Page 95 of Breaking the Ice

My mom’s words are a revelation I can’t stop turning over in my mind. Because she was always so supportive of my musical theater endeavors and loves to sing and dance with me around the house, I didn’t realize she was so into hockey.

And it makes me wonder. What else have I missed? Have I been supportive enough of Evan and his chosen sport? Being a Division One college athlete is no small feat. Did I respect that? Did I make that easier for him, or did I try to ignore it because I have mixed feelings about hockey?

We place our orders at The Silver Spoon, me trying my new favorite of Black Cherry. I thought Butter Pecan was as good as it gets, but it turns out, I was wrong.

“How’s your ice cream?” My mom asks, sliding into the red booth across from me and startling me out of my reverie.

I take a bite, the flavors exploding on my tongue. It’s cold and creamy, and I nod, swallowing. “It’s perfect.”

She smiles at me. “That’s the happiest I’ve seen you look in a while. You doing okay?”

“No, I’m really not.” I sigh, finally ready to talk to her. “Things with Evan have been…rough. And I’m starting to think that part of it might be my fault.”

My mom throws her head back and laughs.

I sputter as my mouth drops open. “Why is that so funny?”

“Because of course part of it was your fault. There’s rarely a conflict in marriage that is one-sided.”

“Oh.” I guess she has a point.

“Bella.” She reaches out and touches my hand. “It was really hard that Evan had to leave you in Nashville. Everything about it sucks. But think about it—if you had a play that night, wouldn’t you have done everything possible to get back for it?”

She pauses while that sinks in. I stay silent, and she keeps talking. “You’d have an understudy, sure, but do you really want to let the whole cast down and ask someone to step in for you? After you’ve spent all that time rehearsing and preparing for your role?”

I clear my throat around the lump forming there. “No, I’d want to be there. Evan would have helped me arrive on time and not been upset about it.”

Mom raises a brow, saying I told you so without words. “Maybe. Maybe not. But understanding compromise and how to support each other is paramount in a marriage.”

“I think you’re right.” I sigh, and she doesn’t even take the opportunity to gloat. “But I don’t know, Mom. I’m not sure we can come back from this.”

She gives a decisive jerk of her chin. “It’s all about having faith and being faithful. Have faith in the person you married and stay faithful to your vows.”

“I’m not going to cheat on him.” My voice rises with indignation.

“Good, but that’s not what I meant. You need to live out all your vows. Sometimes you don’t realize that when you promise in sickness and health, the hard things won’t be cancer or job loss. It will just be remembering why you fell in love with that person and got married in the first place.”

“I—I’m not sure he knows how I feel.”

“Have you told him?”

I let the silence spool out again between us, confirming my denial.

My mom shakes her head. “Then he won’t know. Because even the most amazing man on the planet won’t be able to read your mind.”

She’s right. I was going to tell him in Nashville and talk about our future, but the timing felt off. And now…has the moment passed? Should I give up on this silly marriage before things get even more out of control?

All I know is I’m still just as much in love with him as I’ve always been. Even if it’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever done. And I accidentally got married in Vegas, so that’s saying a lot.

Chapter

Forty-Six

ISABELLA

Isabella: I have a free night! Can you guys meet for coffee?

Ariana: Yes! Can’t wait to hear about student teaching.