Sculpted Hearts

                                            Sculpted Hearts

         Her concentration was intense. As her clear blue eyes scanned every flake that floated down, she couldn’t help but try to find the perfect one. That’s when she saw it. She tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and let her tongue slip out of her mouth. It glided down onto her tongue and melted with the slightest touch. Anne had chosen the biggest and fluffiest looking snowflake, and was ready to continue skating. She had been skating since she was five, so naturally she glided on the ice as if she was on a cloud.
         Anne had always loved to skate, ever since her father had bought her first pair of skates for her fifth birthday. Even now, at twenty years old, she still enjoyed it. She had a sense of peace when she was on ice, and could let her mind wander. Sometimes she would be in such a deep thought about life, that by the time she remembered she was still skating, her lips were blue.
         Today Anne had been thinking about her childhood memories with her dad, considering she had never met her mother. Sometimes her dad would show her pictures of her mother, and he would tell her stories of her.
“Her name was May,” he would tell her. “She was the most beautiful person I had ever met,” he told her one-day.
         Anne thought of how she longed to meet May, although it would not be possible. “You remind me a lot of her you know,” her father would tell her. As she thought of her mom, and how much her mom meant to her dad, tears swelled up in her eyes. One long tear streaked down her left cheek, leaving her penetrating blue eyes with a crystal-like shine.
         Just then, she remembered she was still skating. She could barely see through her glossy eyes, but knew someone was right in front of her. Anne veered to the right and just missed someone by a hair. She brushed her cheeks with her hands to wipe away any tears, and then turned around to apologize to whomever she almost collided with. She skated up to a man lying on the ice.
“I’m very sorry about that, I really should watch more where I’m skating. Are you hurt?”
The man had just been lying there a second before he looked up to see who had knocked him down. His grey eyes met hers and he couldn’t help but get lost in her eyes. They were so inviting, and he had trouble looking away.
“Can I help you up,” Anne asked after he hadn’t answered her.
“Oh…sure,” he said.
         Anne reached out her hand and helped him get to his feet, as he was still staring into her eyes. She realized he hadn’t looked away, and blushed.
“I’m Anne.”
         The man finally pulled his eyes away, blushing as well, and said, “Oh, I’m Derek.” She couldn’t tell he was blushing since his cheeks and nose were already red from the cold. There was an awkward silence, as neither knew what to say.
“So Anne, “ he said, “I think there should be a law against skating over beginners, no matter how old they are.”
         Anne burst out in laughter. “Well, beginners should wear pads and a helmet no matter how old they are.” Derek laughed at the thought of him wearing full skating gear, being twenty-two years old and all.
“So where’d you learn to skate so well?”
“I’ve been on the ice for fifteen years, so I’ve had lots of practice,” replied Anne.
         Derek had practically been forced to skate by his friends, but had never really done it before. “Well, can you help me out…I’m horrible on ice,” Derek asked.
“Sure, no problem,” replied Anne, “just push one foot in front of the other, bend your knees, and lean forward a little.”
         Derek slowly slid one skate after the other, taking small and cautious movements at a time.
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Whoa…,” Derek blurted out as he slipped uncontrollably on the ice.
         Anne’s arm darted over to stop Derek from falling. He quickly reached over to grasp her. Derek took hold of Anne’s hand and pulled her in close to stop himself from falling. He had taken hold of her waist with his right hand, and his left hand was tightly squeezing her right hand. The two of them couldn’t withstand gravity, and fell. Derek, having had less balance then Anne, toppled down first. Anne came crashing down on top of him, laying flat on his body. He was still holding her tightly, and had his eyes squeezed shut.
“Are you ok, Derek?”
All she heard for a second was a few groans, then he added, “Yeah, I’m fine. Are you alright, I mean, I didn’t mean to pull you down with me.”
         By now, Derek had loosened the grip on her hand and her waist, allowing her to slightly sit up. She found herself straddling him, but she could hardly move.
         After the initial rush of falling, Anne felt a jolt of pain run through her wrist.
