When in Sochi

Goodbye ♡

I got all my things packed and I sent them over to the airport for early check in. Then I called Apolo. I don't know how I got his number but his contact was in my phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Apolo, it's Kira. Wanna hang out?"

~~~

Apolo and I drove around Sochi and we went all over the Old Town and the rocky pebble beach over there. He treated me to some Mochi ice cream.

"Mochi in Sochi," I said, laughing.

He smirked. "Yup. So... Why did you wanna hang out with me?"

I looked him in the eyes and sighed. "I gotta go back to Alaska. I gotta see my parents, remember? Before I die."

"Before you what!!!?"

I looked at him earnestly and smiled. "Apolo. I'm dying. I have this heart condition, and I can only monitor it for so long until its out of my hands."

He started to run his fingers through his hair and shake his head. "Stop it. Stop saying this-"

"Why because it's true? Apolo I'm dying! I am frickin dying, my days here are numbered! I feel myself get weaker and weaker everyday, you don't even know!"

Apolo continued to shake his head and he bit his lip from crying as he stared off into the Black Sea.

"Does JR know?" he finally managed to say.

I shook my head. "No. He won't find out until he finishes his heat on Friday. You can't tell him. It'll wreck his concentration."

Apolo looked at me, his hazel eyes swimming in tears. "Why? Why would you tell me this now?"

"It wasn't my fault!" I gasped defensively. Then I began to cry too. Apolo is the first person to see 26 year old me cry. He shushed me gently and reached out to hug me. Then he began to rock me back and forth.

"I didn't mean to blame you," he whispered. "Sshhhhh......"

"I'm too young to die," I told him. "There's so many things I want to do but haven't done yet."

Apolo got down on his knees and looked at me. At first I thought he was gonna propose but instead he said, "tell me what you wanna do today before you leave for Alaska and we'll do them. Come on. Right now. Tell me. And I promise we'll do it."

So we spent the next day together sky-diving, flying over to Switzerland and buying original Swiss chocolate, climbing the alps and yodeling "RICOLA!", and visiting Italy. Since all my luggage were already packed on my plane, I didn't have to rush. It was already early in the morning when we flew back to Sochi. Apolo dropped me off at the airport, but before he left, he kissed my forehead.

"Rest in Peace," he said, his tears falling in my hair.

"Hey, we'll see each other soon again!" I smiled optimistically, but I felt my chest hurt even more and more. My heart was palpitating abnormally. I was feeling out of breath again. I was dying.

Apolo seemed to notice my suffering and said, "Are you sure there isn't one more thing I can do for you?!"

I nodded and looked into his hazel eyes. "I have one last request for you. You have to promise me this, though."

"Anything!" he said desperately. "Tell me!"

"Talk to your mother," I told him. "Please. Go talk to her again. That's my last request."

Apolo hugged me and, I don't know, it must have been sunlit days since he let me go.

"Good bye" I told him. I looked at Apolo Ohno one last time and left for security check.