"Congratulations!" The crowd cheered as David popped the champagne. A small crowd was assembled in the community room at the rink to celebrate Regina and David's engagement. In attendance were Ruth, Cora, Henry, Granny, Emma, and Dr. Whale along with all the friends the couple had made after fifteen years of training together.
Ruth placed a champagne flute underneath the bottle and handed the beverage to Regina. "Your heart!" Cora chastesized immediately.
"She'll be fine with one glass." Whale cut. "Doctor's order." Regina raised her glass to the good doctor. Once everyone had been served, they raised their glasses to the young couple. Regina had been surprised of her mother's support of her engagement. Cora was trying to change and Regina was slowly growing more comfortable about having a normal relationship with her mother. She took a small sip before smiling at David.
Her prince bent down to kiss her softly. "I love you." He whispered as he clank his glass with hers.
"I love you too." She replied.
"Congratulations, you two." Granny took Regina in a warm embrace. "I'm so happy for you." she tucked Regina's hair behind her ear.
"Thank you for all your support. Thank you for sticking with us even though I can't train." Tears were shining in her eyes.
"Honey, there is no other pair I'd want to train." She smiled at the young girl. David and Regina had had a bright future ahead of them before her illness and she just hoped that Regina would recover in time to realize their Olympics dream.
"Regina, David, congratulations on your engagement." Whale shook hand with the blonde man. "And as an engagement present, I'd like to give you this." He handed an envelope to Regina. The brunette frowned and opened it quickly.
"Results from your last physical." The doctor explained. "You're in perfect health. It's time for you to start conditioning if you want."
Regina squealed in excitement and jumped up, wrapping her arms around David's neck. Granny laughed at the gesture. She knew that Regina would have to work hard to get back to elite level but she trusted the young skater to do so. "We'll start in the gym on Monday." She told the young girl.
Cora looked at the scene from the other side of the room. She had known this moment would come eventually but she hadn't expected it to be so soon. Surely, Regina needed more time to recover. She watched Regina hug Granny tightly before the old woman was called away by the receptionist. "She is happy, Cora. She wants to go back." Henry wrapped his arm around her waist. They had been trying to work on their marriage but no matter how much they tried they didn't love each other.
"It's so soon, Henry. And she's been through so much already."
"She's as tough as they come. She'll be alright. Besides, Dr. Whale, Emma, and Granny won't let her do more than she can handle. And even if she tried, David will be there to stop her."
"How did the deal we talked about go today?" Cora changed the conversation.
"It went through and it will be ready in June." Henry promised.
The Mills and Nolans mingled with their guests until Granny came back from her office. "David, Regina, we need to talk." The old woman looked preoccupied. "This can't wait. I'm sorry." The young couple and their parents filed out of the room and into Granny's office. "Have a seat." She ordered rather than offered.
David and Regina sat next to each other on the couch next to the wall opposite the large wooden desk while Cora and Ruth took the nearby armchairs. Henry stood by his wife side, waiting for Granny's explanation. "I just talked to Mr. Gold."
"Our old coach?" Regina asked, surprised.
The old woman nodded. "He's now in Colorado, training Mary-Margaret Blanchard."
David and Regina gasped in shock. Mary-Margaret Blanchard was the talk of the figure skating world. At barely seventeen, she and her partner Killian Jones had risen to prominence. They had won the U.S. Championship earlier this month and were set to represent the United States at the Games. "Jones tore his ACL during training. There is no way they'll compete next month." Regina felt sympathy for the girl, knowing how devastated she must be. "He won't be able to skate again." Granny announced.
"What does that have to do with Regina?" Cora interrupted.
"Mary-Margaret wants to start a partnership with David." Granny looked at the young man. "Words of Regina's illness have been spreading and rumors have started that she won't come back to competition."
"That's absurd!" Cora exclaimed. "She's about to start training again! Dr. Whale just gave her the go-ahead."
"Conditioning." Regina corrected. "There is still no guarantee that I will ever be able to skate at an elite level again."
David took Regina's hand. "You will."
