Page 33 of Crashing into Love

“Mom, okay,” the girl repeated.

Selma let go of her and turned to Drew.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. But she can’t snowboard in a unicorn onesie… So, looks like we both need to change.”

About thirty minutes later, Drew and Gia were in the lodge’s shuttle, which took them to the lift. Drew was a little worried about having Gia in the lift with her, so she used one of the loops on Gia’s pants to hold on to her. The kid had so much energy, there was a good chance she’d spazz out and end up falling. When they got to the top, though, Gia got off with Drew, and they headed over to a flat spot to get in some practice.

“My mom is really sorry.”

“What?” Drew asked as they stood off to the side of the run a few hours later.

Gia had done a great job. She’d listened to every one of Drew’s orders, suggestions, and critiques on her form, and she hadn’t asked for a break once; water, yes, but not a break.

“She said she knocked you down at the Big Games, the Olympics,” Gia explained.

“Oh. Sort of.”

“I know she’s sorry about it. She told me. She said it’s part of snowboarding.”

“The kind your mom and I do, yes. But there are other kinds of snowboarding, too.”

“I want to do the kind you do,” Gia told her.

“It’s a lot of fun, but it’s very hard work. You have to be willing to put the work in. Are you?”

“Yes, I am.” The girl nodded rapidly. “It’s like, I want to be out here; not at school or doing my homework.”

“Because it’s too easy?”

“Yes. But Mom won’t let me go any higher, even though I know I can.”

“She has her reasons, Gia. Moms know best.”

“Does your mom know best?”

Drew flopped down into the snow and watched Gia mimic her.

“She still does, yes. I’m a grown-up, and I still listen to my mom. She’s the best.”

“What if I want to do what you and Mom do, but she wants me to do something else?”

“Like what?”

“Math stuff. I’m good at it, but I don’t want to do it all the time.”

“I think your mom would understand. And when the time comes – years from now, when you’re making those decisions – you just tell her how you feel.”

“But you said she knows best.”

“Your mom knows you better than anyone, right?”

Gia nodded.

“So, when you two talk about it, she’s going to listen to you, and she’ll know what’s in here.” Drew placed her index finger on Gia’s coat over her heart. “She’ll know what’s in there, and she’ll help you figure out what’s right for you. I don’t think your mom is going to make you do anything you don’t want to do, Gia.”

“You don’t?”

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