Gabriel was helping Tegwen to her feet, and both were so involved in what they were doing that neither took notice of the third wheel who watched them with a smirk only a few feet away.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Tegwen insisted, grinning ear to ear. "Humiliated beyond belief, but fine!"

"It's not like anyone else is around to see you falling on your butt," Gabriel said. "You don't need to be humiliated around me."

"I can't help it -- I'm not used to being so . . . so clumsy!"

Gabriel laughed. "Dear, this is so not clumsy! God -- you should have seen me when I first tried skating!"

Tegwen wobbled a little. "Who said this was my first time on ice skates?"

"Oh -- it's -- not? I mean -- oh, geez, I didn't mean that -- oh, you know -- "

Gabriel was so flustered that Tegwen couldn't keep from laughing.

Clinging to Gabriel amidst her laughter, Tegwen said, "I'm not offended! Don't worry about it, I know I really stink at this skating thing!"

"Yeah, well, I'm the idiot. I should have suggested we go to a skating rink where you'd have a railing to hang on to or something."

"But I like clinging to you," Tegwen said sheepishly. "It's been a really long time since I've had someone who would support me."

Gabriel offered a crooked smile. "Literally, huh?"

"You interpret that however you'd like," replied Tegwen, brushing a curl out of her eye that had gotten caught in her eyelashes. "I doubt the rink would have helped me all that much. What I really need is a pillow to tie to my butt! As it is, if I keep this up, I'm gonna have enough ice in my tail to make an enormous snowcone!"

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