"We don't know that, David! And I think Granny understands that too. That's why she wants to talk to you about the offer. This might be the only way you'll get to go to the Olympics."
Granny nodded. She hated to do this to the young girl but she also had to think about David. He needed to train with a partner. "As your coach, it's my duty to talk to you about this offer."
"Well, you have and I'm not taking the offer. I already have a partner."
"David, I think you should do the tryout." Regina told him flatly, staring at a coffee stain on the white carpet.
"What? No! Regina, you are my partner. We're going to the Olympics together."
"David, I may never be able to get back to the level I was at. In the past three months, I've grown and gained weight. My boops are getting bigger and my muscles have become fat. Forget about not being able to train. My body has changed too. Maybe too much." David stayed silent. He knew she was right. "You've always dreamt to go to the Olympics. And I won't take that away from you. I don't want you to resent me for it." She looked at David as she articulated the last words.
"I will never resent you. I love you!"
"Maybe not today or even in four years when we don't make the Olympics team. But ten years from now, twenty years? Will you always wonder what if? This is not how I want to build our life together, David."
"I don't want another partner." David insisted. "I want you."
"And I want you to give it a try. Because as you partner on the ice, I want you to be able to continue with your career. As your partner off the ice, I want to support your dreams."
David cupped her cheeks. "I love you." He kissed her forehead. "You're extraordinary, baby." He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his chest. He knew Regina would never forgive herself if he passed the opportunity. Although his mind was already made about his competition partner, he nodded at Granny. "When is the tryout?"
ECECEC
A month later, Regina found herself sitting in the stands next to Ruth, watching as David and Mary-Margaret were getting acquainted off the ice before their tryout. Cora had refused to accompany her, not understanding why Regina would let David go so easily.
"You know he's already made up his mind, don't you?" Ruth asked the brunette. "He's not going to train with her."
"I'm hoping that the tryout will change his mind or at the very least, open it to the possibility." Regina replied. "Ruth, I'm still conditioning. I don't know when I'll be able to skate again. And even when I do put my skates on, I'll have to relearn how my body moves. David will have to do the same. In a lot of ways, we'll have to start over again. And I may not be the best partner for him right now. But she might be." Regina took a deep breath. "She was training a quad throw with her former partner. They may be able to debut it next season. I doubt I'll be able to do more than doubles in the fall. We won't rank."
"But you'll be signaling your return to competition. The Olympics are in four years! That gives you plenty of time."
"And Mary-Margaret will keep on improving too. She'll find the right partner, eventually. I'd rather it be David so he has a chance."
Ruth looked at the young girl. She could understand her fears; after all, her own husband had left her after he'd realized that a wife and a toddler wasn't what he wanted for himself at twenty-two. If Regina failed, she would not only shatter her own dreams but her husband's too. She didn't want to be responsible for the death of their relationship and Ruth couldn't blame her. "I think you're selling yourself short, honey. There is a lot more than tricks in figure skating. Especially in pairs."
The two women were interrupted when David and Mary-Margaret glided to the middle of the rink. Regina watched carefully as the two performed with each other. They would need to work on their transition timing and balancing but all in all, they looked good together and the small smile of Gold's face told her that he was thinking the same. "Excuse me." Regina got up abruptly, feeling the need to be alone. She ran towards the administrative offices at the rink, hoping to find a dark corner where she could disappear.
Ruth looked at her son and his new partner. She knew this was David's best chance to return to competition but she also knew that his son's heart would be making the decision. As the two skaters went back to talk to their coaches, Ruth followed Regina to the back of the rink. She found the young woman crying on the couch in Granny's office.
Ruth sat down next to her and pulled Regina into a motherly embrace. "You need to tell David how you really feel about this partnership and stop putting on that brave mask, girl." She rocked them soothingly. "And you need to stop putting pressure on yourself. You'll be back out there. You just need to give yourself some time."
"Regina?" David called from the hallway.
The brunette straightened up on the couch and wiped her tears away furiously before answering him. "Here!"
