Page 142 of Chasing Gold, Catching Her

Then Anfisa climbed up first onto the bronze platform, the lowest step. She turned and looked toward Alisa with careful sympathy.

Alisa tried to smile back, but the expression barely formed. Her jaw tightened so hard that pain shot through the right side of her face. She lifted a hand instinctively to her cheek, feeling the ache that had built there over days of clenching her teeth through stress and anger.

Then, avoiding Tora as if even brushing against her would hurt, Alisa stepped around her and climbed onto the silver platform.

Higher than Anfisa.

But nowhere near high enough to reach Tora.

Tora jumped onto the highest podium with both feet and bounced lightly on it once again, almost as if testing whether it was real. Then she raised her arms above her head while the arena roared around her.

The award presenters entered the rink.

A man in his fifties with gray hair approached the woman standing beside the podium, and she handed him the bronze medal first.

“The bronze medal is awarded to Anfisa Unbegaun!”

The arena applauded warmly.

The official turned slowly, presenting the medal to every side of the stadium before lifting it over Anfisa’s bowed head and placing it around her neck. Anfisa smiled brightly, visibly overwhelmed by the moment.

Then came the silver medal.

Alisa stared at it with a hollow, exhausted expression, as though the metal itself had personally offended her.

“The silver medal is awarded to… Alisa Voronkova!”

The applause rose again.

Alisa lowered her head automatically, not in gratitude but in defeat. A tear slipped free and landed silently on the ice beneath her skates. Fortunately, no one seemed to notice.

But then she felt it.

Tora’s hand against the small of her back, gentle, careful, trying to support her.

Alisa nearly shattered from it.

For one terrible second she wanted either to scream or to disappear straight beneath the ice forever.

Instead, she lifted her head proudly and brushed Tora’s hand away without even looking at her.

“And the gold medal goes to… Tora Møller!”

The arena exploded.

Cheers thundered through the stadium as Tora smiled brightly and waved toward the audience, making the crowd even louder.

Meanwhile, Alisa stood completely still, staring somewhere far beyond the arena while Tora received her gold medal.

Inside her, everything felt dead.

“Congratulations to the champions of the women’s singles figure skating competition!”

The applause came again, louder than before, and immediately journalists flooded toward the podium pathways. Camera flashes exploded nonstop around them as photographers shouted for attention and angles.

The bright lights stung Alisa’s eyes until she had to blink repeatedly and partially close them against the endless flashing.

Then Tora reached down toward Anfisa, taking her hand and pulling her up onto the center podium beside her. Anfisa laughed softly and climbed up willingly.