Page 117 of Interference
“Knock it off. People are staring,” Grace hisses.
“They can stare all they want. Our sister is out there doing shit,” Peyton tells her.
While they bicker, I don’t look away.
For six more jumps, three spins, one step sequence that’s full of fucking sass, and one choreographic sequence, I hold my breath.
Only when she comes to a stop in the middle of the ice, do I breathe.
She did it. She fucking did it.
Our family jumps up and cheers.
“Your mommy just kicked some serious butt,” Wyatt tells Alissa.
“Go, Mommy!”
Her head snaps up, and she laughs. She fucking laughs. As she heads off the ice, she smiles.
“That was insane,” Clay says.
“Did you know she had all of that planned, Brett?” her dad asks.
“I did,” I say, not bothering to hide the pride in my voice.
She makes her way to the kiss-and-cry booth, which I still think is a stupid fucking name, and hugs Irina.
Side by side, along with one of her other coaches, she sits down with a bouquet of flowers in her lap. Her shoulders are back, and there’s a confidence in her that I’ve never seen before.
She knows.
She already knows she did it. Emery Woods doesn’t need the judges to confirm what she already knows: that she’s the best.
When the scores come through, the crowd goes fucking wild. While our family loses their minds around us, I watch her. Her bold red lips slowly move into a smile, and her eyes find mine in the crowd.
She did it.
We fucking did it.
Only when her coaches steal her attention do I drop my head into my hands. Tears begin to fall from my eyes.
We fucking did it.
Five years ago, I promised her that she would make it here. I promised her that becoming a mother wouldn’t derail her desire to win. After she had Alissa, it was a struggle to keep her off the ice until she was cleared. Then when she was, it was game over. We spent endless hours at the arena. I learned everything I could about figure skating so that way I could help her practice.
On top of skating like a maniac, she finished school, we survived the newborn stage, I started teaching and coaching, we got married, and bought a house.
In the last four years, so many big life changes have happened, but this feels like the biggest thing of all.
She fucking did it.
My wife’s a goddamn gold medal winner for figure skating in the Winter Olympics.
She’s a champion, and now everyone knows it.
It feels like forever before the ceremony is over and we’re cleared to see her. At first, I let everyone else congratulate her. I watch as our family and daughter tell her how proud they are and how amazing she did until it’s finally my turn.
Finally, she looks my way and smiles. She jumps into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist.
