Faith reached for the handle, but before she even got the door open, Grant dropped to the ice on his belly instead, sliding underneath the stick and between the cones like he was stealing home base. Caleb was beside himself with laughter, but kept watching as Grant picked himself up, skated toward the ladder of sticks he’d placed in front of the other cone and ran over them, tapping down the tip of his skate blade between each pair of sticks. At the end of the ladder, he skated toward the final cone and stopped sideways, spraying ice over the neon.
“Got it?” she heard Grant ask.
She didn’t hear Caleb’s reply, but he nodded. And Grant started back at the top, skating through the course a little faster, talking it all the way through. And Faith found herself just as rapt as Caleb, loving Grant’s fluidity, his agility, his athleticism.
At the end, he sprayed the cone again. And Caleb laughed.
“Do it again,” Caleb said. “This time full speed. Like you’d do it in your practice.”
Faith grinned, rested her elbow on the window ledge and leaned her head against her fist.
Grant complied with Caleb’s request, but he built up some speed first, rotating his right shoulder a couple of times before he headed for the first cone. The intensity of he approach made Faith’s breath catch. Then he was flying through the moves and before she had time to process his skill, he was done, spraying the cone with ice until the neon orange was invisible.
Ty laughed and clapped gloved hands. Grant gestured to the opposite cone. “You’re turn.”
Faith watched as Caleb took the course again and again under Grant’s watchful eye. She watched as Caleb faltered and fell. Kicked the cones out of place and sent the hockey sticks flying. And each time, Grant patiently replaced all the props and encouraged him to go again. Once, when Caleb hit the ice hard enough for Faith to wince, Grant skated to him, braced himself on his knees and talked to Caleb, but didn’t help him up. Faith knew that was to show support but teach Caleb he had to get up on his own.
And the first time Caleb made it though the drill successfully, no displaced equipment, a nice heavy spray on the cone, her heart all but burst with excitement for him. The kid who struggled endlessly with anything athletic had finally mastered a drill. He and Grant shared a high five before Caleb went back to the top of the ice and continued running the excercise, just because he wanted to.
Faith pushed from the truck and started toward the rink. When the truck’s door closed, Grant looked over.
“Hey.” His tone held a little what-are-you-doing-here, and his smile seemed a little tight.
Faith didn’t blame him, but it did take a little thrill out of her excitement. “Hey. Emma asked me to pick up Caleb.”
Caleb sprayed the cone, then yelled, “Wah-hoo! Aunt Faith, did you see that?”
“I’ve seen it all fifty-seven times,” she told him. “I’ve been watching.”
“If I do it again, can you video it for mom?”
Grant glided toward Faith as she pulled her phone from her pocket. “You bet.”
Caleb made his way across the rink, giving Faith time with Grant. “It’s really sweet of you to take time with him. He—“
“Struggles,” Grant said. “I know. He just needs some one-on-one. He picks up the moves fast when he’s focused.”
“He’s a really smart kid.”
“That’s good.” Grant grinned and rested his hip on the railing, looking out into the rink. “I know it doesn’t seem like it, but you’ve got to be pretty sharp in hockey. Everything moves so fast. If you don’t think faster...” He shrugged.
Beside him, Faith pressed her hands to the worn wood and leaned forward to see the whole rink. “I missed seeing you today.”
“I finished grouting the shower tile,” he said. “And then I found mold under the sink.”
She groaned. “Oh no.”
He shrugged and smiled. “Just means I get to come in tomorrow.”
She took a deep breath and pushed through her nerves to s
ay, “I’m really sorry about yesterday.” She forced herself to meet his eyes. “I—“
“Aunt Faith?” Caleb yelled. “Are you ready?”
Grant called, “Take a practice run.”
Faith laughed.