“Ahhhhh!”
“Are you alright Anne?”
“Uhh, I uhh think my wrist is broken. It really hurts.”
         Anne rested her broken wrist across her chest and lifted herself up. Derek followed suit, and slowly rose from the frozen ice.
Derek looked over at her, into her eyes and felt her pain. “I’m taking you to the hospital, come on.”
         She followed him in silence. It took all of her willpower not to cry or scream. She couldn’t withstand the pain though, and silently sobbed. Warm tears moistened her cold face as they streamed down from her eyes. Derek put his arm around her, and held her in a sympathetic embrace. She took this as a sign that it’s all right to cry, so she buried her face into his chest and let him guide her blindly to his car. 
To help keep Anne’s mind off of the pain, Derek tried to engage in light conversation. “Earlier you told me about how free you feel on ice, and I’m wondering, what is it that you think about as you glide along?”
“Well, different things I guess,” Anne replied with a sound of pain in her voice. “Today I was thinking about my childhood, and about my mother.”
“What is your mother like?”
         There was a silent pause as Anne wondered how to answer him. “I've never met my mother, she died shortly after I was born,” Anne finally said.
“Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bring it up…I was just…” Derek trailed off in his thoughts.
“It’s alright, I don’t mind talking about it. Her name was May, and she died when I was about 7 months old. She had a brain tumor, and the doctors were surprised that both of us made it through labour. My dad says that I look just like her.”
“Were you thinking of her when we were skating, just before we collided?” Derek inquired.
“Yes actually, I was. Although I can’t remember her, I think of what she would have been like.”
         Anne thought deeply about her mother again. Derek’s plan of distracting her from her pain had worked.
         Derek parked the car and said, “We’re here.”
“Oh, already?” Anne replied in amazement.
         The waiting room had about ten people all impatiently waiting. In the middle of the room there was an infant shrieking, as her mother cradled her. To the right was a teenage boy who had something wrong with his shoulder; he probably dislocated it. There were a few more kids about 11 or 12 years old, an older man, someone with a broken ankle, and a woman in her mid-forty’s tapping her nails on the table beside her.
         Anne and Derek took a seat in the far right corner of the rectangular room. The white walls seemed to enclose on Anne, and she gasped.
“Are you ok Anne, it shouldn’t be too long.” Derek knew full well it would be a 1-2 ½ hour wait, but he lied to make her feel better.
“Can we… would it be possible to…”
         Anne was looking around the room frantically. When her eyes finally met Derek's, he saw flames of claustrophobia dancing in them. He took her hand and gently caressed it while showing his deep sorrow for her. His passionate stare calmed her down a little, and she took a deep breath. Anne’s wrist was still throbbing in pain, but she was reconciled with the thought of being here with Derek, and not alone.
         Their wait passed fairly quickly as they talked of their interests, and found out how much they had in common.
“Annabelle Solan?” a voice called out from the reception desk.
“Yes,” Anne replied. She blushed because she hadn’t been called Annabelle for years. Her nervous gaze met Derek’s as they followed the receptionist.
She could sense the gear sin his mind turning as he whispered, “Your full name is Annabelle? What a beautiful name, it sounds as sweet as an angel.”
         Anne went straight into the x-ray room after all of her information was taken.           
"I’m really scared Derek, I’ve never had anything broken before,” Anne whimpered.
“It’ll be alright Annabelle, I’ll be here at your side the whole time.” Derek reassured her that everything would be fine, and he would be there to share her pain.
         The doctor took one look at the x-rays and said, “Hmm, yes your wrist is broken in several places. How did this happen?”
Anne was about to speak, when Derek interrupted her. “We were skating and fell down.” The doctor looked at Anne to make sure that he was telling the truth, and that it wasn't domestic abuse.
“Yes it’s true, he’s really a crumby skater,” she smiled as she told the doctor.
"I'm going to have to ask you to leave now Sir," the doctor said. "We are taking you to a sterilized surgery room to set your bones back in place and put a cast on your wrist."
"Don't worry Anne, I'll be right here when you come out of surgery."