His heart broke when he saw his fiance and mother in the dark office. Her makeup had smeared over her face and even though she had tried to hide it, her eyes were still red from the crying. Ruth gave her spot to David, who took Regina in a warm embrace. He rubbed her back soothingly as Regina snuggled into him. "Hey…" He whispered.
"Are we moving to Colorado or is she moving here? Can it wait until after the wedding?" She had so many questions but somehow these two made the top of her list.
"Nobody is moving. I already have a partner and I've just told Gold and Mary-Margaret so." Ruth smiled at the announcement as she was slowly walking backwards towards the door.
Regina looked up at him. "David, no! You can't keep waiting on me. What if I can never skate again?"
Granny collided with Ruth as she went to check in on David and Regina after seeing their guests out. Gold had been furious about David's decision, warning her that Regina would never be competition ready, not after so much time away from training. Mary-Margaret had just thanked Granny for the opportunity. The coach knew that the young skater would have no problems finding the right partner. She sighed when she heard Regina plead with David.
Although Dr. Whale and Emma had both mentioned that Regina was ready to skate again, Granny had been holding her back. She wanted her to do more conditioning, hoping that if she could strengthen her leg muscles before attempting any tricks, the muscle memory would do the rest.
But Granny had been wrong. Figure skating wasn't just about the physical prowess of taking off into the air; it was also about the mental ability to know you could do so. "Regina!" The old coach grumbled out, making the girl jump. "Go clean yourself up and put on some skates. On the ice in fifteen minutes." She left the room before anyone could argue with her, all the while preparing a workout routine for her pair skaters.
"Come on, honey. I'll help you get ready." Ruth extended her hand toward Regina. David silently encouraged her before heading to the men's locker room.
Twenty minutes later, Regina walked towards the rink with her skates on, holding on to Ruth's hand for support. David was already on the ice talking to Granny about their training session. "Sorry I'm late." The young girl blurted out as she removed her skate guards.
"That's ok, honey." Granny smiled. "I was just talking with David about the workout. I want you to spend a good ten minutes warming up. Then we'll work on some turns and crossovers. Nothing fancy, understood?" Regina and David nodded.
He extended his hand to his partner and helped her on the ice. Regina was all smile as he glided backwards, holding on to her. "Ok?" He asked. Regina nodded quickly. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest. Even in her wildest dreams, she had never imagined herself back on the ice again.
Granny closely scrutinized the couple gliding over the ice. "She seems to be doing good." Ruth commented, still nervous about her son's decision.
Granny put her hand on Ruth's shoulder. "David made the right choice today, Ruth." She returned her attention to the pair. Earlier, David had been skating alongside Mary-Margaret. Sure, they had hit their spins and most of their jumps together but it was missing the connection she was now looking at. He was skating with Regina and even on these simple moves, the effect was breathtaking.
ECECEC
Regina was holding her bouquet tightly, waiting for the music to start. She smiled at her father nervously. "You look gorgeous, princess." Regina was wearing an off-white gown with a ballroom skirt and sweetheart neckline embroidered with lace. Her scar was barely visible above the edge of the dress and she had made no effort to cover it. David called it 'his little warrior' in reference to the battle Regina had fought against her illness. They were both proud of it.
Henry offered Regina his arm. "David is a lucky man."
"I'm the lucky one." Regina whispered as she locked her arm with her father's. She took a shaky breath to calm her nerves. "Why am I so nervous? I've dreamt of this moment since I was a little girl."
Henry patted Regina's hand. "It's perfectly normal to be nervous. You and David are about to embark on an incredible journey."
As the music started to play, Henry nudged Regina forward. The brunette followed her father with small, uncertain steps but as soon as she saw David standing at the altar, all of her doubts evaporated. As soon as she was within reach, David extended his hand to help Regina up the couple of stairs to the altar. Regina leaned over and handed her bouquet to Ella, her maid of honor.
Everything after that moment was a blur. She remembered David saying 'I do' and her repeating the words to him. She vaguely remembered the kiss and the crowd cheering. But if anyone had asked Regina anything else about the ceremony, she wouldn't have been able to answer. All she knew was that she was now married to her prince charming and it felt like a giant weight had been lifted on her chest.
