Pirouette

Noel’s Christmas – Monday, December 20th

“Pirouette”

What perfect timing! What absolutely perfect timing! Nick and Noel had arrived at the Horseshoe Park skating rink right before dusk began to set in. This would give them a chance to skate in daylight as well as when they turned the night lighting on.

The skating rink did indeed fit its name well, the rink being in the shape of a horseshoe. At the open end were refreshment stands as well as lockers and benches so people could sit and put on their skates or just sit and watch others skating. The rink was moderately packed, the town being in the background and giving the setting a nice mixture of rural and urban. Classic Christmas music were playing. The feel of the holidays was in the air. Everything was just perfect.

Now, if she could just get their skates on before all the retreating daylight was gone!

Being the skater of the two of them, Noel laced up her skates and then got straight to putting his skates on. She took such time with getting the laces tight. It seemed kind of excessive to Nick, but she assured him that it was necessary. Having never skated before, he took her word for it.

This whole experience was going to be a new one for him, in more than one way. For once, she would be taking the lead – and she would be instructing him. And from the look of fear in his eyes, Noel knew she would have to coach him through his trepidation and perhaps even coax him out of it. So, there were definitely some reversals of roles happening as she held his hand and encouraged him to stand up.

Getting him to his feet, Noel started him off with the march technique – simply taking steps on the ice, bending the knees and trying to walk. Without much of any confidence, Nick did pick up on the idea. But he was learning it all slower than he would have liked. Still, Noel praised him for the littlest of accomplishments he made.

“There ya go!” Noel said sweetly, Nick moving forward with wobbly progression.

Though he was doing well, he was very shaky. And he felt ridiculous, making high steps. This proved to be good encouragement for him to learn more quickly. If he didn’t want to feel ridiculous, well then he better get it figured out.

“Good!” she said with continued sweetness, a bit maternal in tone even – Nick beginning to roll forward well. “Now put your feet together and squeeze your butt cheeks together.”

Nick did so and suddenly, he started rolling forward smoothly. Next, she taught him the slow side-to-side push offs and soon they entered the flow of traffic.

And before long, they were doing full loops – Noel showing him how to do tricks like the V-shaped, A-shaped foot placement that glided the legs apart and then back together.

Dusk turned to dark and the night lighting came on, decorated so beautifully with strands of Christmas lights everywhere. They turned up the Christmas music, choosing more upbeat songs as the whole scene became a bit more festive still.

And though it was enjoyable, skating with her, Nick really wanted her to shine on that ice. And he encouraged her to go into the center and skate solo.

Staying on the side, Nick got out his phone and began to record her.

Noel looked like an angel, gracefully moving about and doing figure 8s. She was an absolute angel, in movement and in self. She had skated her whole life, but this was the first time she had ever skated while in a diaper. And she mastered the crinkly additive with ease, the whole time keeping a smile on her face that made her shine all that much more.

Skating into the very center with speed, she hit a mark, put her arms straight up and spun in a circle … faster and faster and faster into a pirouette. Then, while still spinning, she squatted down and stuck one leg straight outward – keeping that skate off the ice as she slowed her spin … finishing back on both feet with grace.

Oh, did he love. And he hoped, with every bit of love in his core, that she would say yes.

Continue on to Tuesday, December 21st