"Thanks for everything, Derek. I really appreciate it." The fright in her eyes betrayed her calm demeanor. 
         As the doctor started wheeling Anne away in a hospital bed, Derek said soothingly, "It’ll be over faster than you think.”
         When Anne came out of surgery and into recovery, her jet black bangs clung to her face and mini beads of sweat trailed down the sides of her delicate face. She awoke to see Derek sitting beside her, holding her left hand. Her eyes warmed up as she saw him smile at her and look at her in adoration.
        Derek realized that he had already seen her so vulnerable, even though he barely knew her. He felt so bad for causing her this pain that his heart ached.
        The next day, Anne was released from the hospital. Anne had been given some Tylenol 3’s to ease the pain, and told to take it easy until her next x-ray. As Derek drove, he realized that he didn't know where she lived. He looked over in the passenger's seat to ask her, but she was asleep. "I guess she’ll have to spend the night at my place then," he thought to himself. 
         When he entered the driveway and turned off the car, Derek watched Anne as she peacefully slept. “You are an angel Annabelle, and always will be.” He got out of the driver’s side and shut the door as softly as he could. He walked over to the passenger’s side and opened the door with a creak. “Oh, don’t wake up yet,” he prayed. She hadn’t woken up. “That was a close one,” he sighed. Derek gently placed one hand under Anne’s thighs, and the other on her mid-back. He lifted her from the seat and placed her wrist across her sleeping body. After closing the car door with his foot, he walked up to his door and got out his key. He opened the door and walked Anne up the stairs. Tenderly placing her down on his bed, he lifted the covers over her, and tucked her in. Derek glanced at the clock, and it was 4:08 p.m. It was already dark out, and with the pills Anne took, he thought she might sleep through the night. Derek tucked the blankets in around her body, and lightly kissed her cheek. “Good night Annabelle, sleep tight.”
         Anne groaned as rays of light poured into the room. Her ice-blue eyes darted open and she looked around her surroundings; she didn’t recognize where she was. A jolt of pain shot through her wrist, and she remembered what happened the other night. Her forearm and wrist where smothered in a white cast. Some of her dark hair was resting on her plump lips. She pulled her hair back and shook her bangs. She slowly got up out of bed and walked out the bedroom door. Walking down the stairs, she finally reached the main floor of the house.
         Looking at a clock on the wall, Anne saw that it was 9:00 a.m. She peered around the corner and saw a familiar face darting around the kitchen. Anne tiptoed over to the kitchen and waited for him to come close to the doorway. Just as she heard him coming, she rushed in front of him and said, “Morning!”
         “Ahh!” Derek squealed as he tripped and fell onto the ceramic floor. “Good morning to you too,” he said with a grin on his face. “Glad to see you’re ok.”
         She gave him a sly smile and said, “so you’re making breakfast are you?” She walked over to the counter and helped herself to his cup of coffee.
         As Derek got up, she added in a joking tone, “Oh, but breakfast won’t make up for breaking my wrist.”
         Derek chuckled and walked over to her. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. “No, it won’t,” he whispered into her ear, “but I have plans for us today that will.”
         She tilted her head in his direction, and he looked into her eyes. He got lost in their depth and beauty.
She broke the silence by whispering, “I think the toast is burning.” Trailing up from the toaster was a thin cloud of smoke.
“Not good!” Derek went over to the toaster and fanned the smoke away.
“By the way, thanks for the coffee.” Anne held the warm cup in her hands and took in the fresh aroma of the coffee beans. She sighed as she exhaled. “So what’s on the agenda for today?” Anne had thought back to Derek saying he’d make it up to her.  “Well,” Derek said as he started dishing out hard-boiled eggs and slightly burnt toast, “I thought we could go to the place where I relax and think.”
“And where would that be?” Anne pondered; she really hadn’t known much about Derek.
“Well that is for me to know, and you to find out.” “Maintenant, c’est le temps pour petit-dejeuner. Bon appetite.”
