"That’s so sweet," Sophia smiled. "I do know what you mean, though. We’re going to spend less time together. Med school’s a grind, and you’ll have to drive back and forth to Boston every day. So, yeah, I’ll miss the closeness aspect of it. But there’s a lot of it I won’t miss."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Most specifically, the keeping-in-shape part. That I am entirely sick of, I’ll admit it. I think we’ll always skate. Even when we’re like 90, I think we’ll put our creaky bodies out on a public session and waltz."
"Most likely," Warren laughed.
"Yeah. But the rest of it? I’m done, and glad to be done. As of the end of this season, I have lifted my last weight. I have run my last lap. I have counted my last calorie. If I gain thirty pounds from the next kid and it doesn’t bleed right off, so be it." She stopped, and looked sideways at Warren. "You will still love me if I gain thirty pound from the next kid, won’t you?"
"You really have to ask that?" Warren chuckled.
"No," Sophie smiled. "I know you will. Hey, I want to keep myself in reasonable shape, especially when I get older. But I don’t have to care about keeping myself in animal shape anymore. It comes as a relief."
"For me too, actually," Warren agreed. "Getting back after the knee was brutal."
"No doubt," she said. "So, anyway, that I won’t miss at all. I’ve loved skating. I’ve especially loved skating with you. But it’s time to go out."
"Right. So let’s go out on top."
"Damn straight!"
A few weeks before the Olympics, Warren and Sophie, along with Warren’s parents and Tom, traveled into Boston. Cambridge, to be more accurate-they were headed to Harvard.
Because of their crowded autumn schedules, neither Tom nor Warren and Sophie had had a chance to do this. But the second semester was just underway, and they had a chance to squeeze in a trip to go see Kristin sing.
When she arrived at Harvard, Kristin-to the shock of everyone that knew her-got up the gumption to try out for one of Harvard’s a cappella singing groups, the Veritones. "Wow, what a change that is!" Warren had told Tom when they had first found out.
To Kristin’s shock, she was accepted. "They must be hard up for mezzos," she joked to Tom. She’d always considered herself a pianist first, a singer second-but she was a good enough singer for the Veritones.
The only problem with the whole thing was that the Veritones kept up a pretty busy schedule, which cut down Kristin’s time with Tom. Plus, being a freshman pre-med at Harvard was no picnic. But Tom understood, and was secure enough in his relationship with Kristin to deal with it. Plus, it was a pretty busy time for him, too.
So, it hadn’t worked out yet that Tom would be able to see her sing. It finally would. Tom was thrilled-Kristin was even more thrilled.
"You’re particularly nervous tonight," Karen, one of the seniors in the group, said to her before they went out to perform.
"My boyfriend’s here. He hasn’t had a chance to see me sing, yet," Kristin told her.
"Her boyfriend’s a figure skater," Regina, one of the other girls in the group, told Karen. "He’s been too busy winning to come watch Kristin sing."
"Yeah, and my brother and sister-in-law, too," Kristin laughed. "They’re here as well. Since they’re also figure skaters, they’ve been busy, too."
"Ah. This is why you’re leaving us for a week in February-you’re going to the Olympics," Karen realized.
"Yep. Got to go watch my honey win a gold medal. Oh, and my brother, too."
"Is that realistic?" Karen asked.
"Tom won the silver medal at Worlds last year. Warren and Sophie won the World Championship a couple years ago. They won silver as well last year, but Warren was coming off a knee injury. Both Tom and Warren and Sophie won the Grand Prix back in December. So, yeah, it’s realistic. Warren and Sophie actually won the silver medal four years ago."
"That’s cool," Karen said. "Well, then, you don’t have to be nervous. They know what the performing thing is like."
"Too true," Kristin agreed.
Kristin and her colleagues went out and sang wonderfully. Kristin’s family and Tom thoroughly enjoyed it.
A week before the Olympics, Warren and Sophia were on the ice. Warren, on a whim, decided to pop in the CD that had most of their program music on it, and hit random. This had a lot of what they had skated to throughout the years.
The first thing that popped up was "As Long As I (Can Be With You)," the Patti Scialfa song they’d used as an exhibition years ago, and only a couple of times. They cracked each other up with their efforts to remember it.
The next thing was the Riverdance free dance. That they remembered just fine.
The Springsteen free dance was next. They’d just skated that at the Grand Prix final, so they didn’t miss a step.
Their old swing OD, "If You Can’t Rock Me," came on. They hadn’t skated that in four years and were surprised at how well they remembered it.
Next up was True Colors, which they remembered well. "Of course, this is the first time we’ve ever skated it fully clothed," Sophia laughed.
Then it was a real blast to the past, back to Phil Collins’ "You’ll Be In My Heart," their very first exhibition. It had been years since they skated it, but remembered a lot.
The Sinatra free dance followed, another oldie. They forgot a lot of the beginning, but remembered most of the "I’ve Got You Under My Skin" section.
"Damn, this is a lot of fun," Warren said.
Next came REM’s "At My Most Beautiful." It was only a couple years old, but they forgot a huge part of it, which made them crack up.
"One more," Warren said. Sophia nodded agreement. The last one, fittingly enough, was Romeo and Juliet. They remembered every single step.
"We going to exhibition that at the Olympics?" Sophia asked.
"Definitely. If we do two, we’ll do the Beach Boys first, then end with that."
"Sounds like a plan," Sophia agreed. "Damn, I love that program."
"Yep. But Singing In The Rain is pretty special, too."
"I know. It’s so us!"
The opening ceremonies would be on Friday, February 10 th . On the 8 th , they arrived in Quebec City, ready to go for the gold.
A SURPRISE FOR WARREN (Chapter 166)
The athletes’ village at Quebec City had a small section set off for married couples, so that’s where Warren and Sophie found themselves. Betsy was with Ellen, and would be coming with her when they arrived on Friday, in time for the Opening Ceremonies.
They got settled in on Wednesday, and spent that evening and most of Thursday, just wandering around the village. They explored the various amenities, and met some of the other athletes who were arriving.
Liz had arrived the same day they did, and they ran into her in the dining hall for supper that evening. "Jeez, you’re awfully early for someone who doesn’t skate for two weeks," Warren told her.
Liz laughed. "Don’t you remember? After Nationals, you guys elected Evan and I the figure skating team captains? Well, we have the captains’ meeting tomorrow."
"Lucky you," Sophie said.
"Yep. Well, at least I get to hang out and relax!"
Thursday, after checking out the athletes’ village and eating supper, Warren and Sophia were sitting in their room, just chatting. There was a knock on the door. They opened it up to find Liz and Evan.
"Hey, come on in!" Sophia said. "What’s up with you guys?"
"This isn’t a social call," Evan said with a grin.
"We had the team captain’s meeting," Liz told them. "And, after discussion, we took a vote. And it gives me great, great pleasure to say this." She turned to Warren. "Warren Kelleher, by a vote of all of the team captains, you have been chosen to carry the American flag in the Opening Ceremonies tomorrow night."
Warren was absolutely dumbfounded. He sat down hard on his bed, his mouth wide open in surprise. Sophie squealed, delighted. "Oh, honey, that’s awesome!"