by Frank Downey
The small group of their supporters erupted with applause. Kate and Tanya were especially impressed, because they had never seen them skate live. Dan was really impressed-he had never seen them skate at all.
"My God, you guys are good!" he enthused. "That was really something."
"I can't believe two kids your age can swing that hard," Jim added.
"Thanks. We're glad you like it. We love it," Warren said.
"I keep telling them that if they skate it clean, it's going to get them on the podium at Nationals," June said.
"Well, it's very us," Sophia said. "Well, one side of us."
"Yeah, and for the other side of us, you guys wanna see the exhibition?"
"Exhibition?" Dan asked.
"If we finish high enough-it's usually top 3 or top 4-in any of our events, we get invited to skate in the post-competition gala," Sophia told him. "You can skate to anything you want to, no rules, so most people choreograph a special exhibition number. I don't know if I agree with June about Nationals, but we fully expect to finish high enough at the Grand Prix events, so we choreographed an exhibition."
"In fact, that's our main motivation for making it to the podium at Nationals. They don't televise the Junior Grand Prix, but they do televise the exhibitions at Nationals, and we want to do this dance on TV." Warren said.
Sophia added, "It's not as technically complex as our competitive programs, but it's got other things going for it. Don't need the ponytail for this one," she said as she took it out.
"Love to see it," Dan said. Everyone else agreed. "I'm glad I brought extra film," Tanya added, to general laughter.
"So, what type of dance is this?" Jim asked as they skated to their starting positions. "Tango? Rumba? Classical? Techno?"
Sophia giggled, and smiled at him. "Call it a love letter." June started the CD player, and "You'll Be In My Heart," by Phil Collins started playing.
The song is a passionate, intense, love song, and Sophia and Warren's dance was passionate, intense, and loving. The footwork was scaled back a bit from the Glenn Miller dance, as fits an exhibition, but the rest of the dance compensated for it. Their dance was all about deep edges, close holds, constant eye contact, a touch of a cheek, a caress of an arm, a loving smile. They sang snippets of the lyrics at each other as they glided around the ice, lost in their own world. Sophia smiled gently at Warren, who smiled gently back, as they held each other, dancing to the beautiful love song. The love and passion they had for each other was unmistakable.
When they were done, they were slightly out of breath from the intensity of it. And their audience was thunderstruck.
"I thought I knew what you guys felt about each other. I was wrong. Now I know," Kate pointed out succinctly.
"Love letter is an apt description," Jim added.
"I keep telling them that if that dance gets any more intense, they're going to end up skating on bare concrete because the ice will have completely melted," June said.
"No doubt," Dan agreed.
"I hope you do get to do that at Nationals," Kate said. "It would be a little calling card for your career. 'Hi, America-we're here, we're really good, and you just wish you were this much in love.'" Everyone cracked up laughing at that, Sophia and Warren most of all.
"We're glad you guys liked it," Sophia offered.
"And I'm so glad you guys let me come and take pictures of it!" Tanya enthused.
Kate and Tanya went right down to the Walgreen's downtown to get the pictures developed. They got two sets, and went back to Kate's house and gave a set to Warren and Sophia. The skaters loved them, and Tanya was very pleased with how they had turned out.
Kate was thumbing through Tanya's copies. "Hey, Tanya, can I borrow this one?" she said of one that had really caught her eye. "Just for a couple days. I'll give it back."
"Sure. Make sure you give it back, though, that's one of my favorites.
After Tanya had left, Kate made a beeline to her room.
Sophia came upstairs at about 9:00 that night, to fetch sodas and make popcorn. Ellen and Dan were sitting in the living room.
"Hi guys. Where's Kate? Warren and I were just watching movies, I thought Kate might like to join us."
"She's in her room," Ellen said.
"Ah, I'll go see if she wants to come down."
"Uh-uh," Dan said. "I went up there a little while ago. She's painting. I learned long ago that you do not disturb Kate when she's painting." Ellen and Sophia laughed. "Especially since she told me, when I went up there, that she's in one of her legendary painting grooves."
"Painting grooves?" Ellen asked.