Anne looked at Derek with the utmost interest. “Tu parles francais?” She exclaimed.
“Oui mon chere.” Derek could sense how Anne felt about his knowledge and accent for the language.
         Anne followed Derek from the kitchen to the dining room. It was not decorated for fancy living, but had beautiful landscapes and sunsets painted on the walls. From the table, one could see a big glass sliding-door that showed a big lake crossing through his enormous back yard. It had started to snow that very morning, and all of the trees had little mounds of snow on each branch. The lake was frozen and had all of the snow shoveled off of it.
         “Wow, this is beautiful,” Anne exclaimed. “This is your back yard? Oh, this is amazing, absolutely breath-taking! Derek I had no idea that…”
         “That I could enjoy winter mornings?” Derek had hardly known Anne, but seemed to be able to know what she was thinking, and could finish off some of her sentences.
         Anne changed the subject to protect herself from getting too close. She had realized that this was the closest she had let anyone in before. She hardly knew him and already she had slept in his house and he was finishing her thoughts.
         “So did you want to head out after breakfast then? I should probably be home for 5:00 tonight.”
         “Oh sure, no problem.”
         Another awkward silence followed. Derek knew that Anne was putting up a defense mechanism. She must not have gotten close to people before. Maybe she can’t get close to people at all. Maybe her father is the closest person Anne has.
         As they were eating the breakfast Derek had prepared, Anne stared of into the vast blanket of white snow.
          “You know, if you just stare at the sky as it is snowing, you feel surrounded by every frozen drop of rain and feel serenity. Yet at the same time, you can feel lost in the cosmic sky," Anne said.
         “Yes, I know what you mean. That was like the first day we met and you were staring in the snow. You looked so serene, yet this sadness clouded your eyes.”
         Anne felt unease by his profound connection with her that she panicked. She felt like she couldn’t breathe, and he had touched a part of her soul that no one had been able to reach.
         Acting by first instinct, Anne didn’t look at Derek and ran to the back screen door, running into the snow.
         “Anne….” Derek came racing up behind her and found her in the freezing cold snow gasping for air, doubled over. With her knees on the ground and her arms wrapped around her stomach, she rocked and tried to breathe.
         “Anne, it’s ok. I can see that you have never felt like this before, and that’s fine.” Derek knelt down beside her and touched her warm cheeks.
         She locked eyes with him and saw such compassion and warmth in his gaze. His soul seemed to speak to hers.
         “You don’t know what it is like. Its like I’m trapped…”
         “Shhhh. You don’t have to explain a thing,” he said, calming her down.
         Derek wrapped his arms around her in a comforting embrace. A man with so much love and compassion for her had never hugged her like this. She felt safe in his arms, like nothing would harm her, and everything was going to be ok. 
         He left her trembling in the cold, so he gently picked her up, still keeping that embrace that seemed to last for an eternity. He trudged in the snow in his socks and reached the back porch. By now, Anne’s lips were blue and she had shivers up and down her spine. The fresh air had calmed her down, but she was outside too long. Her wrist started to ache again in the cold.
         To warm her up, he brought her downstairs where the fireplace was situated. In front of it lay a long couch with a comforter resting on its shoulder. He placed her cold, shivering body under the warm comforter and tucked her in.
         “Rest now Annabelle, when you are warm we can talk some more.”
         Anne awoke with a jerk. Her eyes opened wide revealing her sea blue eyes glazed over with horror. She was breathing heavily and sweat beads had collected down her neck, on her forehead, and on her lip.
         “It was just a nightmare,” she told herself.
         Just then Derek came down the stairs with a tray of warm chicken soup, with a cup of tea and some fresh strawberries.
         “You slept for a few hours, I thought you might be hungry.”
         Derek could sense that she didn’t quite seem like herself. He walked over to her, brushing his feet against the Persian rug, and placed the tray of Anne’s lunch on the table beside her. He sat on the couch and took her hand.
         “Anne, every time I look into your eyes I feel at peace. It’s like I can see into your soul, and you have so much pain in your eyes. But I also see a pureness in you that I haven’t seen in a woman before. It’s like you and I are soul mates.”
