Of Ice and Hopitals

Chapter 4

Lisa had arrived shortly after nine pm, a tired little grin on her face as she took in the sight of her sister and her best friend huddled close on the living room's large couch. She let out a soft 'hey' in greeting as she joined the two girls on the fluffy sofa, to which only Echo replied with her own weary lopsided smile.

When she saw the sleeping form of Sofia, her head laying on the other girl's shoulder as she snored ever so slightly, Lisa's heart constricted painfully as it sank in guilt at what she would have to say to her.

Feeling her forests get wet again, the older Manoban stretched out to press a feather-light kiss on the sleeping teenager's temple, who didn't even bat an eye at the gesture. She was completely out of it, probably because of her training a few hours earlier.

Lisa sometimes thought Roan pushed her sister too much and was scared he'd burn her out someday, but when she'd see the all-consuming fire in Sofia's sparkling ocean pools when she'd received the gold medal on the highest position on the podium, the worried sister's insecurities would fade away to be replaced by an overwhelming pride for her favorite athlete in the whole world.

Ice skating meant everything to Sofia, that much was evident when you looked at her go on the ice, all graceful spins and shining blue eyes as the audience as well as the jury would fall in love with the talented girl at the first stride she would make on the ice.

Lisa knew Sofia's qualifications would take place on Friday, and the fact that she would have to miss such an important step in her sister's long-awaited competition, well, it broke her heart. And if the slight frown in Echo's were anything to go by, it showed in her face.

"Lis, hey what's going on?" Lisa's co-star quietly whispered as she gently laid the teen's head on one of the couch's soft pillows to go sit next to her vulnerable looking best friend.

Lisa threaded her hand through her luscious brunette locks and looked skyward, shrugging helplessly as she brought her knees to her chest. She looked entirely too small. "I uh... I can't go to New York on Friday. I have to cancel on Sof." The emotional brunette shakily exhaled as she rubbed her greens with her thumbs, willing the tears away.

The other woman's eyes widened as she seemed to connect the dots in her mind. "Shit, you're going on Ellen Degeneres's show. Fuck. I'm so sorry Lis, I know how pumped you were for this weekend. What are you going to do, I mean surely you'll fly out after Ellen? How will you tell Sofi?" Echo asked while she put their dirty dishes in the dishwasher, Lisa following her to the kitchen and sat on one of the kitchen island's white leather stools.

Echo looked over her shoulder as her upset friend sighed exhaustingly and pinched the bridge of her nose, a habit Lisa had since she was a child. "Of course I will, Indra has already planned everything out. I have no idea honestly, I guess I'll talk to her tomorrow morning since she's already passed out."

Coincidentally enough though, as soon as she finished her sentence, the two of them could clearly distinguish the slight 'thump' of a set of socks-covered feet coming in the room as Sofia, a warm blanket draped over her shoulders and a mess of wavy dark hair piled on top of her head, sleepily came to Lisa and encircled her arms around her sister's waist. The older girl, deeply touched by her baby sister's adorable display of affection, immediately threw her arms back around the teenager's slim form before she pressed a loving kiss on the top of the young girl's head.

"Hello, my love." Lisa tenderly greeted with obvious adoration coating her voice.

Echo, feeling like the two sisters needed to have some time alone just the two of them, gave them a warm smile before she went to gather her things to leave. "This is my cue to leave, I'll leave you two alone. Bye guys, I love you." After a quick parting with the Manoban, Echo left and it was now just Lisa and Sofia standing still in the same embrace in the kitchen, the skater clutching the actress like a teddy bear.