Dan smiled. "That's what she calls it. 'I'm in a groove, Dad.' That means she's working on something really good and she can't stop and she'll be there pounding away at the thing until it's done even if it takes until four in the morning, so don't bug her."
Sophia laughed. "Aah. I can relate, I'm the same way when I'm reading, and my Snugglebear is even worse. Anyhow, if she gets a cramp in her brush hand or something, tell her she's welcome to buzz the intercom. Warren and I already had our 'private time' tonight."
Dan grinned at her. "I'll tell her."
Sophia got up for breakfast-Warren had spent the night, but had left, because he got an extra shift at the donut shop-and was surprised to see just Ellen and Dan there.
"She still painting?" Sophia asked.
"Yup," Dan confirmed. "She actually went to bed last night, but got up at the crack of dawn and went right back to the easel."
Warren came back over in the afternoon, after his shift. Both he and Sophia were planning on quitting the donut shop when school started, because they just had too much going on this year, and were trying to squirrel away as much money as they could.
He came in through the front door, saying hi to Dan, Ellen, and Tara and Eric who were home from their fathers by that point. "Hiya, folks. Beautiful be downstairs?" Ellen laughed and confirmed it.
A few minutes later, Kate came running downstairs, paint on her hands, and even some on her face. "Well, if it isn't Michaelangelo emerging from the Sistine Chapel for a breath of fresh air," Dan joked.
"Thanks, Dad. Was that Warren coming back in?"
"Yeah."
"Good." She walked over to the intercom. "Hey guys can I come down?"
"Sure," Sophia's voice came over.
"Great. I'll be down in about ten minutes."
"OK."
She ran back upstairs and was up there for a few minutes. She emerged with a large object-clearly, a framed canvas wrapped in white paper.
"That what you've been working on, Pumpkin?" Dan asked.
"Yeah. But it's for Warren and Sophie, so they get to see it first." She hustled down to the basement.
She knocked on the door to Sophia's room, leaving the canvas outside. Sophia opened the door, and Kate walked in. She made a little show of looking around the room.
"Y'know, I was thinking. These walls are awfully bare. You need something on them, Sophie, besides your prom picture, and that Feeling Sophie Up series."
Sophia giggled. "Actually we were thinking about asking Tanya to blow up some of those pictures she took."
"I've got a better idea." She opened the door and grabbed the canvas. "This is for you guys."
Sophia looked at Kate in amazement. "This what you've been working on for two days?"
"Yup. When inspiration hits..." She giggled. "Open it."
Sophia did, with Warren helping. When they got the paper off, Sophia gasped.
Kate had taken the photo she had borrowed from Tanya, and used it as a reference. She didn't copy it, but had made a painting that was all her own. Sophia and Warren were dancing, in closed position, gazing into each other's eyes. Kate had captured, perfectly, the flush in Sophia's cheeks, the twinkle in her eyes, the sure, steady, loving gaze in Warren's. Sophia's long black hair was flowing gently behind her, to help create the sense of movement on the ice.
"I can't believe you did this!"
Sophia exclaimed.
"That is really, really good," Warren agreed. "Kate, you're a talented girl." Kate just blushed.
"What a wonderful gift." She gave Kate a big hug. "Thank you so much."
"Thanks, Kate," Warren said as he kissed her on the cheek. "This is fantastic."
Sophia was still looking at it in wonder. "You captured the joy," she said incredulously. "The joy we feel when we skate with each other. It's all here. You got it."
"You're absolutely right," Warren agreed.
Kate had the world's biggest grin. "You ever get done with a dance, and say to yourself, 'that was exactly right, that's every step exactly the way it should be.'?"
"Sometimes," Warren said. "It's what you shoot for. Doesn't happen all the time."
"Right. Painting's like that. And you telling me that I succeeded in capturing the joy-well, it's like straight sixes for you guys. Thank you for noticing. That's what I was trying so hard to do."
"You did it. We'll cherish this forever," Warren said.
"Damn straight," Sophia agreed. "And I've got a hook right here." She hung the painting up, right above the bed.
