“Hello, children.”

“… we are in our 40’s.” I can’t help but say, bewildered.

“I’ve had a lot going on. Anyway, are you both ready to fulfil your promise?” The tall being boomed.

I looked at my childhood best friend, Andrew. It had been years since we’ve been in the same room, and he looks just as confused as I do. “What promise?” He asks. “Where are we?”

“I’m surprised you don’t recognise it. At a tea party you once promised each other that you would learn to ice skate together.”

I took in the scene where the being stood. A glistening sheet of ice surrounded by clean glass and empty stands. Looking down I saw ice skates by my feet.

“This is a weird dream. We were kids when we promised, remember? When our older sisters were on the same team and we were too young to go on the ice.” Andrew smiles.

I did remember. Hours spent watching our sisters play hockey, making up our own routines in the stands while we shivered and waited for our parents to pick us up.

We were ten, I think, then life got in the way. Our sisters went to different hobbies, Andrew moved away. Aside from a Christmas card and Facebook messages, we hadn’t talked properly in years.

“This is no dream. I am the promise keeper. If a promise it not kept, I will enforce it.”

“Even a pinky promise?”

The being nodded. “Especially a pinkie promise. You have the rink for a few hours; I pulled some strings. Make your own way home.”

“What? I live miles from here…” Andrew exclaimed.

“Not my problem. I have to go, someone has promised to try and get a promotion.”

In a puff of snowflakes the being vanished, leaving Andrew and I in the floodlights.

I look at him. He looks at me.

Collecting the boots, we head to the stand to try them on, smiling.