Somebody's Heartbreak

“C’mon, you’re the one that wanted to learn to play hockey.” Tayler coaxed Tom into stepping foot on ice. He looked uneasy on skates as the last time he skated was when he was four or five. It took careful negotiation with Tom’s coaches to let him skate with Tayler constantly assuring them that after almost sixteen years of playing hockey, the worst injury she’s ever gotten was a bloody nose from when her brother, Dustin, accidently bumped into her.

“If I fall…” he said as he slowly crept towards the ice. He gripped Tayler’s hand tightly as he tried to maintain his balance. “You won’t fall.” She assured him. “Easy for you to say, you were born on skates.” He smiled at her.

She calmly skated out on the ice and returned to the door with both hands held out as she slowly pulled Tom towards the ice. “Okay, step out with your right foot.” She waited for him to follow her direction. His foot wobbled slightly but once it stabilized, he stepped out with the other foot and gripped Tayler’s hands even harder. “Relax.” She said as she ran her thumb over his. As she felt his muscles relax, she slowly started pulling him forwards, telling him to take tiny steps as they did. “How do you do that?” he asked her.

“Do what?” she replied. “Skate backwards? It’s nothing, really - you just pump into the inside of your edges.” She said as she momentarily let go of his hands and skated around him backwards. For that moment she let go, Tom felt vulnerable… like when he’s about to dive. Leaning onto his heels, he felt his balance shift and started falling before Tayler came around and caught him. “Rule number 1: never lean onto your heels. I guess I should’ve told you that before we got on the ice.” She smiled

“That would’ve been helpful. Any other rules I should know about?” to which Tayler told him; Rule number 2: when you’re about to fall, try to fall on your side (with a demonstration); Rule number 3: keep your shoulders above your toes when you’re gliding, “And the most important rule of all: Rule number 4: get back up when you fall.”

After a few laps around the rink, Tayler saw that Tom was getting the hang of it as he needed less and less of her assistance. Taking a break, Tom allowed Tayler to get some practice in. Sitting in the heated seating area, he watched as she gathered her sticks, gloves, and pucks with a huge smile on her face. He noticed the little maple leaf on her jacket and asked, “Ever play for Team Canada?”

“Yeah, U-18s, U-22s, hoping to make it to Sochi – didn’t read that in my profile?” she said smugly. “I’d rather learn about you from you.” He smiled. “You should know the feeling… pulling that maple leaf over your chest – well, the union jack for you – it’s hard to describe.” She elaborated. “I totally understand,” he said as she stepped back on the ice, leaving him to wish he wore a thicker sweater.

He watched as her pony tail flew behind her as she skated around the ice so gracefully and effortlessly. One would think that she’s more comfortable on ice than on land. He was mesmerized as she magically handled the little rubber puck through the miniature obstacle courses she had set up with her sticks – passing it over and under the little bridge and never letting the puck get away from her. When she moved on to shooting, Tom wondered why she kept hitting the post instead of the net. “You missed!” he yelled.

“Anyone can hit an open net!” she smiled, “Hitting the post makes a pretty sound too!” she laughed, although clinking a shot off the post during a game was the most excruciating sound ever. After a half hour session of shooting, skating, and stick-handling, Tayler skated towards Tom and flipped a puck on her stick blade before flipping it up at him. “C’mon, boy, pick up my pucks. It’ll be good practice for you,” she winked before going out to collect her sticks.

Tom stepped back out into the cold resonating from the ice as he skated towards Tayler. He was feeling more comfortable on skates, not wobbling anymore. He put his hands around her waist as she was turned around checking the blade on one of her sticks. Turning her around, he planted a kiss on her lips as she dropped her sticks and gloves around them and snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

When they finally pulled apart, Tayler almost lost her footing before Tom caught her with a smirk, “Weak in the knees, are you?” he laughed. “Shut up, puck boy.” She joked before pushing away and taking a few more laps around the rink.

Tom pulled out his phone and snapped a photo of the rink, posting it on twitter saying: “Might take up hockey =)” “Mind if I take a shot?” he asked her as he picked up one of her sticks. “Yeah, go ahead,” she stopped beside him, creating a little pile of snow, “are you a leftie or a rightie?”

“I’m not sure. I’m right-handed… what are you?” Which prompted another lesson in hockey 101 from Tayler. Tayler’s right-handed but shoots left-handed. She finds it better for stick-handling while her brothers shoot right-handed because it gives them more powerful shots which always prompted a debate over power and accuracy. “Just give my sticks a try.” She positioned his hands on the stick. It’s a good thing her sticks were a little too long, they were perfect for Tom. She liked having the puck away from her body but that’s a personal preference.

“Okay, now what?” he looked at her, quizzically. She taught him how to do a simple wrist shot, bringing the puck to her outside skate and throwing the puck towards the net with ease. When Tom tried, the puck barely made it to the outside of the blue paint of the goalie’s crease. “Seriously?” he said with frustration as Tayler hid a giggle. “Oy! What are you laughing at?” he tapped her shin with the stick.

“Sorry! Sorry, you just looked like you put so much behind that one to not even get it to the crease.” She was now sitting on the ice, holding her stomach from laughing so hard. Tom skated over to her and sat next to her before lying on top of her and kissing her again.

“I really like you,” he said gently as he looked into her eyes. She smiled and said, “I really hope you do because I like you a lot, Tom Daley.”

As Tom lay on top of Tayler, she noticed him shivering slightly, “Are you okay?” she said with worry.
“Just a little cold,” he sat up and looked at his tanned hands that were now white. “Oh no,” she said as she wrapped her hands around his tightly, “I thought swimmers were supposed to have really good circulation.”

“I’m a diver babe, not a swimmer.” Which made her laugh, “Sorry,” she said, “C’mon, let’s go warm you up.” She stood up and pulled him off the ice as she chucked her gloves in the bucket of pucks and picked it up with her sticks.