Chapter Text
Seasons may change
Winter to spring
She was surprised, really. It had been two—no, three years since they'd properly been in the same location, at the same time, with more than a minute to spare. He was just so busy, now, but she didn't blame him in the slightest. Just as he was with everything, he was wholeheartedly devoted to coaching.
He had a family, too.
She was surprised, not because it had been so long since she'd last seen him, but because now that she did, she realized how much she'd missed.
Tessa smiled—not too nervously, she hoped. "Hi," she said softly, bending down to reach eye level with the girl in front of her. "I'm Tessa. It's so nice to meet you."
The girl beamed, an achingly familiar bashfulness in her expression as she looked Tessa right in the eye. There was a hesitancy in the way she clung to her father's hand, staying back even as he gently urged her forward, but her gaze was unfaltering.
And oh, her eyes—they were just like his. Wide and curious, revealing colours she would recognize anywhere: light brown tinged with the subtlest hint of green, just a little watery. More striking than the colour, though, was that unfiltered adoration, the one that she hadn't realized she'd been missing all this time.
She was loved. She was loved—by the girl, but more than anything, she was loved by him.
Suddenly, it didn't matter that this was her first time meeting the girl, because it was as though Tessa had known her for her whole life. And perhaps she had, because the girl was a part of him, and after everything, no matter the distance: she would always know him.
"C'mon, kiddo," Scott said, and Tessa's heart clenched at the term of endearment—once used for her. He nudged her gently forward. "Say hi to Auntie T."
The girl's eyes never left hers, looking curious as ever, as if she couldn't get enough. Up close, the resemblance was uncanny. It was exactly how he had looked at her, long ago.
"Hi," Tessa said softly, holding out her two hands in what she hoped was a gesture of comfort.
The girl hesitated for a moment, looked down, then back up, and finally let go of her father's hand. "Hi, Auntie T," she pronounced the words slowly and carefully, the grin never leaving her face.
Never knew I could feel like this
Tessa wanted to coo, the girl's preciousness making her heart melt, but her breath abruptly caught in her throat when she felt two small hands slotting in with hers. Her touch was clumsy and uncoordinated but confident and unhesitating—just like little Scott's. It was a carefree, Moir-classic childishness that Tessa had long since given up on feeling again, but here she was, hand in hand with the youngest Moir.
"I wanna be a figure skater when I grow up," the girl proclaimed, eyes glimmering with passion.
Tessa smiled, subconsciously squeezing the girl's hands, still interlocked with her own. "Just like your dad?"
The girl frowned, an adorably puzzled expression crossing her features. She shook her head, then looked Tessa right in the eye.
"No, Auntie T," she said, soft but matter-of-fact. "I wanna be just like you."
At that, Tessa's breath hitched. Suddenly, she couldn't trust her voice, feeling unfamiliar emotions threatening to burst over. Instead, she smiled, hoping that the girl could see how much the comment meant to her. Looking behind the girl, she caught Scott's eye—he was blushing, bashful as ever, looking down at the two of them with impossible affection.
"She looks up to you a lot," he offered by way of explanation, gesturing vaguely. He didn't break eye contact with Tessa, not even when the girl turned around to look at him.
"Dad talks about you a lot," the girl said, turning back to face her. "You're awesome, Auntie T!"
Tessa laughed, knowing that she was blushing as much as he was. "That's very nice of you to say," she replied. "Although now I'd like to know what your dad has been saying about me?"
Catching the mischievous grin on Tessa's face, Scott stumbled forward. "Oh, that's—"
But the girl continued without hesitation. "He told me 'bout how you both went to the Olympics, but you're the best skater, Auntie T. I watched all your routines before bedtime, an' I think you're the prettiest skater, too. I dunno how you ended up skating with him."
Tessa couldn't help the shocked laugh that burst out of her, enjoying far too much the way Scott buried his face in his hands. "Well, your dad's a pretty great skater, too," she countered, more playful than admonishing. "You should give him a little credit."
She shrugged. "I guess."
Tessa shook her head, smiling. "As for how I ended up skating with him—"
"It was my great-aunt Carol, right?"
"Yep," she replied, squeezing the girl's hands gently. "When I was a little girl, not much older than you are now, your great-aunt Carol was coaching me in singles skating."
"And she was coaching my dad, too!"
"That's right. And she thought we'd be a good pair for ice dance, so we tried it out. Guess we were a pretty great pair, because we stuck together for the rest of our careers."
The girl tilted her head, an expectant look on her face. "You missed a part of the story!"
Tessa laughed. "There isn't enough time to tell you the whole story of our careers right now. I'm sure your dad will tell you more—and maybe I can, too."
She didn't miss the way his eyes lit up, fondness evident in his expression. He wanted her to play a role in telling his daughter all about their lives. Distracted for a moment, she blinked when she felt a tugging at her hand.
"No," the girl said, persistent. "Tell me the part before you became partners."
"The— what?"
"The part where—"
"You know what," Scott said quickly, a seemingly nervous laugh escaping him. "Auntie T's right, there isn't enough time right now. We can tell you more another day."
Tessa arched a brow, suddenly curious, and he sighed. There was no getting out of this one, and she was delighted. Carefully and deliberately, she looked the girl in the eye. "Why don't you tell me the part before your dad and I became partners?"
The girl beamed. "Okay," she said, standing up a little straighter. "My dad was nine years old, and one day he went to the Ilderton rink. He tried skating pairs before that, but his partner didn't like it—" she didn't seem to know who this short-lived partner was. Interesting. "—so he was skating singles, but then he saw you skating that day, an' he thought you were the best and prettiest dancer, so he asked my great-aunt Carol if he could do ice dance, 'cause he wanted to dance with you."
Tessa blinked, taken aback—she'd never heard this before.
Without missing a beat, the girl continued: "Oh! And there was one more part that day. My dad tried to lift you, but he wasn't as strong as Uncle Danny yet. But he got stronger after that, so he could lift you. And then you became Olympic champions!"
Tessa was still reeling from the newfound story that Scott had never, ever told her in all their years together, but she just smiled softly at the girl. "I don't think it happened quite that quickly, but I guess you're right."
Suddenly, memories of that day came back in flashes. Her, dancing alone to a foxtrot at the Ilderton rink; him, approaching her out of nowhere; him, clumsily lifting her off the ice; her, leaving quickly when her mother arrived.
Them, becoming partners for the next twenty-two years.
It was what Scott had wanted.
His aunt Carol aside, they would have ended up together anyway. Tessa didn't usually believe in fate, but when it came to her and Scott, she would always believe they were drawn together by some invisible force of inevitability.
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
The girl's voice snapped her out of the memory. "But one day, can you tell me the whole story?"
Tessa smiled. "Of course. I'm sure your dad will tell you more, too."
"But, Auntie T, I wanna hear it from you."
"I—" she started, unable to find the words to express how overwhelming it was that, despite only having just met her, the girl was so drawn to her. And yet she could understand, because she was just as much drawn to the girl.
Looking at her expectant expression, Tessa couldn't say no. "As long as that's okay with your dad."
Scott smiled. "Of course. She really loves you, T."
The girl nodded enthusiastically. "I do! I love you, Auntie T."
Without warning, she jumped forward, flinging her arms around Tessa's legs, and Tessa laughed. She patted the girl's head, leaning down to hug her back. "I love you, too. I promise I'll visit you and your dad more often."
The girl looked up, wide-eyed. Then, abruptly: "Do you love my dad?"
"I—" she swallowed. "Yes, of course I do."
From the sparkle in his eyes, she knew that he did, too.
Come what may
I will love you until my dying day