I exhale in exhausted frustration, the brunette wisps flutter in the crisp winter air making a momentary halo above my worried little head. Mathew and I discard our cups of, already cold, hot chocolate. Off we went back onto the rink.

Mathew looked like an angel when he skated; his cheeks fully blushed with his sun kissed golden hair sweeping over his smiling, determined face. His hands holding mine with our eyes locked and focused only on one another. Our bodies in perfect unvarying symmetry and all else around us vanishing to leave us in total seclusion in our care free loving world. Nothing bad existed there; nothing could ever harm us. I felt so safe in his arms.

That's when it hits me. I finally get it! I know what Mathew meant when he said, "Usually the one you love is right in front of you."

I loved him!

He had always been there and I never even knew it was him, the one I was longing for. As we landed our triple jump, I changed the routine. I held his hand in mine, smiled and said "Thank you for everything," in his ear.

That Christmas Eve was the best day of my life. We shared our first kiss that night. He held me close and I wrapped my arms around him. Our eyes met in pure bliss.

That place of pure joy and love was surrounding us once again. He knelt down on the glistening ice and asked me the question I had longed to hear ever since I knew the importance of that question. His eyes were shimmering as he gazed into my face. Everyone around us became a silent crowd. The tears welled in my eyes that started streaming down his face. My heart was beating in a new way, the way of a new life. The tears were choking me, as I answered him. Full of excitement he immediately jumped up and kissed me. Our new found audience applauded.

He walked me home as he'd done for the past seventeen years, but this walk was different. We were closer and we were happier than ever before. Usually our bodies are tired and our feet swollen from the enduring pains of perfecting a new routine. If we were tired I was numb with the feeling of love in my heart and joy on my face.