2010
A week before the 2010 Olympics, figure skating coach Dominic Reifen was on the ice, running through a routine with his most promising pair of novices. The little boy knew all the steps and rarely made a mistake, but it was his partner that made the team standout. She had a bubbly personality that shone through on the ice and attracted the eyes of the audience like a magnet. He couldn�t help but be reminded of his own partner and their first years together; two kids that had turned their passion into a career and grown together into champions. There was a synchronized skating team sitting in the bleachers waiting patiently for their turn on the ice. Dominic hadn�t noticed the amount of noise they�d been making until they suddenly stopped. With the exception of Carter and O�Neill�s blades on the ice, the arena was totally silent. And then the whispers started, hushed conversations magnified by the acoustics of the rink. Dominic searched the area for the source of the disturbance. He didn�t have to look far. Standing just inside the double doors of the rink was a figure; a very familiar figure. Nick�s breath caught in his throat, his eyes opened wide in shock, and nervous butterflies flittered around his stomach. A million questions raced through his mind but were crowded out by one important realization that sparked half a dozen conflicting feelings � it was her. It had been 6 years, 1 month, and 23 days since he�d last seen his dance partner and he�d pretty much given up on ever being face to face again. They hadn�t parted on particularly good terms. She hadn�t understood why he wanted to leave just when they�d gotten everything they had spent so long working for and he hadn�t bothered to explain. Was she still mad at him for deserting her? Had she forgiven him for not inviting her to the wedding? Was she here to see him or was her appearance in the rink he co-owned a coincidence? Had she missed him as much as he�d missed her? The uncertainty paralyzed him. He couldn�t even analyze his own emotions. He�d thought that he�d successfully closed that chapter in his life. He�d thought that time and distance would have erased the thrill of excitement he felt being in her presence. He�d never expected to still love her. As if in daze, he skated over to the boards and slipped his guards on. Meanwhile she�d left her spot by the doors and was there to meet him when he stepped off the ice. They stood staring at each other awkwardly for a few seconds. She looked nervous and vulnerable, an expression he had rarely seen on her face, though she was still as beautiful as ever. A hopeful smile flitted across her face, giving him the courage necessary to take another step towards her and murmur gently, �I�ve missed you Allison.� Her tremulous smile grew into a full fledged grin and she threw her arms around the neck of her former partner. Partner was a safe term. Their relationship had gone through so many phases � brother, friend, lover- but through it all he�d been her partner, and then they�d let that fade as well. The whispers in the stands had intensified. They all knew her, the 10 time Canadian Champion, 2003 World Champion turned coach. Skaters the world over dreamed of training with her at her famed dance academy. The defending world champions, expected to win gold here in Vancouver, were among the elite skaters she had taken under her wing. Allison Monroe was a legend. What was she doing in their rink? Few among those present had been privileged enough to see Monroe and Reifen perform live, but they had heard the rumours; rumours of a tempestuous partnership, an ugly break-up, and the reasons for both. But the couple embracing by the side of the rink didn�t seem to hate one another. In fact, the very opposite was more supported by the possessive manner in which he had his arms wrapped around her and the way she had her head tucked under his chin, her cheek snuggled against his chest. They stood that way for several minutes before he glanced down at his watch and whispered a quick question in her ear. Despite the silence in the building, the synchro team was unable to hear her response, but from the delighted smile on his face, it could only by assent. Allison left and Dominic returned to coaching Sam and Jack as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The synchro team�s practice was cut short; the coach couldn�t get the girls to concentrate. By ten o�clock, the rink was empty, with the exception of Dominic Reifen. The evening skaters had come and gone, having noticed an unusual sense of excitement enveloping their coach. Most chalked it up to the approaching Games. A few considered the possibility that it had something to do with the mysterious appearance of Allison Monroe earlier. Those few were correct. When Ally re-entered the darkened arena, he was on the ice, waiting for her. No words of greeting were necessary. Ally quickly slipped her skates on and joined her partner on the ice. They fell in side by side and their hands drifted together. Without conscious thought, he shortened his strides to accommodate her smaller frame, until they were perfectly synchronized. They circled the rink a few more times, re-accustoming themselves to having another soul linked to their own. They had been alone for so long, hands � and hearts � empty, but they hadn�t forgotten how it felt to move and exist as a single entity on a frozen stage. In time they came to a stop at the edge of the rink. Their gazes met and held. Seeing a question in her partner�s hazel eyes, Allison smiled slightly, letting him know in the wordless manner that had long existed between them that she agreed. An MP4 player was turned on and they glided together to center ice. His hold shifted slightly as he prepared. She could only follow his lead until the first notes drifted over the loudspeakers. She recognized the music immediately. Seachran. They drifted dreamily through the waltz. Skating together for the first time in 6 years had been wonderful, but it didn�t compare to the magical feeling and utter joy inherent in once again dancing. They danced every song from Greased Lightning to a certain high stepping Celtic medley, finishing with a program they both considered a favourite. Sometimes When We Touch had been their 1997 exhibition. That had been a difficult season for both of them. Their original and free dances were complex and exhausting. In addition to that they�d moved down to Lake Placid, away from their friends and family, and grown closer as a result. The exhibition played on this new closeness, allowing them to express those new feelings without the risk of admitting them to one another, or to themselves. The dance had been the highlight of the season and had kept them going when otherwise they would have given up. As they struck their final pose, their eyes met. The program had awakened desires both had thought buried. They were so wrapped up in one another and the overflow of emotion that neither noticed the figure standing dejectedly by the side of the rink. She�d spent 10 years fighting for his love and when he�d ended the partnership in 2004 to marry her, she�d thought she�d won. But looking at the couple on the ice, she realized that all her hard work had been a waste of time. She was right back to where she�d been a decade ago, except for the ring on her finger. It was enough to bring him home. Her husband was nothing if not honorable, but she was a proud woman. She�d been second best all her life and she was tired of it. At this point it was all or nothing, and if the way he held his partner and the tender expression on his face was any indication, it could never be all. Her decision made, Maija Reifen walked slowly out of the arena and out of his life forever. Her last action was to vindictively flip the light switch, plunging the rink into darkness. They never noticed. The pair skated on, oblivious to the world around them, happy to be once again doing the only thing they loved more than one another � dancing. The End
