If the Ice Breaks

Vale’s hands shook as she watched her daughter take the first step onto the ice. Her anxiety never failed to show up. This never go easier.

Annika slowly slid out onto the lake. Then, gaining confidence, she sped up. In a flash, she had leapt into the air, twirled once, and landed.

Vale couldn’t help imagining the ice cracking under the girl’s weight. But it didn’t. Her child was safe.

Sitting by the side of the frozen water, Vale quietly recalled all the times Annika had done this. So many times. And so many times she had come off the ice, smiling happily, confidently, confirming to her mother that she was, in fact, all right

But Vale’s mind was still clouded by the one memory of the ice breaking. It wasn’t even Annika that had fallen through.

She should have known that Annika would want to skate, after all those stories Vale had told her about her uncle. She should have seen it coming. But the fear of a recurrence, of losing Annika the way she had lost her brother . . .

Vale took a deep breath, reminding herself that her daughter was more careful, more graceful, less of a daredevil than her uncle had been. And that Vale was always going to be there, watching like a hawk. No matter what, Annika was always going to come off the ice, rosy cheeked and grinning. She was always going to be there to walk back home, holding Vale’s hand. It was never going to be easy, But Vale grew in confidence every day. Every time Annika came back, Vale was made stronger.

Vale stood as the little girl came gliding back to the edge of the pond. She stretched out a gloved hand, and Vale helped her onto solid ground, breathing a sigh of relief. She looked into her daughter’s joyful eyes, knowing that she’d overcome this. The way she overcame the grief of losing her brother, she’d overcome the fear of losing Annika, too.

As she always did, Annika  smiled. And for the first time, so did Vale.