I went roller skating with my kids.  We walked in together and examined the rentals.  The skates were lined up along the back wall and reached all the way to the ceiling.  The skates were brown with orange wheels.  We examined the skate-mates.  Valentina asked for a skate-mate.  I saw fear in her dark eyes.  Fear of roller skating.  She got a skate-mate.

Desmond put his skates on and waved his arms around in circles when he stood.  He requested a skate-mate.  I suggested we all share the one skate-mate.  Take turns.  Valentina told Desmond could go first.

Desmond and I made our way around the rink.  He leaned on the skate-mate and gripped the bars with white knuckles.  I leaned against the carpeted wall and skated along beside him.  My butt muscles were sore in under two minutes.  Desmond passed the skate-mate to Valentina, who was waiting at the opening at the far corner of the rink.

Valentina and I made our way around the rink.  She white-knuckled the skate-mate.  I leaned against the carpeted wall and skated along beside her.  The fear was still in her eyes.  Actually the fear had grown.  Her mouth was pulled into a tight, straight line.  She did not smile.

Desmond wanted to try the next round without the skate-mate.  Valentina kept the skate-mate and went around the rink with Kevin.  Desmond and I held hands and made our way around.  I kept my right hand against the carpeted wall.  I kept my left hand wrapped tightly around Desmond’s right hand.  Sometimes he lost his balance and squeezed my hand more tightly.  He didn’t fall down.

Desmond sat down for a rest.  Valentina and I made our way around the rink.  She white-knuckled the skate-mate.  I skated beside her, both of my hands by my side this time.  The fear was no longer in her eyes.  It would come back during moments of imbalance, but only briefly.  She smiled.  She pulled her skate-mate over to the side of the rink and high-fived people on the other side of the low wall.

This went on for many hours.  Valentina with her skate-mate.  Desmond holding my left hand.

Around and around and around.

At the end of the night, Desmond, Valentina and I took one last spin around the rink.  Valentina was to my right on her skate-mate.  Desmond was to my left holding my hand.  We didn’t speak as we took our final lap.  I watched mutely as Valentina, without announcement and without looking at me, released her grip on the skate-mate and made several unassisted strides.  Grip and release, grip and release.  She did not seek approval or attention.  I watched mutely as Desmond slackened his grip on my hand before shaking loose of our grasp.

My hand was still warm from his sweaty grip as he skated off ahead of me.

Grip.

Release.

Grip.

Release.

Around and around and around.