Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

It was the next day. The entire Sapphire City looked as if it were covered by a pure white quilt. Everywhere you looked, white was visible. The snow scene was beautiful, creating a sense of tranquility and delight.

Amidst the quietude, there was laughter and joy at an ice rink in a certain part of Sapphire City. The snow was still falling, and due to the heavy snowfall, their originally planned outdoor activities were canceled. In order not to dampen the spirits, Joseph took charge and arranged for the group to be at the ice rink. He rented the entire rink for the occasion.

Frank and Ava held hands, gracefully dancing on the ice rink. They circled around again and again, with Frank occasionally lifting Ava and spinning her around. The young lady laughed freely, embracing Frank's neck. In the distance, Joseph also smiled when he saw them enjoy themselves. George, wearing a pair of mini skates, was a bit timid and did not dare to take a step forward.

Joseph held his son's hands, patiently teaching and providing a sense of security. Encouraged by his dad, George gathered the courage to slide forward bit by bit. His lower body and upper body were several inches apart from his movement, revealing the little guy's nervousness.

On the other side of the rink, Christina, wearing ice skates, crouched in a corner collecting information.

As for Natalie and Trevon, they were somewhat teasing each other affectionately like love birds in public. They played with fancy skating moves, chasing each other, twirling in circles, and even performing a skating dance.

Quinn, holding a seemingly reluctant Stella, couldn't move her feet and clung to the edge of the wall, with her buttocks an inch away from his upper body just like George, saying, "Quinn, I... I'm afraid." "What are you afraid of? I'll protect you. And why are you two just standing there watching instead of joining the fun?" Quinn looked at Leia and Chris, both standing still, separated by one person's distance, watching the others skate. Both of them had ice skates on their feet. Leia couldn't skate, but Chris could. As for why Chris could skate, thanks to Trevon and the others during their college days. They often played these activities, and with time, they naturally learned some things, like ice skating at the moment, which Trevon and Frank enjoyed a lot.

Chris, in a short black down jacket, surveyed the surroundings. He realized everyone had already formed groups, even the children. Yana was playing with Sophia, Jasper was with Olivia, and George was being taken care of by Joseph. It seemed like it was just him and Leia left on the ice rink. He withdrew his gaze, approached the woman who was in one person's distance from him, and asked, "Do you want to play?" Leia naturally noticed this and did not want to dampen the mood. "I can skate a little, but | might bump into people.” Before Chris could speak, Christina skated over, smiling. "Leia, let my brother teach you. He's good at skating; he learned from Trevon and the others." Upon hearing Christina mention Trevon, Natalie asked, "You used to go skating often?" Trevon's lips curved into a nice arc as he replied, "Just to pass the time before | met you." Natalie was speechless to hear the answer.

Seeing everyone having fun, Leia did not want to be left out. "Then, | will have to ask for your help, Dr. Yamin." Leia generously extended her hand, and Chris hesitated for a second before reaching out. Their hands met, her fingers held by his large hand, mutually conveying warmth. The heartbeats of the two quickened and synchronized at the same moment. Leia pursed her lips, looking down at her feet. Chris reminded her, "Look up." In that fleeting moment of looking up, the two collided unexpectedly.

Chris's chin took a hit, and Leia instinctively reached out to see, her fingertips touching his chin. He was momentarily stunned, forgetting to speak.

the well-taken photos to her mom and then slipped over to Joseph's side. George still felt a bit scared, but Joseph did not force the child. He had

along with Sophia's screams, Leia did not feel as awkward. In matters of emotions, she tended to be more reserved and shy compared to the straightforwardness of Christina. Perhaps because Leia was sliding too fast, she could not stand steadily and stumbled towards the edge. Chris instinctively reached out to grasp her waist. She had a slender waist, even through the down jacket, it could be felt. Time stood still at that moment, she looked at him, and he looked at her as if some chemistry was between them. After looking for a while, both of them realized their lapse in composure. Leia averted her gaze

with a smile that seemed both mocking and ambiguous. Leia felt uncomfortable with this smile and approached to inquire,

career into your love life, you

found the right one,"

to become a priest and practice celibacy for a lifetime." Leia, still resting against the wall, was astonished at what she had heard. "Is it that outrageous? It can't be." Impatient by nature, Quinn did not like beating around the bush. Otherwise, she would not have divorced so decisively and left with a clean slate. She shouted to Chris in the distance, "Hey, Dr. Charming. Do you have a girlfriend?" Leia, with her back to Chris, kept signaling to Quinn with her eyes as if asking, "What are you doing? The girlfriend is just one reason; family background is another.” Quinn spread her hands, comforting her. "Don't be

tired from skating, and Frank and Ava also leaned against the wall to rest. Olivia had already sat on a bench, taking off her skates. Seeing this, Natalie asked, "Olivia, don't you want to play anymore?" Jasper replied, "It's been a little long for her to skate.” Trevon instructed his son, "Then take a break. Take your sister to the café outside to find Joseph, and we'll be there shortly." Jasper nodded. "Okay, got it." Frank and Ava followed the two children outside, each holding a child's

to have no intention of stopping. She signaled to Yana to let go,

go. If anything happened, she would not be able to bear

Sophia proved to be quite adept at skating, consistently demonstrating good learning abilities in such activities. Yana was extremely nervous. Natalie nodded at Yana from a distance, comforting her, indicating

down." His words were like nothing to Sophia, and she was too excited and refused to listen. At

held their breath. Chris and Trevon glided towards

wide. After Sophia fell, she

his daughter, while Stella, still in shock, maintained the open-legged position with trembling legs. Chris went over to help his sister close her legs, saying, "Bring them together, the posture isn't that appealing.” Everyone gathered around Sophia. Chris crouched down to check. After confirming there were no issues, Sophia, seeing everyone's stern faces, twisted her waist and hips, assuring them she was fine. It did not hurt at all and it was not a big deal. She had fallen much more seriously when practicing martial arts. Seeing Sophia was fine, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

others left, Stella, still in shock, patted her chest. Leia asked if

three women. Trevon looked on with a strong sense of disdain, commenting, "He wastes too much time to pick up a girl." Frank smiled faintly and teased, "In terms of time, you have the least say." Trevon could not retort as he knew

Frank coldly glanced at Chris inside the skating rink and said, "Stop calling him with that affectionate tone."