Page 7 of It’s Me, but Different

The sound of children's laughter interrupts our conversation. Through the window, I can see Esme and the twins approaching the beginner slope. Ana Sofia hops with excitement while her brother clings tightly to his mother's hand.

“Shit,” I murmur, feeling my pulse quicken. “They're already here.”

“Well, get moving,” River jokes, pushing me toward the door.

“I hate you,” I growl before leaving.

“I know. I love you too,” she responds with a smile, giving me a thumbs up for encouragement.

“Sloane!” Ana Sofia shrieks when she sees me. “Do you think I'll be able to go down the green slope today?”

She's wearing the same fuchsia suit she had on yesterday, and it's such a bright color that if she got lost, you could see her from miles away. She balances on her skis with a naturalness that feels painfully familiar. Next to her, her brother Theo holds his poles like they're a shield, not trying to hide the fear in his eyes.

“The green slope, huh?” I repeat, trying to force a professional tone. "First, let's see how you handle yourself in the beginner area. We don't want to go too fast. If you do well, then I'll go down the green slope with you. Or Mom can do it too,” I add, shifting my gaze toward Esme.

“I'm ready now,” the kid insists, executing a small, somewhat clumsy turn. “I practiced in the room. Without skis, of course, but it's almost the same thing.”

I can't help but smile. The girl's confidence reminds me so much of Esme in our first days together that it almost physically hurts.

“Ana, not everyone has your spirit,” Esme intervenes, placing a hand on Theo's shoulder. “Your brother needs to go at his own pace.”

“I just want not to fall,” the boy murmurs, gripping his mother's hand tighter.

“You know a secret?” I tell him in a low voice, crouching down to be at his height. “We all fall at first. I fell many times when I was learning. My older sisters always laughed at me.”

“You? But Mom says you were the best.”

I feel myself turning red to the tips of my ears when I hear those words, and I look for Esme's gaze, who suddenly seems very interested in adjusting the zipper of her jacket.

“Your mom is very kind,” I assure him. “But I promise you I fell so many times that my older sisters called me 'Sloane, the snowball.'”

My confession manages to draw a small smile from the boy, dispelling the fear in his eyes for a moment.

“Really?” Ana Sofia asks, joining the conversation. “And how did you learn not to fall?”

“By practicing,” I answer. “And trusting my ski instructor. But above all, training a lot. When we applaud champions, we don't see all the training hours behind it. Nobody wins competitions just because they're naturally good at it. And that's true with everything in life, not just sports,” I explain.

“Well, shall we start? If we keep talking, I'll never go down the green slope,” Ana Sofia protests.

Esme tries to apologize, but that girl reminds me so much of myself when I was little that I can't help but roll my eyes.

“They'll be fine. You don't need to spend the whole hour leaning against a tree like yesterday. You can go to the cafeteria if you'd like. I'll return them safe and sound, I promise.”

A shy smile appears on her lips as she shrugs.

“They're all I have left,” she sighs as if trying to apologize.

“Did you live here when you were little?” Ana Sofia asks as we go up again on the beginner lift.

“We lived in Aspen, though we spent vacations here.”

“And did you ski every day?” the girl insists.

“Yes. My sisters and I did our homework as fast as possible so we could get out on the slopes before dark. They even took us skiing in the summer to the Allalin glacier in Switzerland.”

“How many sisters do you have?” Theo interrupts, who seems more interested in anything that isn't skiing.

“Three. Harper is the oldest, then there's River, who took you for hot chocolate yesterday, and finally Ivy, who is my twin sister.”