, Joyce!” Hannah stood up with a smile and held onto Anya, who helped Hannah to her car. “So my first day is next Monday?”

  “Nope, actually the Monday after that. I thought you shouldn’t start too soon, and should give your leg some more rest, so I talked to the hiring manager. Are you excited?” Anya’s eyes twinkled as she drove towards Hannah’s apartment.

  “A little. But also very nervous. What if I don’t do well?” Hannah mused as she thought about all the potential disasters that could occur.

  Anya shook her head playfully. “Don’t worry, Hannah. You’re going to do so well!” she said, intent on making sure Hannah’s worries were dispelled.

  “I’m sure my parents will be proud of me for doing something worthwhile for the first time in my life.”

  “They’re always proud of you, Han,” Anya chuckled. “Do you think they’d pay that downtown ice rink thousands of dollars a year if they weren’t proud of you?”

  That put a smile on Hannah’s face. “Oh yeah, you’ve got a point!”

  Ten minutes later, Anya smoothly pulled up to Hannah’s building. She came to a stop, parked, and helped Hannah up to her apartment. Once she was sure that Hannah didn’t require more assistance, she left.

  But not without saying, “God, you’re so heavy these days, Han… did you steal extra servings of hospital food?” before winking and backing out of the doorway.

  Hannah sat in her comfy armchair as she smiled, thinking that she was quite lucky to have such a great best friend like Anya. She found herself genuinely looking forward to next Monday, and the new challenges that the law firm would bring. Allowing those thoughts to fill her head, Hannah washed up and crawled into bed, where she soon fell fast asleep.

  Chapter 5

  On the appointed Monday morning, Anya arrived at Hannah’s door bright and early. She all but bounded in once Hannah had opened the door, her stylish dark bob of hair bouncing as though it had its own lease on life. “Are you all ready to go?” she said as she took in Hannah’s outfit.

  Hannah had picked out a professional-looking maroon blazer paired with a classic little black dress, pulled together with a white scarf. She looked absolutely fantastic. Anya couldn’t keep her lips together as she smiled at how great Hannah looked, even if she had a hard white cast on. Hannah had opted for comfy flats today, and leaned on her crutches as she grinned at Anya. “Do I look good enough?

  “Good enough? You look perfect.” Anya giggled in delight. “But how do you feel? How’s your leg?”

  “It’s getting a lot better. I’m going to go to the doctor soon for another checkup, but the last time, he said that I’m healing really well. Some patients have taken six months to h
eal, but he’s optimistic that I’ll be able to heal in three or so.”

  “Wowie, missy, you’re just perfect at everything, aren’t you!” Anya teased. “First ice skating, then miracle bone-healing. Pretty soon you’re going to beat me at my own law game!”

  “Haha, very funny!” Hannah retorted. “I know nothing about law.”

  “You always seem to forget you went to, and quit, law school.”

  “I tend not to be a big fan of talking about my failings in life! And by the way, that’s one activity on the list of things-I’m-not-perfect-at.”

  “Oh damn, there is one thing after all. You know another thing you could put on that list right now?” Anya said.

  “What?”

  “Walking!”

  Hannah rolled her eyes and the two friends burst into uncontrollable laughter. By the time they could breathe properly again, Anya had tears streaming down her face and Hannah’s ribs hurt from laughing so much. And for the first time in a while, not a single thought about figure skating consumed Hannah’s mind.

  ***

  When Hannah arrived at the law firm, she was slightly overwhelmed.

  Lawyers and litigators were everywhere, looking very professional. She felt out of place, but Anya was determined that Hannah not feel awkward. She led Hannah towards the elevator, where they would ride to her floor. Many successful-looking men and women greeted Anya on the way. She was obviously well respected here. Hannah felt impressed by Anya, who was an incredible lawyer.

  Though she was only twenty-six, she had been picked up by Meyers & Brown right after graduating from law school and quickly rose through the ranks due to her smarts. Anya often told Hannah how opposing lawyers had underestimated her, judging her purely by her appearance, and how she had used that against them. Just recalling the memories almost made Hannah laugh to herself, which she thankfully held back at the last second.

  Once they had reached Hannah’s cubicle, Anya explained Hannah’s duties. “Alright, Han, I tried to get the temp job with the least about of manual labor like copying, so all you have to do is go through these files and make sure they’re all up to date, and such,” Anya said as she subtly pointed to a stern-looking woman sitting in her tiny office. “When you’re finished with that, ask Helen what you should do next. If you need me, just call, okay? Oh, and the best part, you get an hour-long lunch break!”

  “Whoa, that’s more than I ever get at the rink.”

  Anya squeezed Hannah’s hand. “You are going to be so comfortable here, Han. Plus you get to be lazy and earn money for it at the same time!”

  “Can we grab something to eat together?” Hannah asked hopefully.

  Anya frowned, her bottom lip pushing outwards and her brows furrowing. “Sorry, I can’t today. I have a meeting and some important files to prepare. But you can go get lunch in any of the shops on the street, there are some really great bistros – and also some fast food if you want to be unhealthy.” Anya chuckled. “I really recommend the organic café though.” Anya’s phone beeped, prompting her to check it. “Oh, damn, Meyers needs me. I’ll talk to you later, Han. Good luck!”

