To Dream or Not to Dream

The Past

Authors Note: If you are reading, please vote or leave a comment. It really motivates me. =)

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2016- Outskirts of Boston

It wasn't long before the occupants of the car realized that they had to end their journey and look for a place to settle for the night. 

 As they drove through a small town that Isabella knew all too well, she debated on whether or not she should bring them to her house or pretend that she had no idea where they were and look for a hotel. In this small city though, there were very few last minute options and she worried they would be without a place to stay, or stuck on a snowy street.

Approaching her childhood home, a sizable oblong building emerged through dense woods, large enough to be discernible despite the falling snow.

"What's that?" Javier mused aloud, breaking the looming silence.

"That is an ice rink."

Javier looked at the girl, taken aback that she had actually answered his rhetorical question.

"Whoa, that's awesome. I can't believe this small town has a figure skating rink," he stated, moving closer to the window to get a better look.

"It's for hockey," Isabella further clarified, before smiling, thinking about the many hours she had spent in that very building- Jacob's grandfather's arena.

Continuing to drive, the ice rink drew nearer until she veered onto a small street that led to a dead end. Finally, she pulled into the driveway of a house.

"Where is this?" Javier questioned as the van came to a stop. His eyes studied the house that despite having no lights turned on, looked well kept.

"This is my home," Isabella spoke nervously, "You are all welcome to stay here for the night.  There really aren't many hotels nearby."

Javier resisted the urge to let his mouth fall open. He felt surprised, but more importantly, touched, as he recognized the extent to which she was going out of her way to assist them. Despite her few words, her actions were eloquently speaking on her behalf.

"Thank you very much Isabella. Will your family mind?"

"No." Isabella shook her head. "This is just my house. They don't live here anymore."

______

Yuzuru Hanyu sat on the couch in Isabella Lawson's living room.

Exhausted from the day, everyone else had already retired to different rooms after scavenging whatever they could find in the seemingly abandoned house. Though he had offered to sleep on the couch, he found himself completely unable to do so in the unfamiliar place.

In his boredom, his gaze traveled along the walls of the room, studying the numerous photographs that hung, showing many smiling faces- Isabella's family.

Family that clearly wasn't here.

It looked like she had a family of four. Mother, father, Isabella, and a sister.

They looked happy in their pictures.

He studied a large family portrait on the center of the living room wall. Isabella stood next to her sister, smiling brightly.  Honestly, he wasn't sure he had ever seen her look so content before. In this photograph, she wore a true, carefree smile.  Any smile he had seen from her thus forth had been a shadow of the joy captured in many of these pictures.

His eyes then landed on the fireplace Isabella had spent at least a half an hour kindling not long ago.  Above it, a mantel adorned with trophies and medals caught his attention. He stood up to get a closer look.