Page 21 of Learning to Love

Four small faces stare back at me with intent and curiosity.

“Ok, kids. This isThe Very Merry Pony, written by a nice author called …” I check the cover again. I can’t concentrate for the life of me. In just a few hours Sam will meet my parents. My heart rate is through the roof.

“Ashley Parkes,” Oscar whispers loud enough for everyone in the entire center to hear.

I chuckle. “That’s right, Oscar. Ashley Parkes.”

Since going public with Sam on Instagram, my life has been manic. My parents found out, so I had to explain, like I’m some sort of teenager. Then all my university girlfriends wanted to know why, how, when, and how often, but I brushed them off.

A style magazine actually posted our photo together and made it into a fashion feature, with where they thought our clothes were from. They got the value of my gear wrong though, I don’t wear $100 LuluLemons. I’m a Kmart girl at $10 a pair.

Somehow, I get to the end ofThe Very Merry Pony, and parents begin streaming through the door to pick their kids up early. Being Christmas Eve, there aren't many kids in today to begin with. When the excited hum of little kids voices turns to silence, and the last kid is gone, us teachers finish tidying up, then have a shared lunch. We swap secret Santa presents. I give Hamida a gorgeous scarf, and she loves it. In return I get a lush box of artisan chocolates from Chloe. Sam and I could eat them in the car on the way up to Matakana.

I drive home to pick up Daisy, get my bags, and make sure everything is closed up for a couple of days. When I drive up, Tayla’s car isn’t the only one in the drive, and I find my roommate and Sam’s best friend on the front porch engaged in some sort of staring contest.

I put on my sunniest voice. “Hi, Corey. What brings you here?”

He’s holding a huge hamper and he pushes it in my direction. “Happy Christmas. And … I’m sorry. Next time, we’re doing dinner at my house.” Corey winks.

He’s such a charming ratbag, I think I forgave him straight away and take the basket from him.

“You’re gonna need a bigger gift,” Tayla snaps. “Nahhh. Keep groveling.” Her pink hair swishes. Is she … flirting with Corey?

Corey pretends to loosen up his t-shirt collar and walks backward toward his car. “Until next time. Happy Christmas, ladies. I’m sure I’ll see more of you now than ever.” His car roars to life and he disappears down the road.

I raise my eyebrow at Tayla.

“What? He’s hot. But he’s also a ratbag. Not going to let him off the hook so easily. Anyway, I’m off to Dunedin. Gotta catch the midday flight.”

I gather Daisy and my bags and bundle it all into my car then take off on the short drive to Sam’s place.

I made the rather rash decision to go up to my parents inmycar to drop Daisy, then switch to his car for the longer drive down to O'Neill's Bay. It just … felt right. I want to show my parents I'm stillme, regardless of who I'm dating. Famous athlete or not.

Today is the day. We leave for Christmas Eve. Not even a very merry pony can distract me from my excitement. But … it’s not all good vibes pouring through me. Doubt nags at me, too. I’ve barely seen Sam over the past two weeks. We’ve had stolen moments here and there, times when we’ve pulled each other’s clothes off hungrily, but not enough. Every moment felt rushed, his thoughts somewhere else, likely towards the big race for the cup at the end of next year. The race is consuming him in a way I could never have imagined before. I feel like he’s in a snowglobe, or perhaps a terrarium, moving around in his own world, and I’m stuck outside, looking in.

When I get to Sam's house in Bella Vista, I message him to come down. Wow, he's made an effort. For a start he's wearing shoes and socks. Some dark jeans and a nice casual shirt hug him in all the right places.

His brow is furrowed. "I don't understand how you convinced me to go in your car. Look at it. It's held together by chewing gum and prayers."

I can't contain a laugh at that. "She's a nice little runner. I've had her for over eight years now, since I learned to drive. Surely you must remember your first car."

"I remember alright. It was a Ford Laser Sport 1987, a bit similar to this one. The only difference is mine went to the wrecker's yard, which is what yours should do, too." He knocks on the roof, and one of the side mirrors drops. I reattach it. He puts a duffel bag in the boot, gives Daisy a pat in the back seat, and gets in the passenger's seat, still shaking his head.

I stroke the dashboard. "Don't listen to him, Dorothy. You've been a very good car."

He laughs. I blast the music as loud as the old stereo will allow, and we set off northbound towards my parents' place.

The cheer is short lived, as exactly halfway to Matakana, there's smoke under the hood, and I have to pull over, to Sam's increasing annoyance.

"For fuck's sake, Ellie. This tuna can isn't even capable of making it a hundred miles up to your folks' place. We're stranded on the state highway with your dog, cars flying past doing a hundred."

Between us, he knows a bit more about engineering, and he manages to get the car to start again. We get back inside, and he's deadly serious. "You're getting a new car."

I laugh. "And you're funny. I can't afford a new car. Why do you think I drive this one?"

"I'm going to buy it for you. Consider it a Christmas present." He seems quite pleased with the thought.

"I'm sorry but I can't accept it. It's too much. I'll just get a loan from the bank and pay it off in installments." My pride is wounded. I don't earn much, but I'm proud of my work and what I've achieved so far in life. Whatever anyone else says, Olympian or not.

---