Kiss My Ice

2|8

28.

Enough food to feed the whole skate club for an entire week littered the table. Mom had gone overboard with breakfast this morning. Eggs, toast, bacon, sausage, even fresh fruit sat off to the side in a large bowl.

"You're awfully cheerful this morning," Dad noted as he leaned across the table to get some bacon.

Mom nodded in agreement. "It's been a long time since I've seen you smiling like that."

Heat rushed to my face in an instant. All the memories of last night fluttered back into my mind, forcing an unwarranted smile to my lips. From landing my first triple axel, to making up with Aiden, so many positive things had happened last night. There was a lot for me to be happy about.

I dropped my gaze to the plate of food in front of me, focusing on the little black spot burnt spot on my toast. "What can I say?" I mumbled. "I'm in a good mood."
"And to what do we owe this good mood of yours?" Dad asked to which Mom laughed and added, "Acquiring minds would love to know."

Of the many things that were contributing to my good mood, only one did I feel like sharing with my parents. As close as I was with them, I wasn't completely sure what it was that was going on between Aiden and I. Things with us were new and we didn't exactly have a label on our relationship.

Pulling the burnt piece of toast off my plate, I took a small bite before lifting my eyes to meet my parents' gaze. "I landed my triple axel last night." My triple axel was a safe, and a huge part of my mood.

Mom's eyes went wide with excitement as she let out a squeal of glee. "Honey! That is so exciting, why wouldn't you tell us sooner?!"

"That is awesome." Dad grinned. "Do you think that you'll have it ready in time to include in your regional routine?"

I took another bite of my toast, offered a nod. "That's the goal. I still have a long way to go though. I've only landed it once."

There were still several months before the regional competition, but I still had only ever landed my triple once. Even with the added time that I would now have without having to worry about my punishment with Aiden, I had my work cut out for me.

With the punishment officially lifted, things at the rink could go back to how things used to be. Comparatively speaking, that is. Things were never going to go back to exactly how they were before Aiden.

To my amusement, Dad and Mom fell into a short-lived argument about whether or not it was okay for me to put in extra hours at the rink with my senior year starting soon. Mom was pro high school, Dad pro figure skating. It was safe to say that I was rooting for Dad to win the argument.

The doorbell rang, cutting off their debate.

"Were we expecting someone this morning?" I wondered, taking a sip of my orange juice. My parents stopped mid-sentence, giving each other a curious look. They shook their heads.

"No," Mom admitted. "We weren't."

All three of us turned our heads in the direction of the door.

Dad sighed, pushed his plate to the middle of the table. "I'll get it."

"You weren't expecting anyone this morning?" Mom asked once Dad had left the dining room. Her lips curled to a soft smile as she anticipated my answer.

I shook my head. The only person I knew that might stop by unannounced was Lucy, and I doubted it was her since she had extended family in town.