Page 89 of The Fall

Before he makes it to the door, I call his name and he turns back to give me his attention.

“I love you, too, by the way.”

He smiles like he already knew that and leaves me to cry into my pillow while he fixes my problems.

THIRTY-TWO

LOGAN

Max didn’t even have the decency to talk to me in person about quitting. All I got was a text saying “Sorry,” which came in long after Savannah told me what happened. I didn’t bother responding. I’m not mad that he left me hanging, but I’m fucking furious for what he’s doing to Savannah.

I let her have her one day of grieving, and then we got to work. I know she has her doubts about us skating together, but I refuse to let her dreams slip away just because we fell in love.

This morning, we were at the rink as soon as they opened. We warmed up, skated, and worked on the lifts on the mats. We jammed as much as we could into the day without killing ourselves.

The good thing is that it feels like Savannah and I have been skating together for years. We just flow so well together, which will hopefully make this transition easier for both of us.

Tati was pretty upset when I called her yesterday, but to her credit, she got shit done. She agreed to virtually coach us for now and come in once a week to see us in person. It’s not ideal, but it’s what we have to do. I’m still handling my students, too, since it’s not a huge time burden. The last thing I wanted to do was put Tati in even more of a bind because of me.

Tati also told me to arrange another photoshoot and interview with U.S. Figure Skating after she submitted the request for a partner change. By the end of the night, Savannah and I had multiple forms in our inbox that we needed to review and sign.

I haven’t even had time to process my impulsive decision. I haven’t really missed skating this season. In fact, I was kind of enjoying my newfound freedom. But I refuse to let Savannah fail.

So, I’ve got work to do. Luckily, I haven’t let myself get too out of shape, but I’ll need to tighten up my diet and work on my mobility.

“Go home and relax. I’ve got to run home and grab some things, and then I’ll be over. I’ll bring dinner with me.”

She nods and kisses me goodbye before getting in her car. She worked hard today, and I can tell she’s worn out, so I’ll be quick.

I need to grab a change of clothes, but I also need to talk to my mom about the change. I’ve barely had a spare minute to tell her what happened.

Luckily, she’s home and on the back deck sipping tea when I get there.

“Hi, son. How was your day?” she asks, smiling when she sees me.

“It was good, but I need to talk to you about something.”

She straightens up in her chair. “Oh, this sounds serious.”

“It’s not. Well, I mean, I guess it kind of is. I don’t know.”

“Let’s hear it then.”

I lay it out quickly. “Max quit.”

She gasps. “What! Oh my goodness. Poor Savannah. Is she ok?”

I love my mom for asking how Savannah is before asking for any other details. “She’s understandably upset, but she’ll be ok.”

“Good. Good. Please let her know I’m here if she needs to talk.”

“I will. Thank you, Mom.”

She nods. “So what does this mean?”

I inhale deeply. “Well, it means I’m coming out of retirement to skate with Savannah.”

She’s quiet as she processes what I said. Then, a huge smile crosses her face.