  Hannah turned to her desktop, determined to get into the groove of things. She was going to do her absolute best at this, and try to forget about life on the ice as much as humanely possible. Blocking out all the outside noise, Hannah began to focus.

  ***

  Before long, lunchtime seemed to roll around. Hannah hadn’t even noticed that it was twelve, and was only alerted by a sudden uprising of people getting up from their seats. She was just about to text Anya when she remembered that Anya had a meeting. I guess I’ll take Anya’s advice and go check out the bistros. She swung her bag over her shoulder, and grabbing her crutches, headed towards the elevator.

  A little while later, Hannah found herself in front of a charming little organic café, the Loose Leaf. She had always liked organic food, but it seemed like the place was incredibly full. She waited in line anyway, and eventually was able to score herself a delicious-looking sandwich, chock full of spinach, eggs, and fat-reduced mayonnaise.

  Since all the seats were taken in the café itself, Hannah was forced to take her sandwich and find another place to sit. She continued to walk at her slow pace, and found a clear bench. Smiling, Hannah sat down and took a deep breath. Oh man, even walking is tiring me out these days, she thought.

  Just as she was beginning to peel apart the wrapping on her sandwich and take her first bite, she heard a familiar sound.

  The scraping of a blade on ice.

  Hannah’s head shot up as she recognized the sound, realizing that she was sitting near an outdoor ice rink. An overwhelming wave of emotion threatened to engulf her, as she remembered her skating days and how Francis had left her. She missed skating so much, and all she wanted to do was skate for the rest of her life – not sit in an office in a law firm. Not really.

  Her future had been so bright, but it had all been snatched away from her in an instant. It would be so hard for her to get back into the professional world without a caring partner and a coach to stop her from making those dreadful mistakes that caused her to fall in the first place. Hannah shook her head as she turned her head away from the skating rink, not wanting to think about the terrifying future.

  She lowered her head and ate again, focusing on her sandwich while trying to ignore the stinging feeling in her eyes, and concentrating on thinking about work and all of those important documents that need to be completed for that afternoon. The lunch hour passed quickly, and before long, Hannah was back at her desk, tapping away on the computer.

  It wasn’t the most exciting of jobs, as compared to being on the ice, but she made do. She had to make do, or the memories of skating would drive her crazy.

  When five o’clock hit, she looked up to find Anya at her cubicle. “Hey, An.”

  “Made it through your first day alright?” Anya smiled widely. “Sorry, I couldn’t come visit you, this day’s been so busy for me.”

  Hannah thought about the ice skating rink, and wondered if Anya had known about it. She supposed that Anya probably did, but probably wanted to spare Hannah by not telling her. So she didn’t mention it either. “I’m all in one piece. Well, almost in one piece for someone with a broken leg! I’m so tired though, want to get some dinner?”

  Anya grinned brightly. “Of course. Let’s go!”

  Chapter 6

  As the weeks passed, Hannah dedicated herself to the law firm, working to the best of her abilities. Her leg felt better and better and as time passed she found herself relying less on the crutches, much to her delight. Soon, it had been almost a month and a half since the incident.

  Though Hannah still missed skating with all her heart, she found that having the time to sit down and work was quite relaxing, and definitely allowed her leg to heal. Though at first she had been avoiding the ice rink near the office, she had recently started to watch some of the young skaters practice.

  It did make her heart burn with sadness that she couldn’t skate again yet, but there was some comfort in watching kids skate – their fresh bones and unbruised arms and eyes ravenous for more time on the ice as soon as they were told to take a break.

  Hannah had read in the local paper that Francis had won Snowball with his new partner Lucy, a promising young girl who had been training just as hard as Hannah. The papers had marvelled in the fact that they had only been together for a couple weeks before being able to win the competition.

  It had hit her hard, but not as hard as it would have been three weeks earlier. It did make her wonder whether or not she wanted to skate again professionally. Even if she wanted to, she wasn’t sure if she would be good enough to beat Francis and his new partner. These thoughts weighed heavily on her mind almost all the time.

  “Hannah Avery?” The pretty blonde receptionist called Hannah’s name, snapping her out of her thoughts. Hannah had been sitting in the waiting room. “Please follow Nurse Joyce.”

  Nurse J
oyce appeared in front of Hannah, full of smiles. “So great to see you again, Hannah! How’s my favorite ice skater feeling?” Joyce walked slightly in front of Hannah as they made their way down the hallway, heading towards a room.

  “Much better, thank goodness. How are you?” Hannah said, returning the question.

  “Just fine, thank you. Busy, busy, busy, as usual. Ah, here we are.” Joyce led Hannah into a big room with a lot of complicated machinery scattered about. “We’re just going to take some quick x-rays. It’ll only take a couple of minutes!”

  After the x-ray, Joyce brought Hannah to an exam room with a crisp white bed, where Hannah was gently directed to sit. “Doctor James will be right in to discuss your x-rays. Hope everything goes well!” She gave Hannah a light hug before pulling away. “See you later, my little skater!”