         He spoke with such warmth, and his words seemed to melt into her. The terror had long passed with his comforting words and kindness.
         “Derek, when I’m with you I feel like I am complete. It’s like I have roamed my life taking care of my father and thinking of my mother, but I still felt so empty. You fill that void in my soul, but it terrifies me. I have never been so close to someone and felt so…..so…” The words were stuck in Anne’s mouth, but it took all of her strength before she managed to say, “so in love with you.”
         Anne lowered her eyes as she felt her cheeks burn with warmth. She could feel his gaze on her and it made her a little nervous.
         Derek gently slid his hand over to hers, and grasped it with so much love. His other hand turned Anne’s head towards him, making Anne meet his gaze.
         “Anne, although we haven’t known each other for that long, it feels like I’ve known you for an eternity.”
         With this, he brushed aside the dark bangs that clung to Anne’s glistening forehead. Her eyes no longer seemed to have any fear in them. It was as though her guard had been broken down by Derek’s love and dedication to her.
         Anne leaned toward Derek and lightly closed her eyes. Derek realized that Anne had become comfortable with him, and was ready to share her life with him, be it gradually. He leaned in and tenderly pressed his lips against hers. Anne’s breathing quickened again as her heart beat faster.
         She had never been kissed, let alone passionately by a man she loved and who loved her. Derek cupped her head in his hands and continued giving her gentle kisses. Anne’s lips tingled with a sensation she had never felt before.
         She felt as if nothing else in the world mattered. Derek gently pulled back to let their relationship move slowly, so she wouldn’t feel rushed and panic again.
         Anne’s eyes exposed their exquisite beauty, and she smirked.
         “I want you to meet my father today,” she said with a hint of delight in her voice.
         “I would love that,” Derek replied
         After Annabelle finished her lunch, they set out to see her father. The day passed quickly at her father’s house, and before they knew it, night had crept up on them.
         “We should go, Derek.” Anne now possessed a bright ora, ever since she and Derek had kissed earlier in the day.
         “You’re right Anne,” Derek said.
         “It was such a pleasure to meet you Derek. Annabelle has this happiness in her eyes that I longed to see in her.”
         “The pleasure is all mine Sir. I will treasure your daughter with all of my heart.”
         The two of them set out, back to Derek’s house. It was a clear night, and the stars were shining bright.
         Derek broke the silence.
         “You know, you haven’t been back to your house in a few days.”
         “Oh, I guess it has been a while,” Anne giggled. “Have I out-stayed my time here, I mean thank-you for caring after me. My arm is feeling a bit better now. I’m sorry for being such a burden…” Her voice trailed off.
         “No, you are welcome here for as long as you like. It's nice to have someone here, and you are great company.”
         “Well I have been enjoying your company as well, and I kind of feel at home here.” Anne needed to tell him how she felt inside, because she had started to back away again when she remembered she was practically living with Derek.
         When the car pulled up to his driveway, he gave a deep sigh.
         “We’re home.”
         After getting out, Derek went to open Anne’s door.
         “I have a surprise for you Anne,” Derek said sheepishly.
         “What might that be?”
         “Do you trust me,” he asked.
         “Yes…..,” Anne spoke with curiosity.
         “Close your eyes.”
         Anne looked at him with questioning eyes, but did as he said and shut her eyes.
         Derek led her into the house and toward the dining room and stopped in front of the table. He went behind Anne and moved his arms around her waist. He lightly kissed her neck, and then whispered into her ears, “Open.”
         Anne lightly opened her eyes to see a box wrapped in gold paper with a bow in the top of it.
         “I got it while you were sleeping. Open it.”
         Anne lifted up the box, which seemed slightly heavy. She tore the paper bit by bit to reveal a white box. She lifted the top of the box to find a new pair if bright white skates inside.
         “Oh my, Derek. They’re beautiful, but I don’t know if I can…”
         “Please, take them. I feel terrible about your broken wrist and I want you to be able to get back on the ice.”
