It had to have looked suspicious, a bit too friendly, a bit too close, but Kirby didn’t care.
And now Mara was talking, talking, talking to the press in the exchange zone like she’d been replaced by a body double.
“You’re known for being a stoic competitor, Mara. But you seem quite open and expressive today,” Henrik Jensen said. “I’ve only seen you cry one time, and that was four years ago after losing the thirty-k mass start.”
“That day I cried because I was disappointed. Because I’d let myself down, and I was embarrassed. But I didn’t race for myself today. I racedwithmy heart. For my heart. For Kirby. And for Brandilyn. I wanted to do my best for them. And I think being vulnerable is why I raced so well. I could let myselffeeland be aggressive and ski with joy. Because it wasn’t about me.”
Henrik blinked a few times, clearly surprised by such a wordy answer. “KB, what is it like winning the gold medal with yourbiggest rival? Much has been made about your rivalry in these last two Olympics.”
“I’m… I haven’t quite processed it yet. I’m glad we got a chance to write our own chapter in the story, though.”
Mara gripped her hand harder, and Kirby squeezed back.
“Mara, you’ve stated your goal was a gold medal. Does it diminish it that you got gold but it’s a team medal, not an individual one?”
“No.” Mara’s voice cracked, and she started crying again. She really was a puddle. “It’s better. Last Olympics, all I could think about was gold, gold, gold, and then we all know what happened. I raced terribly for most of the Games. I started this Olympics the same way. Gold, gold, gold. But today, all that was going through my head was Kirby, Kirby, Kirby. Don’t let Kirby down. Close the gap for Kirby. Because I knew she could finish this. And she did. The medal mattered less to me thanherand the team. And I’ll be honest, that has never been the case.”
“Okay, princess, save it for your memoir,” Kirby said.
And Mara sent her that signature dirty look that Kirby loved so fucking much. Kirby laughed, pulling Mara close into a side hug. Mara leaned into her.
Henrik’s eyes went wide.
“Any more questions?” Kirby asked him.
He shook his head. “No. Maybe off the record later. But no. Not now.”
Kirby moved them through the after-race press. They did the required drug testing business. Then they reached the changing room to celebrate with the team. Coach Wu was crying. Mara was crying. Apollo, who had come in tenth in his team sprint final, was crying. Even Coach Karlsson was wiping tears away.
But Kirby had never felt less like crying. She felt like shouting. Like letting all the pent up, stored up energy out.
They’d done it.They’d fucking done it, and she had no idea what that meant for her and Mara.
Maybe nothing.
Maybe everything.
Maybe it didn’t matter. They’d won a gold medal. She’d done that for Mara. And she believed what Mara had said.
Mara had done it for her too.
Someone crashed into Kirby’s back, giving her a huge hug. She turned to find Brandilyn.
Kirby hugged her back. “I’m sorry it wasn’t you.” And Kirby was. Maybe they wouldn’t have won if it had been Brandilyn. But maybe they would have, and she truly was sad for Brandilyn that they would never know.
“Next time.”
“Fuck yeah, next time.”
“I’m happy it was her,” Brandilyn said.
Kirby glanced at Mara, who had finally released Kirby’s hand so she could jump up and down with Lindsey.
Kirby was happy it was her too.
She wanted a moment alone with Mara, but who knew when that would happen. Maybe not for hours. For days.
The rest of the afternoon moved around Kirby in bursts. More interviews. More celebrations.
