Page 78 of The Fall

“Mom, you remember my girlfriend, Savannah?” Logan says, once we’re in the kitchen. It’s stupid how happy it makes me to hear him call me his girlfriend.

His mom looks up from the counter, and her face lights up. It’s almost comical how big her smile is. Even Logan laughs.

“I do remember her!”

She comes around the corner and wraps me in a hug. “It’s good to see you again, Natalia.”

She pulls back and squeezes my arm as her eyes go from me to Logan. “I’m so glad you could make it, Savannah.”

“Thanks for the invite.”

“You’re always welcome here. Logan, grab you and Savannah a drink and then set the table, would you?”

“Yes, Mom.”

Logan gets us both water, and I follow him into the dining room. Once all the plates are set, Anya brings a giant pot of pasta out, followed by garlic bread and a salad. I skip the bread and fill my plate with pasta and salad.

Logan tells Natalia and Anya about his day, and they ask me how everything is going this season, even though I imagine they already know. I know Logan keeps them updated. He admitted to sending his mom some of our training videos for her to see. He mostly wanted her input, but I also think she misses skating and coaching, and the videos give her something to look forward to. I like that he does that for her.

After dinner, Logan does the dishes while Natalia asks me to sit outside with her. It’s chillier out now than it was the last time I was here, so she hands me one of Logan’s jackets before we go outside. She starts up the fire pit and takes a seat next to me.

“Savannah, I wanted to thank you,” she says.

“For what?”

“You’ve given Logan so much over the last few months. It’s been… a while since I’ve seen him smile the way he does when he talks about you.”

“Oh.” I feel the blush creep up on my cheeks, but hopefully she can’t see it in the dim sunlight.

“I’ve been so worried about him. He wasn’t himself after my first cancer diagnosis, and then when it returned, I thought I’d never get my son back again. I was more worried for him than I was for myself. As a mother, all I want is for my son to be happy and have a good life.

“When he retired last season, I felt like a failure. I didn’t want him to do it, but he made the decision on his own. It hurt my heart to see him give up something he loved because of me.”

“He doesn’t regret it,” I inform her. He’s told me so many times that he’d make the same decision again, even knowing that the outcome would be the same.

“I know. That’s the thing about Logan. He has such a big heart. He knew he wanted to be with me through this journey, and that’s exactly what he’s done. His support has meant the world to me. But I also want to make sure he’s happy. And you’ve done that.”

“I don’t know if I’d say that.”

She reaches out and grabs my hand. “I would say it. I knew from the moment he smiled a little when he told me your name. He said you hated him, but I didn’t believe it.”

“Well, at the time…”

She chuckles. “Yeah, I get it. But I knew he’d win you over. So, thank you for giving him a chance and for making him smile again.”

“I certainly wasn’t expecting him, but I’m glad he didn’t give up on me.”

“He’s so proud of you, Savannah. We all are. It’s your time to shine.”

“Thank you, Natalia. That means a lot.”

“There you two are,” Logan says, coming up behind us. “Mom, are you telling her all of my most embarrassing stories?”

“Of course. Isn’t that my right as your mother?”

Logan laughs. “Unfortunately, yes.”

He sits down next to me, and Natalia stands up. “It’s getting chilly, so I’m going to head inside. You two enjoy the rest of your night.”