         “But I’m not sure if I can. I mean sure, I’ve fallen before as a child but I have never broken anything.”
         “I promise not to make you fall again. Come with me.”
         Derek opened the sliding door and took Anne outback with her skates. The lake had been shoveled, leaving clear ice. A pair of men’s skates were just to the side of it.
         “I want you to be able to skate again Anne. You look like an angel when you glide over the ice.”
         “But, I’m scared,” Anne protested.
         “I may not be able to skate, but I’ll be here for you. I'll protect you and I’ll always be there to help you.”
         Anne searched his words that seemed to carry an underlying message. Her eyes shone in the moonlight as she stared at the ice with anguish.
         “Be strong Anne, I know you can do it. Every time I look at you I feel like I can do anything, and I know that you can. You have it within you.”
         Derek had a way with reassuring her, and she finally gave in.
         “Ok, I’ll try it, but give me time.”
         She started putting on her new skates. Derek followed suit, and had his on a few minutes later.
         He held out his hand and said, “Come join me under the stars Anne.”
         She took his hand, and slowly made baby step, just like Derek had once took when they first met.
         She moved awkwardly with each step. Derek was at her side the whole time, holding her hand and watching her with wonder.
         “You’re doing great sweetheart.”
         She was concentrating intensely and hadn’t noticed that he gave her a new nickname.
         A slight, cool breeze picked up. Anne felt her arm with the cast being held. She looked over to see the spirit of her mother looking at her with great love. Derek could not see this transparent vision.
         “What are you looking at Anne?”
         She knew it was her mother from the pictures her father had given her.
         “Mother? Is that you? Oh I have missed you so.”
         “I am so proud of you Annabelle. You have grown into a beautiful woman. Derek is a wonderful man, and I see you are skating again. Do not be afraid to love him for he will always be there to embrace you and love you.” The voice of May sounded sweet and soothing to Anne.
         “I must go now, but I just wanted to see you again my dear. Never let your light die out.”
         “I love you mom,” Anne said as the apparition dissolved into the breeze.
         Anne’s jet-black hair blew around in the breeze. She was filled with the memory of her mother.
         She let go of Derek’s hand and let courage lead her. Anne’s skates slid across the lake with speed and agility. She felt at peace once again being on the ice. Her clear blue eyes met Derek’s as she turned around and skated toward him.
         “Anne you’re doing it!” he exclaimed.
         When she reached him, he picked her up and spun her. They dazzled in each other’s arms with an intense stare.
         Derek let her down, dipped her, and kissed her lips. She was overwhelmed with happiness, and said, “I love you Derek. I love you very much.”
         Derek embraced her tightly. Then, falling on one knee, he pulled out another, smaller, box out of his pant pocket.
         “What’s this?” she said.
         “Anne, I know we have not known each other for long but I love you with all my heart. I couldn’t imagine my life without you. I always think of you, and how much I love you. You are my soul mate and I want to be with you forever. Will you marry me Annabelle Solan?”
         Anne opened the black felt box to reveal a white-gold ring carrying an ice blue diamond. The engagement ring sparkled under the moon, reflecting off of Anne’s face. The diamond had the same colour as Anne’s eyes, and the same love and sparkle too.
         Anne gasped.
         “Yes, yes I will marry you Derek.”
         She gleamed with excitement. Derek stood up and slid the ring on Anne’s finger.
         “I love you Anne, and we can wait as long as we need for the wedding until you are ready.”
         “I love you too Derek. You make me feel so comfortable, and I feel so much like myself, more so than ever. When I reach down inside myself and do things that I’m not capable of, like the courage to skate again, it’s because of you. I have realized that love is life, and I feel so alive with you.”
         Just as she finished speaking, Derek kissed Anne. From the clear sky, snowflakes spilled down.
         Derek and Anne looked up at the cosmic sky, staring at the stars. They stuck their tongues out at the same time and caught two great, fluffy snowflakes.
         They witnessed the joining of two lost souls that found each other, and sculpted each other's heart.