-) As a couple, Grace and Zeno have completely different definitions of fun. Left to his own devices, Zeno chooses fancy restaurants, private art galleries, private beaches, or evenings spent in the comfort of his home with a good bottle of wine and uninterrupted conversation. Grace, meanwhile, possesses the unique ability to find joy in the simplest things. She can become excited over a roadside attraction, a county fair, a twenty-four-hour diner, an old arcade with flickering lights and broken machines, or even an online livestream event. Zeno would normally sneer at such outings, as they are low-brow. However, he finds himself agreeing to them without complaint because Grace's happiness comes first. Besides, Zeno is still spending precious time with her.
-) It just so happens that when Grace has a soft spot for roller-skating. It was the last place her mother had taken her to for her birthday. The moment they step through the doors, Zeno is brutally assaulted by colorful flashing lights, loud tween pop music, and the sound of dozens of children screaming at volumes that should not be possible. The air smells like pizza grease, cotton candy, and smelly rental skates that have housed one too many unwashed feet. Zeno grimaces, immediately regretting every decision that has led him to this moment. Grace, however, lights up the instant she sees the rink. Her eyes brighten, her smile widens, and suddenly she looks years younger as she grabs his hand and practically drags him toward the skate counter.
-) Grace looks completely at home there. Blue jean shorts, comfortable sneakers, and a flowy V-neck shirt that complements her willowy frame. While everyone else is dressed casually, Zeno somehow still looks like a socialite attempting to blend in among the plebeians. His white polo probably costs more than some pimply-faced teen's car, his tailored trousers fit perfectly, and his sunglasses remain on his face even though he's indoors. A few passers-by glance at him with confusion, clearly wondering how a man who looks like he belongs at a luxury golf resort ended up at a roller rink on a Saturday afternoon.
-) The first few minutes are admittedly difficult. Zeno dislikes crowds. He dislikes noise. He dislikes children weaving and zigzagging across the floor. Most of all, he dislikes the cheap pizza that Grace immediately insists on ordering despite the existence of countless better restaurants within driving distance. Yet somehow, none of it bothers Zeno nearly as much as it should. Because every time he looks at Grace, she's smiling. The kind of smile that reaches her eyes and softens her entire face. Grace was a loner, a shut-in, and disliked crowds as much as he did, but here she laughs, filled with nostalgia as she shows him all the games she and her mom used to play.
-) Eventually, they make their way onto the rink. Grace immediately reaches for his hand, and Zeno allows her to pull him forward. He's surprisingly competent on skates. His balance is flawless, his posture remains irritatingly elegant, and even on roller skates, he somehow manages to look composed. Grace, meanwhile, spends half her time laughing and the other half nearly colliding with other skaters or bumping into him. More than once, Zeno catches her before she can fall, his arm wrapping around her waist while she laughs against his shoulder.
-) As the afternoon wears on, Zeno finds himself paying less attention to the crowd and more attention to her. Grace's hand remains tucked securely in his the entire time, swinging their joined hands between them like they're teenagers. At one point, she throws her head back laughing at something completely ridiculous, sunlight filtering through the high windows and catching in her hair. The sight hits Zeno with enough force that he briefly forgets the noise, the crowds, the screaming children, and how his skates make his heels chafe. Grace is beautiful.
-) By the end of the evening, Zeno is sitting beside her at a sticky plastic table while she enthusiastically works her way through her melting pizza and a brightly colored rainbow slushie. Children are still screaming around them. The music remains obnoxiously loud. Someone drops an entire tray of food next to him, and some of it gets on his favorite shoes. Zeno would have sneered and left hours ago. Instead, he sits there watching Grace talk animatedly about absolutely nothing important, her smile still lingering from their time on the rink, her eyes sparkling.
-) And Zeno realizes that there is something profoundly satisfying about being the reason she got to have this day. When Grace catches him staring and asks what he's looking at, Zeno simply takes her hand, lifts it to his mouth, and presses a kiss against her knuckles. He would endure every screaming child, every disgusting slice of pizza, and every wobbly lap around that rink all over again.
Just to see her smile like that one more time.
