Mara’s dad did not.
“I like you too. Obviously,” Avery said sullenly.
“Sure.”
“And you’ll probably win gold this time. And then you’ll be, like, even.”
“Okay, Avery. Let’s go,” her mom said.
“It was so nice to meet you, Avery,” Mara said. She was having trouble keeping her laughter inside. Mara would never winGenius Academy, so she and Kirby would never beeven.
And Kirby had won a gold first. She’d always have that over Mara.
Four years ago, the television networks, sports journalists, and the team’s media department had decided she deserved to be coronated once she won the gold. They had built it up. She had let them.
Then she hadn’t won the gold after all.
Andthathad been the story. A failed Olympics. A failed gold medal.
Hubris didn’t make you a star, but it did occasionally get you roasted by a preteen in an Italian café. What was it that Kirby had said? Mara got too confident at the end. She hadn’t felt confident since losing in Beijing. That loss was a constant stitch in her side, reminding her to be humble, to try hard, to push and fight and win.
Once they were alone, Mara’s dad said, “See?” like that whole interaction with the young girl had proven some big point.
A point about her. A point about Kirby.
Mara stood up to order something,anything, else.
While in line, a protein bar in hand, something Kirby had said during their hookup snuck up on her.
Use your big girl words.
A blush so hot it felt like flames burst over her face, but she turned the sentence over in her head anyway.
There was no reason that phrase should have been as sexy as it had been, but Mara had really, really liked the frank meanness. The bite in Kirby’s tone.
Mara paid for her protein bar and another coffee for her dad. She returned to their table.
“Here’s a coffee.” She placed it in front of him. He didn’t thank her or look up from his phone.
“So you’re not racing in any of the sprint events?”
“No.” She did fine in sprints and had won bronze in the sprint in Pyeongchang, but they were not her best events by any stretch.
He shook his head in disbelief. “And your training regimen involves an hour of yoga and meditation every day? That’s what this article says. I’m not sure that’s the best use of your time. I know Coach Karlsson thinks the optimal way to train is a mix of low-intensity?—”
“My training is off-limits.”
“Excuse me, Mara Louise?” Oh, there was the dad voice again.
Big girl words. Big girl words.
Mara wanted to be brave. To set the right boundaries, not the wrong ones. She was pretty sure she had set the wrong boundaries with Kirby.
But she was going to fall apart if all she heard every time she talked to one of the most important people in her life was thatshe was lacking and needed to be doing more. The voice in her head did that enough.
“Give me this time to focus without you in my ear second-guessing everything, and I’ll see you once I’m done competing.”
“In nineteen days? You’re not going to see me for nineteen days?” he said, referencing how many days remained until the fifty-k.