The next few hours also passed quickly and when the evening drew to a close, Regina was more than ready to have a few hours alone with David. As she was about to climb into the limousine that was supposed to take them to the guest house on her parents' property, Cora and Henry handed a small gift to their daughter. "It's for the two of you. Open it when you get home."
Regina hugged her mother tightly. "Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you for organizing my wedding with David."
Cora pulled out of her daughter's embrace and held her at arm's length, looking at the young bride adoringly. "Take care of each other." Tears were brimming in her eyes. She hugged Regina one more time before helping her into the car.
David plumped down next to her and they waved their friends and family goodbye as the limo drove away from the country club where they had held their wedding reception. They wouldn't be going on their honeymoon right away as they needed to train for the upcoming season. "So Mrs. Nolan, are you happy?"
"Very much, Mr. Mills." She replied jokingly before kissing him. Once they parted, Regina stared into David's baby blue eyes. He was her first and only love. Together, they had shared their first kiss and as they'd grown older, they had explored each other's body as much as their clothes would let them. Tonight, he would be her first. And she knew that it was reciprocated.
When the car came to a stop ten minutes later, Regina frowned. They were in the middle of town, far from her childhood home. "James, why did we stop?" Regina asked her driver.
"Your mother left specific instructions." James replied with a smile. He had known Regina since she was just a baby, having driven the Mills family home from the hospital. "Open the box." James jumped out of the driver's seat to go open the rear door.
Regina had forgotten about the gift her mother had given her. She opened the box quickly and retrieved two sets of keys with matching chain representing an ice skate. David turned around and look at the house they were parked in front of. The white two-story house was colonial in design with two columns supporting a mezzanine balcony. "Did your parents just buy us a house?" He asked in awe.
Regina chuckled. "It would appear so." She handed David a set of keys. "Shall we?"
David slid of the car first and helped Regina to her feet. Laughing, he swept her off her feet. "Tradition dictates that I carry you over the threshold."
Regina relaxed in his arms. "Who am I to stand in the way of tradition?" The two lovers laughed as David carried her to their new home under James' amused eyes. He was happy for her. She had everything she had ever wanted to and she deserved her happy ending. Or happy beginning as it was.
David opened the door and carried Regina to the foyer before helping her on her feet. They walked through the tastefully decorated dining room that led to a large kitchen. "I think your mom overestimated our cooking needs." David joked as he went through the fully equipped kitchen.
"Or not!" Regina lifted a cooking book for beginners.
They continued exploring the downstairs area before heading upstairs. The first room was a guest bedroom with a view of the large backyard. The next room contained all of Regina's and David's trophies and empty spaces for the ones to come. "I guess my mother was in on this." David mused as he ran his fingers through his ice skating journals.
"I wonder when they had time to move all of this!" Regina grabbed the first skates her mother had gotten her, the only pair she had kept throughout her career. "I mean, I was sleeping in my room just this morning!"
David wrapped his arm around Regina's waist and pull her to him. "Well, we were out for most of the day." Despite her heels, David was tall enough to kiss the top of her head.
Regina turned around in David's arms and ran her hands over his chest before looping her arms around his neck. "Want to see our bedroom?"
David laughed as he lifted her up in his arms one more time. "Let me take you, my Queen." He joked.
"My Prince Charming!" Regina laughed as David carried her to their bedroom. She squealed as soon as she saw their bed. It had the headboard she had shown her mother last month, the one with a carved lilly. "She remembered!" David sat her down on the bed before removing her shoes.
"I think we should fully take advantage of what this room has to offer before we explore the rest of the house." He suggested.
Regina's breath caught in her throat. "I think we should too." She leaned forward to capture David's lips into a hungry kiss.
ECECEC
Regina took a deep breath as she stepped onto the ice for the freestyle program. This was what they had been working for for the past four years: a shot at an Olympics medal. It hadn't been easy: in their first year, they had finished 15th at Nationals, 42 points away from the winners. Mary-Margaret and her new partner, Graham Humbert had managed two quad throws in their short, landing them in first place.
