✍🏻See You Again

4 🫐 Chapter 4

When I got to TCC the next day, I was determined not to let my stupid brain get the better of me. I had the tendency to freeze in panic when things got overwhelming but unlike yesterday, now I had Marco around as well. He was the one to always keep me grounded, the only person able to follow my scattered train of thought, and way more adult than I could ever be even though he was only three years older.

"What was I saying?" I ask after I yet again changed the topic of our conversation from what I actually wanted to tell him.

"You were talking about bananas." Marco sighs and presses down on my back, helping me stretch while I'm sitting on the gym floor, holding my extended feet. Bananas. I think hard, tracing back my thought process.

Bananas - Shopping for fruit online - bad internet at home - youtube lagging - Justin Timberlake - !!!

"Right!" I breathe out when I get to the original thought. "Justin released a new song!"

"Good for him," Marco says dryly, and even with my face pressed to my knees I can practically see his eyes roll. "I assume we will be skating to that one too?"

"Would you be willing to?"

"You are asking as if I ever had a say in what we skate to."

"Just trying to be polite."

"Hm."

I push back against his hands and sit up straight, looking up at him. "Is everything okay?"

He nods but looks away, going to the stretching bars at the mirrors and putting his leg up.

I do the same and eye him carefully, but don't say a word. I know better than to nag him until he gives up and spills the beans. He is the type to think hard about what's bothering him for days until he's ready to talk and I know that when the time comes, I will be the first to know. He always vents to me and I hope that everything between him and his wife is okay.

Maybe adjusting to the new life isn't going as great as they planned. Maybe her new job isn't as awesome as she pictured. Which would suck big time since that was the reason we changed our coaching base and moved to Toronto. I frown and switch the leg I'm stretching, going back to several months ago when Sandra got the job offer of her dreams and Marco was grumpy for days until he finally spilled the beans and told me what was going on. That her career was hanging on my willingness to move. He never put his career before hers but also was weighed down by the responsibility towards my own career. Knowing very well that once we would split, neither of us would be able to continue our competitive careers. At least not to the same degree we were able to until now. There were pairs who switched their partners but we skated together ever since we were kids, we're so used to each other, knowing each other's every move before the other made it. There was no way either of us would be able to adjust to anyone else. And hell, I knew I would never trust anyone else to lift me above his head with the hard ice below me.

"How is Sandra liking the new job?" I ask after several minutes of silence, "is it as great as she hoped it would be?"

He nods and finishes his last stretch before going to his bag and packing his things. I am tempted to ask some more when he sighs and actually answers. "Yeah, it's everything she imagined. Loves it."

"Oh, that's great!" I smile and start packing up as well, the cogwheels of my brain spinning on full power as his tone was so sour it was clear that whatever he's bumped about is linked with Sandra's job. I don't let him know I'm in my full investigative mode and continue in an enthusiastic tone. "She worked so hard to get where she is. Glad it's finally paying off and she's getting some recognition. Especially in a field that is so predominantly male-dominated."