The conversation had suddenly become fascinating.
“If I did that,” I heard myself say, “I would be leaving Velkarya permanently.”
The sentence seemed to hang in the air.
Permanent.
For years, leaving had existed only as a fantasy, something imagined during sleepless nights and immediately dismissed by morning.
Now an actual person was sitting in front of me discussing visas and timelines and government departments as though escape might be a logistical problem rather than an impossible one.
“Most likely.”
“And the federation would never forgive me.”
Helen’s expression was grave. “No, they probably wouldn’t.”
There was something oddly reassuring about how little effort she made to soften any of it.
Mila raised a hand, and Helen blinked. Mila shrugged. “Sorry. Reflex.” That earned a brief laugh around the room. “What happens to partnerships?”
Helen didn’t break eye contact with her. “Nobody separates you unless that’s what the two of you want.”
Mila nodded, her face thoughtful. I could practically see her beginning calculations: training locations, funding, competition schedules, housing…
I could understand that. The practical details seemed easier to think about than the alternative.
Dean crossed the room and sat down beside me while Helen continued outlining things I’d never expected to be discussing in a bedroom. The more she talked, the stranger the conversation became.
A month ago my biggest concern had been preparing for the Olympics.
Now an American federation official was calmly explaining immigration processes while my skating partner drank tea beside me and Dean sat close enough that our shoulders brushed whenever either of us moved.
At one point Helen mentioned attorneys. At another she mentioned housing assistance.
I found myself staring at her. The words sounded absurdly ordinary. Then it hit me.
Nobody was talking about rescue.
They were talking about a future.
Mila asked three questions about training arrangements.
Mark simply listened.
Eventually Helen rose from her chair. “We’ll leave information with Mark.”
I nodded. The movement felt automatic.
She paused at the door. “One more thing. Time is not on our side right now, so I’m going to be blunt.”
My pulse quickened.
“You leave Milan on the twenty-third, after the closing ceremony. That’s in a little over six days’ time. If there is the slightest chance you might decide not to return to your own country, I need to put the wheels in motion.” She held her hands up. “You don’t have to make any kind of decision now, Luka. I mean that. You could turn around on the twenty-third and tell me you’re going back to Velkarya. That would be fine.” Her eyes sparkled. “But if there’s any possibility that you decidenotto get on that flight home, I need to start preparing now, especially if I want the State department to let you enter the US.”
Dean stilled beside me.
Helen nodded. “That isn’t pressure, by the way—it’s paperwork.”
