When in Sochi

Ultimatum♡

The next day was a new dawn. I drove over to the Iceberg Skating Palace. I sat in the box seat sections overlooking the rink and watched JR and the US speed skating team train. Apolo Ohno sat next to me, and for the first time since I met him, I actually didn't mind. I actually carried a conversation with him about his mom.

"Never met her," Apolo said ruefully, staring off into the distance of the rink. "Never needed her, ever. She left me when I was one, and my father raised me on his own. He did fine, he did. He was always busy though, with his hair salon business."

Then he snickered. "I remember this one time during one Halloween, little me sat in my father's salon wearing my costume. I was waiting to be taken trick-or-treating, but it got darker and darker, and later and later. My father couldn't leave; he had to tend to his clients."

He looked down at the floor and shook his head, chuckling to himself.

I didn't know whether to laugh with him or feel sorry. Instead, I looked at him and gave him a side hug.

"She was a teen mom," Apolo continued. "My father was 37. I don't know what she did to prove she was an unfit mother, but I'm glad she's not in my life. I wouldn't have it any other way. She's insignificant to me."

I nearly gasped. "Insignificant? No mother, whether estranged or not, is ever insignificant to a child. She may have had nothing to do with you becoming an Olympian, but as the person who gave birth to you, she can't be swept under the rug. Her non-presence has got be a factor in your life. It must affect you in some way that you did not experience a mother's love while growing up."

I wish I haven't had said that. Apolo looked like he was gonna cry. But instead he shook it out and through his poker face, I saw strains of sadness.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"No, no I'm good, I'm fine. You know, after years of not seeing her, it would just be plain awkward. I don't have any missing-mom hotlines out there for her. Sometimes I wonder... Never mind," he dismissed himself, laughing silently.

"What?" I asked.

Apolo shook his head. Then he sniffed. "I just wonder sometimes. Does she watch me on television when I compete in the Olympics? Did she watch several years ago when I won Dancing with the Stars? Does she think, 'There is my child.' Or does she change the channel?"

I hugged him now. Man, did I feel really bad for him. He hugged me back, and for a moment, I thought he would cry. I honestly could care less now if the press comes in and snaps a buncha pics.

"You know," I murmured, softly. "I haven't seen my parents since I was 16. I'm 26 now...."

He looked at me. "Really?"

"Really. I guess you can say I ran away from home when I was 16. And next thing I know, I'm here. 10 years flies by... but I haven't seen my folks in a while. I really miss them."

"I don't give two shits about my mom."

"Don't say that," I grabbed his goateed chin and made him look me in the eyes. Man, his eyes were nice. "Apolo. Look at me. Your mom loves you. Promise me that you'll talk to her again. Jerrie Lee, is it? Promise me you'll call her mom. Promise me. Right now. And I'll do the same. I'll see my parents after 10 years. I wanna reunite with my 'rents. So badly. But I'll only see them if YOU talk to your mom. Promise me you'll do it. And if you don't wanna do it for you or for her, do it for me. It'll benefit you in the long run."

"I don't know," he said softly, looking away.

"Apolo, look at me. Have you seen your own eyes?"

He smirked. "Of course I have, in all my pictures I take, I look at myself-"

I shook my head. "That's not what I meant. You can't look at your own eyes unless you actually clone yourself. Reflections don't count. But I look at you, I have the good fortune of getting to actually stare into your beautiful hazel-brown eyes. Wouldn't you want to see them too?"

"Of course I want to see them," he said, deep in thought now.

"And where did you get your eyes, Apolo?"

"My mother....." he said thoughtfully. "My mother...." he repeated.

"There's still room for forgiveness in that big heart of yours," I smiled at him. "One glance at your mother, you see her hazel eyes... And then you finally see yourself."

Apolo looked at me brilliantly as if I solved a hundred year old murder case. Then he got up and excused himself to go to the restroom. I think he's gonna cry. Or look at his eyes in the mirror. It's not gonna work. Reflections don't count, remember that.

I sat there alone for a while, thinking about what his childhood must've been like without a mother. My own mother sacrificed the world for me, but she and my dad never seemed to find time for me, with my other four siblings causing a racket-

"-excuse me, Kira?" Someone tapped my shoulder. I turned around. It was JR's mom.

"Hi!" I shook her hand tenderly. "Mrs. Sue Celski, right?"

She smiled. "Right. Can I maybe... Talk to you outside?"

"Yeah, yeah sure!" I don't know what this is about but hey, the lady wants to talk. She led me to the outdoor courtyard of the Soviet Starbucks.

"Sorry I had to make you walk out and everything," she said.

"Oh, it's not a problem," I reassured her with a smile. She stared at me for a while, as if unsure what to say. Then she touched my cheek.

"My God...."

I smiled, confused. "Okayyyy?"

"I've seen this happen before, when people make wishes on Northern Lights. JR mentioned it to me last night. He didn't think much of it, but when he told me about your reaction to the Northern Lights and how you were saying that you skipped out in 10 years of your life and how there was an Amber Alert on a girl with your name from your hometown... I'm sorry, I just HAD to make the connection."

She reached out and touched my face again. Then she smiled sadly. "You're beautiful, but your youth was robbed right from under you. You know what they say... Flowers grow from dirt, diamonds start off as coal. You needed those frustrating adolescent years to develop into the right person..."

She looked at my face again, and smoothed her hand over it.

"I know you love my son, but please... I.. I want you to stay away from him. Please. Heart-to-heart, mother to daughter, please... You're, you're a distraction to him. If you love him, you'll let him be. At least until he wins his short track heat this Tuesday. Even better yet, until this Friday, the 21st. That's when his final short track race is. Please..... If you love him..."

I looked at her. She stared back pleadingly into my eyes. She had JR's eyes. It's beautiful how guys often have their mother's eyes. Harry Potter. Apolo Ohno, JR Celski....

I just couldn't say no to her. JR loves her. I love JR. Therefore I nodded as I said, "I promise you. I won't speak to him until he wins."