To Dream or Not to Dream

Full Circle - Final

Author's Note:

Well... this is the end. It has been a fun journey writing this story and to be honest I am not sure I ever expected to complete it. It has taken me about 4 years and most of the bulk of it was written within the last few months. Truly, I know that it would not have been completed if it wasn't for your votes and comments. Even though this isn't a big story and there may not be many people reading it, I truly appreciate that you are. There are so many better stories out there, so it truly is an honor you spent your time reading this. My writing is so very cheesy that I cringe readying my own work. So thank you so so much for reading. Really, thank you.

Like I mentioned in the last chapter, I do plan on writing some one-shots for this story with side-plot. Some will have mature content that I didn't include in the main body of this story. If you have any ideas, please feel free to drop a line!!

ありがとう ございました!

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Toronto Cricket Club - Late 2018

It has been said that scent is the strongest tie to memory and that in a fraction of a moment, a scent can bring a person back into a vivid recollection of the past. Isabella couldn't agree more with that as she breathed in deeply, a pleasant smile resting on her lips.

This was the same scent she experienced for the first time almost three years ago now, and it was as nostalgic as it was grounding- the scent of the Toronto Cricket Club.

Her eyes roamed around the empty space that she was sure would soon be filled with excited skaters, echoing voices, and the distinct sound of blades on ice. As her own skates cut into the fresh ice, her mind thought back to the time she first set foot here.

That day, she had come to the Toronto Cricket Club with the hope of pursuing her childhood dreams. She had been so lost, clueless, and ready to run towards anything that would take her out of the melancholy of her life. Leaving everything up to chance, she left the comfort of her home and took a risk.  She stepped away from what was expected of her, and decided that she expected more of herself.

And she ended up with much more than she ever could have bargained for.

There were more challenges, more pain, and certainly more sadness than she had anticipated. But, there was also more happiness than she could have thought was humanly possible to experience. 

So much had happened since that time. So much had changed.

Yet, so much was the same.

At heart, Isabella knew that she was still the same girl who came to Toronto, afraid of change and failure- the one who often perceived her skills as mediocre, at best.  Isabella still wasn't sure if she really excelled or stood out in anything. But now, as she stood on this ice, the difference lied in her acceptance- the acceptance of herself. 

Even if her weaknesses were still present, they didn't need to inhibit her. The meaning behind her successes actually lied in her struggle to achieve them. And, even though she was still afraid of change and failure, her desire to succeed was stronger. She may not have stood out in anything in her eyes, but she was uniquely her and that was something that no one else could ever be.

"Not much has changed, right?" Tracy Wilson's kind voice cut into the silence, jarring Isabella from her reverie as she announced her presence in the otherwise empty rink. 

"Coach Tracy!" Isabella's eyes lit up, immediately moving towards the lady she had missed so dearly.  Wasting little time, she wrapped her arms around her, hugging her firmly.