Just then, Dan and Ellen rapped at the door. "We were wondering if we could see this painting that Kate worked so hard on."
Sophia opened the door, and pointed.
"Wow," Dan said after a minute. "Wow, wow, wow."
"Double Wow," Ellen agreed.
Kate was feeling giddy and embarrassed, all at once. "I'm so glad you like it. I need to go soak in a tub to wash this paint off." She giggled, and bounded out of the room and up the stairs.
"What a gift. She's such a great kid." Sophia said.
"I think she got inspired yesterday," Ellen commented. "She was all dreamy while you guys were doing that dance."
"Yeah, and look at this painting-she captured the joy, and the passion. And that was second hand. Dan, if that daughter of yours ever falls in love you are in big trouble, because she is going to do so with the white-hot passion of a thousand suns." Sophia grinned at him.
Dan got a rueful look in his face. "Don't you think I figured that out long ago?"
Chapter 47 - Jack's Wedding
Ellen and Dan's wedding was a small affair, but Sophia and Warren had a good time. They really did make each other happy, and Sophia was just plain crazy about Kate.
A week after that, Sophia and Warren found themselves en route to Washington DC for Jack Garrison's wedding. They were booked at a hotel, and made mad love before crashing. It was an afternoon/evening wedding, outside, on a large estate.
They wandered in, found what table they had been assigned to, and went to find it. As they approached it, they heard the bellow of Christine Arsenault: "Well, if it isn't Daniels and Kelleher, the future of American Ice Dance!"
"Shut up, you," Warren said, as he walked up to her and gave her a kiss. He did the same to Elizabeth Cushman, who was with her. Sophie hugged them in turn.
"You guys at table ten, I hope?" Liz asked.
"Yup. You?"
"Yeah. Christine and I don't have dates, so they put us together, which was nice."
"Hope the press doesn't get a hold of that," Warren quipped. "There would go all those Arsenault Cushman vicious rivalry stories."
"Yeah, well, to be in a rivalry, one skater has to actually beat the other skater occasionally," Liz quipped.
"HEY! I beat you at Nation's Cup last fall!" Christine said indignantly.
"Oops, you're right."
They found their table. Already seated were former National pairs champion Renee Miller and Ted Sorrell. Sophia and Warren had met them a couple of times, and had liked them. They exchanged greetings.
"Check it out, Liz, two swinging single gals like us, and they stuck us with all the old married couples."
Renee and Ted just laughed, but Warren said, "Not only are we not married, but old? I'm two years younger than you are, Arsenault."
"OK, so you're not old. Married is accurate, if not yet legally, and you know it."
Warren and Sophia just smiled at one another. "So who's the other married couple at the table?"
"Oh, I don't know, I was talking about you two and Renee and Ted."
They were chatting about not much, Warren always enjoyed the dynamic between Christine and Liz. They were fierce competitors, but they were also close friends. It was interesting.
They also both liked to tease. Each other, and other people. They had, along with Jack, set up an elaborate joke at Warren and Sophie's expense, and, as Liz caught a glimpse of two people walking across the yard, it was time to set into action.
"Hey, guys, I don't know if I know this. We've been talking about skaters we like and stuff, but I'm not sure if I know who you guys' favorite dance team of all time is."
"Malekova and Boranachenko," Sophia and Warren said simultaneously. "Great technique and passion to burn," Warren said. "We worship them," Sophia added.
"Ah, what a wonderful thing to hear from a young talented ice dance team," Warren heard said behind his back in a Russian accent. He and Sophia turned-and saw Anya Malekova and Gennadi Boranachenko. Sitting into their seats. At their table-Anya was right next to Warren, as a matter of fact.
And Sophia and Warren both had their eyes bug out of their head.
Anya smiled at them. "I know you two. Sophia Daniels and Warren Kelleher. Second at US Nationals in juniors last year, first in the free dance. We were there. You're very talented."
"Thank you," Sophia managed to squeak out.
"Yes, thank you very much. Oh my God, I'm sitting next to Anya Malekova," he said to the air. Anya and Gennadi just laughed.
