Page 35 of Switching Skates
Maeve mentioned that she had nerve damage from the fall and that she never healed back to normal. But I had no idea this was something she was dealing with every single day.
Honestly, I’m glad she’s not asking me to try any jumps because I think the pain would be overwhelming.
I do as she asks, repeating her initial instructions, backward crossover skating for about ten feet.
I nail it, and a weird sense of pride pulses through me. I basically do this every day in my gear without thinking about it. Why am I so proud now?
She clasps her hands together and beams. “I think you’ll be great. And … I have an idea when it comes to speaking tonight.You won’t know how to address the kids or any of their names, which would be such a red flag to any of them and their parents. I thought maybe we could pretend you lost your voice, and I’ll be your helper for the class.”
There’s not much I wouldn’t agree to right now for her. “If you think that’ll work, yeah, I’m down.”
A few hours later, Daphne is the hero of the day, practically leading the class while I pretend to know what I’m doing. Thankfully, the kids find it fun and entertaining. No one has asked any questions or acted suspicious, so I think we may actually pull this off.
“You guys killed it tonight! I know your teacher is very proud of you.” Daphne addresses all the smiling Mini Mammoths, who can’t stop looking between both of us, back and forth, as they have been all class.
They stare up at me with such adoration, and I can easily see the appeal for why she does this.
But something I have a hard time understanding is why she’s performing these skills at all. Skating in her body tonight has been trulypainful. I don’t know how she does it every day and how I haven’t noticed that she’s in pain when she skates. She hides it behind a perfect smile.
Just skating in general hurts more than it should. It’s tolerable at first, but the longer I’m on the ice, the more I wonder why she’s doing this.
I mean, I know her reasons why. It’s the same reason I play hockey and plan to in some capacity until I’m old and gray.
It’s my life and my purpose. I couldn’t imagine ever stopping. And I guess she can’t either.
My chest aches, the agony lancing deep down to my soul.
I’ll never forgive myself for not being there for her after her accident. I should have called, texted, or done anything. I should have shown up on her doorstep and apologized for leaving her. But I didn’t, and it’s too late for any of that now.
I can’t take that back, and it will haunt me forever.
“MissDaphne?” Daphne asks me, pulling me from my thoughts. “Is everything okay over there?”
I nod and give a thumbs-up, plastering a big smile on my face.
“Well, hopefully, her voice will be back next class, and you guys won’t have to put up with me anymore, huh?” She laughs softly, and the children giggle with her. “You guys are dismissed.”
God, she’s good with them. Even in my body, her warm personality shines through.
The kids wave at both of us as they skate off the ice and meet up with their parents.
Daphne skates over to me, towering over me.
God, this is such a weird point of view …
“You did great.” She turns and looks down at me as the last kid leaves the ice. Her eyes soften, and her shoulders relax. “Thank you for this. It means a lot.”
My hand twitches, reaching out for hers, but I stop myself. Now is not the time or place.
“It was nothing.” I shrug it off, playing it cool.
She smirks at me bashfully. “Now we just have to fool Maeve somehow.”
“Oh God, that’s going to be impossible. She knows us too well.” I sigh. “But you just have to pretend to hate me like normal, and it will be fine.”
She scoffs. “Oh, I was never pretending. Don’t worry; once we get this figured out and I can get back into my body, I’ll go back to hating you like before. But until then, I think working together is the only way we are going to switch back.”
I swallow hard, past the lump forming in my throat, and change the subject, not wanting to hear any more about how much she hates me. I think I got the point. “Got any big ideas for tonight?”