Regina felt David's hands on her waist and she turned toward him. He was as nervous as she was. There were third after the short program with a shot at the Gold. "I want to do a quad." Regina whispered.
David looked at her incredulously. "I'm guessing you're not talking about our quad twist." They had spent two years perfecting that move and it had been their ticket to the Olympics. A month ago, their artistic score combined with this powerful move had landed them in first place at Nationals, 1.2 points ahead of Mary-Margaret and Graham. The victory had guaranteed them the lone spot for the United States going to the Olympics.
"I can do it, David! And it will give us our Gold Medal."
David debated. On the one hand, a clean program would guarantee them a spot on the podium. But not the gold medal. If Regina could land a quad throw, they would surely win. She had been practicing the move over the past year, beating herself up for not being able to land it consistently. They had never tried it in competition. And Granny would surely have their heads if she missed the landing and cost them the podium. But David knew his wife better than anyone. She always performed better under pressure. "Ok." He whispered to her. "On the first throw."
Regina nodded as they came into position in the middle of the rink. She was leaning against David, his hand across her chest to carry her in the beginning. The move didn't contribute any technical points but the fans liked it. And as Granny had hammered in their head, when the jury was drawn into a performance, they often forgot to deduct points.
Her heart was hammering in her chest and she wetted her lips nervously. But as the music started, she found herself absolutely calm. Their first move was their quad twist and as David threw her into the air, Regina knew that nothing was impossible. She heard the applause as David caught her and pushed her backwards.
Granny watched their every movement carefully: they were moving effortlessly across the ice. There was pure joy in their skating and she could tell the judges enjoyed the performance. This is what pairs should be about. She mused. She had been against the new point system, which prioritized tricks over artistry, but she had learned to work the choregraphies around it.
She frowned as David gained speed. He didn't need to go that fast for the throw jump! She gasped when he threw Regina into the air and she managed four revolutions before landing with one foot on the ice. The crowd cheered for the skaters and Granny found her heart beating faster. If they finished their program with no mistakes, they could get a Gold Medal! After she strangled them with her bare hands for disobeying her, of course.
"Another." Regina breathed out as they landed their side-by-side jumps and he took her hand. "Quad." She finished. David gained speed and threw Regina in the air one more time. Her landing was a little shaky but she managed to hold on to the jump. All they had to do was their death spiral and it would be over.
As the music stopped, the couple heard the roaring from the crows. No other pairs had performed a quad twist and two quad throws in the Olympics before. David hugged Regina tightly. "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart." He told her before kissing her.
As they skated toward the kiss and cry, they noted the tears in Granny's eyes. She congratulated the both of them before directing them to the bench. As they waited for their scores, Regina glanced towards the spot where their parents were sitting. Henry had graciously offered for Ruth to come, a gesture that had meant the world to David. She smiled at her mother, brightly. No matter what the results would be, there were no regrets.
"Regina Mills-Nolan and David Nolan have earned in the free skate 160.56 points." Regina and David screamed at the score. They had just beaten the world record! David wrapped his arms around his wife in pure joy.
"You did it!"
"We did it!" She corrected. As they made their way toward the medalists' area, Regina felt the tiredness settling in. As they sat on the winner bench, the reality of their situation set in. With only one pair to go, they were guaranteed a silver medal. But Regina hoped for the gold. They watched as the German pair evolved around the ice. Their timing was perfect and Regina started to wonder if her quad jumps would be enough considering the pair had the same move.
As they waited for their opponents' score, David leaned toward Regina and rubbed her back. "This was our best skate. There is nothing more we could have done."
Regina couldn't make the announcer's words out through her nerves but as soon as she saw the scores on the board, she erupted into tears. The total score was 245.67 points to their 246.78. They had done it! They had won the Olympic Gold Medal. After everything they had been through together, they were living their dream. Regina wrapped her arms around David and cried tears of joy. "We won." She whispered.
"Yes… Yes, we did." David held her tight. "But my biggest victory is the day you became my wife. I wouldn't be here without you."
"We wouldn't be here without each other." She replied before kissing her husband. "This is our road to gold."