Page 115 of Interference
I smile as I think about my family.
Alissa and Brett have changed my life for the better. They remind me that there is more to life than skating. Although there is a lot of skating going on between the three of us. Between my practicing and Brett’s coaching, it’s no surprise that Alissa was drawn to the ice.
It’s only a matter of time before she chooses which one she prefers. Figure skating or hockey. I have a sneaking suspicion that she will choose pucks over spins, but only time will tell.
“Are you with me?” Irina asks, pulling my attention back to her.
“Yes, and you have a time or two.”
“I like it. I don’t understand, but I like it.”
Standing, I turn toward her. “Did you ever think about having kids?”
Sadness fills her eyes. “It was not in the cards for me.”
“I’m sorry.”
She waves her hand through the air. “It’s fine, I made peace with it years ago. Besides, we shouldn’t be talking about this. You need to be thinking about your routine. Are you sure you don’t want to change anything about it? There is still time.”
I shake my head. “I’m going to do it.”
“It’s complicated. If you manage to pull it off, you will win.”
“That’s the goal.” I wink, making her smile.
My routine is the most complicated one I’ve ever done. When I made it past the short program and into the long program, I knew it was time to bust out all the tricks of the trade. My short program was everything they wanted. It filled all their requirements, and I played it safe.
Now it’s time for the gloves to come off. It’s time to show them what I’m capable of and who I really am.
Emery Woods.
Figure skater. Wife. Mother.
I’m about to set an example for little girls and women all over the world that you can have it all.
“She’s done. She did well, unfortunately,” Irina says.
I turn and watch as Katerina moves to the kiss-and-cry area to receive her scores. She looks so excited and proud of herself as she leaves the ice. Yet by the way her coaches react you would think she just let her country down.
Her free skate was genuinely beautiful but not as good as mine.
If I can pull it off.
I will.
With her back straight, she clutches the flowers that were waiting for her and ignores the camera. When her scores come across the screen, she and her coaches nod.
Not a smile to be seen, even though she is now in first place.
How could you not smile when earning first place?
“I’m telling you right now, Irina, if you don’t smile and hug me like you care about me when I exit the ice, I’m firing you.”
Irina scoffs. “You can’t fire me when I already know this is your last competition.”
“Watch me,” I tease, making her smile.
“Fine, if you insist, I will pretend to like you,” she jokes.
