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As people say, every good thing must come to an end, whether we want it to or not.
People change, days blur, and the once vibrant and commanding music ends.
At least that's what it felt like to Alysa as she watched Amber gracefully move to the music as if they were one. The sound of her skates carving hope and maybe even regret into the already unforgiving ice.
As the song comes to an end, their eyes meet, Amber’s chest rises up and down, a clear indication of the hard work and dedication she put into this performance and her whole career. The lights reflect off the beads of sweat, glimmering like the gold medal they worked so hard to get. Basking in the glory she so deserved to get.
But life is cruel, and that’s life. With that, she glides off the ice, her whole body moving in a way that tells a story of satisfaction and pride.
Pummeling straight to her was Alysa, her arms, with no hesitation. The hug was immediate, tight, and achingly familiar. It lasted longer than all of the hugs they’ve ever shared. For a moment, the cheers, the bright lights, and the commentary all faded into the background.
Nothing mattered more in the moment than them, the steady rhythm of their hearts hammering against their ribs, either one refusing to let go. But eventually, Amber lets go, slowly and deliberately, almost as if she were passing the figure skating torch to Alysa, and maybe she even gave a part of herself. It always belonged to her, of course… but the embrace, and its end, solidified it. A quiet underlying acknowledgement of everything they shared, the memories, and the everlasting legacies.
Speeches were made, flowers were given, and memories were made. Being there to witness Amber achieve her dreams was one of the greatest gifts she could have given the world, her world, Alysa.
_______________________________________
Weeks had passed, the Milano Cortina was long forgotten, and the only thing lingering was the emptiness in Alysa’s heart. Sure, there were other skaters on the rink, but she longed for one specific smile, one specific laugh, and one specific person.
Amber Glenn.
Every time without fail, she would arrive at the rink with expectations to see Amber doing her famous triple-axel, gracefully and effortlessly. But just like the sport, the ice was empty, unforgiving, and Amber-less.
The once lively rink, echoing the laughter, quiet glances, and encouragement, now felt isolatingly silent.
She gets off the ice, partially to take a break and partially to shelter herself from the disappointment of the lack of her rival, her mentor, and her person, Amber Glenn.
Almost instantly, her phone lights up, sending a vibration across the bench she sat on.
She opens the message:
“Another perfect routine. Too bad you aren’t as good at the triple axel as I ;-)”
Amber, my blade angel
Alysa smiles, and a laugh escapes from her lips, bittersweet, tracing the words with her thumb. The message is short, but to Alysa, it was a lifeline, her personal cheerleader. And maybe, maybe it was enough to keep her going
Amber may have left the ice and put her skating career behind her, but she could never truly leave Alysa.
_______________________________________
Session after session, Alysa moved across the ice, but without Amber beside her, each stride felt hollow, and her desire to keep going grew painfully fleeting.
Nonetheless, she continues to push herself, her legs growing heavier, each glide and jump harder than the last. Her legs ached, her lungs burned, and her skin shivered; the joy she once rediscovered slowly started to fade into the past. The thoughts that once consumed her before her retirement crept back into her mind: I'm not having fun anymore. Maybe this is a chapter that I will close.
“Alysa!”
Her head snapped up. The voice she had been yearning for. There she was, as bright as she remembered. Standing at the edge of the rink, smiling that impossible, radiant smile that had been captured in her memory and constantly echoed in her head.
No thinking, no hesitation, her body moved on its own. She skated down the ice like her life depended on it, as if Amber would disappear and it was all just a cruel joke her mind played on her.
The moment they collided, she leapt, arms wrapping her around her in a desperate hug.
The weight of the never-ending sessions, the loneliness she had to endure, every second of it, all melted as soon as she was in her radius, in her warm embrace.
Finally, she felt whole again.
“I thought… You were gone forever,” Alysa said, her voice trembling with the weight of all the fear she had carried alone. A tear streamed down her cheek, unable to hold back the immense pressure and loneliness she felt without Amber by her side.
Amber wiped the tears off her cheek, gazing lovingly into her eyes. “I could never leave you, not while you’re tirelessly working yourself to the brink of collapse”.
“I’ve missed you”, Alysa said, a smile now plastered across her face; the once gloomy Alysa Liu was replaced with the Alysa everyone remembered, radiant and full of life.
Amber dragged Alysa back onto the ice; every glide that once felt empty now felt effortless and purposeful.
Amber twirled Alysa, watching the girl she’d always loved beaming just as a result of her presence. Alysa’s laugh finally echoed once again, filling the rink with a familiar warmth it had lost.
They slowed to a stop, their skates scraping softly against the ice. Amber’s hands that were once intertwined were now lingering on Alysa’s waist. She brushed a strand of hair that fell across Alysa’s face, her eyes looking at her lovingly.
Her fingers lingered against the younger girl's cheek.
“..Amber”, Alysa’s chest tightened.
Amber leaned closer, their lips pressed against each other, deliberate, soft, and anticipated.
Every longing glance, every brush of the hand, every hope had led to this moment.
Alysa melted into the kiss, her arms finding Amber’s neck, her heart pounding like it did the day they shared their final embrace as figure skaters.
When they finally pulled back, breathless and lightly laughing, Amber whispered, “I’m not letting go this time.”
Alysa smiled, resting her forehead against Amber’s, their fingers intertwined, “Good, because I won’t let you.”
_______________________________________
As people say, Good things must come to an end.
But sometimes, the end of a chapter gives way to a new beginning.
Amber’s skating career may have ended that night, but what had been built and nurtured between them had never truly ended.
Amber may have hung up her skates and closed that chapter.
But she never closed the door on Alysa.
And now, when they let go, it wasn’t goodbye.
It was a promise.