Page 100 of Wilder

“Do you make the girls take both?”

“No. We give them the choice. Should they only be in one?”

“Not from a teacher’s perspective. In fact, ballet can be beneficial for figure skaters. Especially those who go on to compete.”

“And do you think they could go on to compete?”

“I’m sure they could,” Lexi said. “You’ll just have to be prepared that one might do better than the other.”

“Really?” Charli was silent for a moment, then she said, “Are you talking about Amelia?”

“I’m not saying that Layla can’t achieve success with hard work, but it will likely come a lot easier for Amelia.”

“Huh.” Charli stared at the little girl.

Lexi had no clue how Charli felt about that revelation. Still, it felt wrong not to let Charli know about her younger daughter’s potential, even if it might not be what Layla would want to hear.

Someone called Charli, drawing her attention from the ice. She glanced back at Amelia, then said, “Thanks for letting me know.”

As the woman walked away, Lexi was left feeling that perhaps sheshouldn’thave let her know. Sometimes navigating these situations with people she didn’t know well was a challenge she wasn’t sure she wanted to take on.

For the next hour or so, she helped out where needed. They were setting up tables with Christmas tablecloths for the bake sale and other auction items. There were signs that someone had drawn that looked quite amazing. She’d never been to a fundraiser before, and though this didn’t have the most polished presentation, everything was welcoming and cheerful.

When she had a free moment, Lexi wandered back over to the rink. She stood at the boards, watching Amelia again. The young girl seemed to be tireless. She hadn’t come off the ice since first arriving.

Shortly before four, Will arrived with Layla and Peyton in tow. He greeted Janessa with a hug and a kiss, then stood with his arm around her, taking in what had been done so far.

“Are we going to practice tonight?” Layla asked as she joined Lexi at the boards.

“I’m not sure if your uncle is coming here after he’s done work or not,” Lexi said. “If he does and wants to skate, we can run through it a couple of times.”

“I’m excited to do it,” Layla told her. “It’s almost like my ballet recital.”

“Do you enjoy ballet?”

“Yep. I like it a lot.”

“Better than skating?” Lexi asked.

Layla paused, her gaze on her sister. She gave Lexi a quick look, then said, “I like them both.”

“It’s okay to like dancing more than skating,” Lexi told her. “I took ballet lessons as well, but I always preferred skating. For some people, ballet is what makes them happier.”

Layla gave a slow nod. “I do like skating, but I really love ballet.”

“How about Amelia?”

“Oh, she likes skating a lot better.”

“Hey there, Elf number one and Mrs. Clause.”

Lexi turned to see that Wilder had arrived while she’d been distracted by her conversation with Layla. His cheeks were reddened from the cold, and his hair looked disheveled, like he’d been running his hand through it.

“Hi, Uncle Wilder,” Layla said with a grin. “Are you gonna skate?”

“We should probably do a run-through one more time if everyone is up to it.”

“I’ll go get my skates.”

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