"Hey, guys?" Liz interjected. "You know, I lied. Warren told me six months ago that Anya and Gennadi were your idols. And I know them, because they work out of my rink and choreographed some stuff for me."
Warren stared at her. "This was a set-up!"
"Uh-huh." Liz grinned. "Chris, Jack, and Anya and Gennadi were all in on it."
"We're just innocent bystanders," Renee Miller smiled.
"Right!"
Warren looked at Liz, and then at Anya. "You know, we promised each other we were not going to hero-worship today. And, we were doing a good job of it. Heck, I met Shae-Lynn Bourne and Nicole Bobek today and didn't gush once." Everyone laughed at that. "And then you two showed up. Ah, well, so much for keeping our composure."
"You have to understand," Sophia told them, "your Bach free dance that won you the Olympics in France is why I'm an ice dancer."
"Thank you, that's quite a compliment." Gennadi said. "Although, having seen you skate, I'm a little surprised. That's one of our most romantic dances.
"Aah," Warren said, "Well, our love of Big Band has kind of taken over. In fact our free this year is another big band mix. We like to swing on the ice."
"However," Sophia smiled, "wait until you see our exhibition. Not classical-it's to a pop song-but very M&B, or at least that's the goal."
"Aah, but you see," Anya said, "to have the passion on the ice, you must have the passion off the ice."
Christine cracked up laughing. Warren and Sophia just looked at each other and smiled.
"Did I miss something?" Anya asked.
Christine sputtered. "I have a picture of them, skating together, that Warren emailed me. I think the ice melted."
"My stepfather saw our exhibition and said he thought he was going to have to hose us down," Sophia added. She looked at Anya and Gennadi. "We've been a couple off the ice longer than we've been a couple on it. We started dating when we were fourteen."
"Ah, but you're so young, even now," Gennadi said.
"True love don't know age, guys," Liz interjected.
"True," Anya agreed with a smile.
The rest of the wedding was great. Jack and Amanda made a great couple. Sophia and Warren got to dance a lot-although, in a crowd of ice skaters and Amanda's dancer friends, they blended more into the crowd than they usually do, which was a nice change, actually. They me
t lots of people, and even got to talk to some of them. Anya and Gennadi turned out to be sweet and charming. And Warren even got an unexpected surprise when a slightly inebriated Stephie Eberhardt, his favorite skater, fell into his lap--literally. She even chatted amiably and gave him a kiss on the cheek-making him blush bright red-before she got off his lap. "Oh, Snugglebear, you must have thought it was Christmas," said a plainly amused Sophia.
"Oh, and you don't think I didn't notice you drooling over Mr. Boranachenko all night?" Sophia blushed as Gennadi just grinned at her.
The next morning, Jack had planned a little party, since he and Amanda were not going on their honeymoon for a couple days. Since lots of his guests had flown in, they made a weekend out of it. Jack had called his skating friends, and told them of his idea-Saturday, the day after the wedding, they'd have a brunch in the hotel, then they'd rent a rink. Everyone could show up, around their skating friends and the other wedding guests, and show what they had been working on. If enough people were comfortable with that, that is. The response was enthusiastic, so it was done.
Warren and Sophia were, at first, all for it. Until they saw the array of skating talent that they would be sharing the ice with. What was worse, Jack had drawn up a little order, and had them skating directly after Malekova and Boranachenko. They were terrified.
"Come on," Liz said during brunch. "I really want to see your new stuff."
"Me, too," said Christine. "He's going to let everyone speak, so you'll be able to tell everyone who you are."
"Yeah, and we want to see that exhibition," Anya said.
"OK, we'll do it. God help us," said Sophia.
They were instantly glad they did it. Hanging out with all the skaters, seeing what they were up to. Warren loved Liz's new program. Jack went first, and showed his fine new long program. Christine did her long, and a new exhibition to some Beatles music. "Nice music, Skate Babe!" Warren yelled, as she shook her butt at him in response. Malekova and Boranachenko were Malekova and Boranachenko-that is to say, romantic, passionate, and beautiful. Then it was Sophia and Warren's turn.
