Page 93 of Finding the Pieces

“Honey, you are the most talented woman I know…but maybe we stick to photography, huh?”

She pokes me in the shoulder before I unfold the second paper in the envelope. I quickly scan the text and my mind finally pieces together what Ellie’s got up her sleeve.

A lifetime of games with you by my side.

With you, I’m winning every time.

Hold on tight and walk with me,

Rolling back to where we dreamed.

“Ellie,” I say, speechless. I swallow and take a few seconds to gather my thoughts, failing. I can only ask, “Is this what I think it is?”

“You took me on the first date to end all first dates when we met,” she says with a cheek-splitting grin. She puts the car in reverse before adding, “Now, it’s my turn.”

The poem and the drawing…both over-the-top, cheesy shit I gave to Ellie every day the week before I took her out on our first date.

She’s doing the same for me now.

The pulsing rhythm of my heart is the only thing steadying me as I reach across the console to grip Ellie’s thigh.

“I fucking love you, Ellie.”

“Let me show you how much I love you back.”

***

“I think our first date was the first and last time I ever tried this,” Ellie says, clinging to the wall of the roller rink. “Now, I remember why.” She’s unsteady but in good spirits and joking around as I coax her off the wall, taking her hands in mine.

“Jake and I used to come here every weekend growing up,” I say. “Maybe we should start coming as a family. Luca might grow up loving it. Who knows? You might become the best skater in the family.”

“I hate the idea of spending more time on unstable footing, but damn, Luca would be so cute wiggling around in tiny roller skates, a helmet, and kneepads.”

I laugh and skate backward, pulling Ellie along with me, her hands gripping mine tightly as she fights to keep herself upright.

“Of course he would be.”

The lights dim and the announcer comes over the speaker. “Aaaaaaattention,” he sings. “We have a very special song request for Dominic from Ellie. “

The slow and steady beat of “Ellie My Love” by Ray Charles fills the venue, and I laugh, remembering when I dedicated this song to her years ago.

Ellie gasps as I pull her into my arms, stealing a kiss and stroking my thumb along her jaw as I thread my hand into her hair.

“I love this song,” I whisper in her ear as couples skate past us.

“I tried to find one with your name, since I wanted to put my own spin on things while recreating this date,” she says with a laugh. “But all I could find was a song about a Christmas donkey. Didn’t quite fit the vibe.”

“As much as I would have seriously enjoyed that,” I say, skating to position myself at her back, my arms wrapped around her waist. “You made the right call,” I whisper into her ear as I push us both forward. Her hands drop to my wrist, gripping tightly as she holds on to me for balance.

“I won’t let you fall,” I murmur in her ear.

“You never do,” she says, chancing a look at me over her shoulder.

We spend the next thirty minutes skating around the rink, Ellie getting more comfortable by the end, before we take a break and grab a drink from the concession stand.

“Have you had your fill?” she asks, unable to mask the hope in her voice.

“This was incredible. I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

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