Snow fell gently and endlessly. The air was heavy with a stillness that only the faint sound of skate blades carving across the frozen lake could break. Amid the vast whiteness, a girl glided across the ice like a graceful phantom, wearing a green winter coat and a soft white scarf.
Maya spun to the left, extended her arm, and entered a full turn. Like a free swan, she glided along her path. But suddenly, she lost her balance. A muffled thud echoed as she hit the ice.
For a moment, there was only silence… until she exhaled, smiled, and stood back up. Chin held high, as always. She began again—resolute, dancing, fearless.
Half an hour later, she skated to the edge of the lake, took off her hat and goggles, and drew in a deep breath.
"How was I today? Only fell once… My balance is really improving. The outfit's still a bit heavy, but I'm getting used to it."
A quiet voice answered from behind her.
"It was good… but you're still far from being an Olympic champion."
Maya turned. Her grandmother, wrapped in a gray wool scarf with warm eyes and hands folded in her lap, sat on a wooden chair watching her.
"Grandma, you're being too strict! This is just a village, not the Olympics. No one around here can even spin on ice like I can."
Her grandmother smirked. "I don't want you to shine just in this village. You're not like me... You can go far beyond this place."
Maya laughed, untying her skates. "I love dancing on ice, but if Dad finds out, I'm in trouble. Maybe instead of being hard on me, you could convince him to let me train in the city."
Her grandmother sighed. "The time will come. For now, just focus on your practice. One day, he'll have no choice but to acknowledge your talent."
Maya walked beside her, wrapping an arm around her grandmother's as they headed home. The cold air had turned their cheeks rosy.
"From tomorrow, you don't have to come out anymore. I'm worried you'll catch a cold. I promise I'll ask you for help if I get stuck."
Her grandmother gave her a kind look. "As long as I can walk, I'll come. I trained in this cold for years."
Maya nodded. "You've always been my best teacher. My first and last."
"You may have learned from me first, but you need to go to the capital and train at the Silver House with Lian Victor. That's how you'll earn a place in the Winter Olympics."
"Oh, here we go again… If you were younger, I'd say you were in love with Lian Victor. But at your age? What's so special about him, anyway? You watch all his skating videos but never talk about his personality. People online say he's arrogant and full of himself. His wife left him and moved abroad! And I heard he doesn't respect other coaches either. Elkin Yang is way better—he's handsome too!"
Her grandmother chuckled. "Lian Victor is the best. If you want to make it to the Olympics, you need a master who teaches technique, not one who flirts."
Maya shrugged. "They say he's cold. Not the warm, kind type."
"Sometimes," her grandmother replied softly, "the serious ones make the most precise teachers."
Maya smiled. "Okay. Either way, I'm going to keep dancing."
When they arrived home, Maya secretly tucked her skates into the wooden shed and entered the house. But her father's voice called out:
"Mom, how many times do I have to tell you not to go out in this weather? If you get sick, we can't afford a hospital in the city."
Her grandmother responded calmly. "I'm fine, son. Did you forget I danced on ice for years?"
Her father snapped bitterly. "Yeah, danced your way into meeting that man who left us. And I grew up fatherless…"
Her mother tried to calm him. "Honey, don't say that. It hurts your mother."
"I've heard it all my life," he muttered. "If I could, I'd tear that lake apart so no one could ever dance on it again."
Her grandmother's eyes welled with tears. "You're right… I ruined everything. I never should've fallen in love with him."
Maya couldn't take it anymore. She stepped into the room.
"Dad! Why do you always blame Grandma? Who says you would've been happy if Grandpa had stayed?"
"At least I wouldn't have had to hear people talk behind our backs," he growled. "They say she came to this village alone and her husband abandoned her."
"Who cares what people say? One day we'll leave this village and never hear their gossip again."
"And where will we go? The city? With what money?"
"I'll work hard. One day, we'll be rich."
He scoffed. "What are you going to do? Embroider your way to wealth?"
Grandma and Maya fell silent. Later that night, as they lay in their shared bedroom, shadows from the wooden ceiling danced on the walls.
"Grandma, are you awake?"
"No, I'm fast asleep."
Maya giggled. "How did you fall in love with ice dancing? Back then, no one even knew it existed in villages."
After a pause, her grandmother replied, "I saw a performance once when I visited the capital. I fell in love with it instantly. I spent all I had on a pair of skates. I practiced in the lake, hidden from everyone. One day, my father saw me. I thought he'd be angry… but he supported me."
"How did you learn techniques?"
"One day, while I was skating, a young man saw me. He was traveling through the country after returning from abroad and happened to visit our village."
"That young man… was Grandpa?"
"Yes. At first, I ran from him. But the next day, he was waiting at the lake. He told me not to be afraid—he practiced the same sport and thought I had talent. He stayed in our village for two months and taught me to dance on ice. We trained in secret, sometimes even at night under the moonlight."
"That's so romantic… You fell in love then, didn't you?"
Her grandmother yawned. "Sleep now. You'll be tired for tomorrow's training. I'll tell you the rest later."
"Okay. Goodnight…"