Page 223 of Skate the Line

That’s great.

But what about going near Sunny?

“Daddy, where are we going?” Ellie quickly chases after me with her yellow backpack hanging off her one shoulder.

I stop right outside of our gate and wait for her to catch up.

She’s out of breath, and I laugh. I scoop her up and put her on my shoulders.

“Mr. Volkova.” One of the flight attendants nods at me as I walk through the doors. The rest of the team is flying out tomorrow, but I cleared it with Coach to fly out a day early to take care of some things.

Ellie and I rarely get to travel together. The only time we do is when we take our yearly Christmas trip to Russia.

“Are we going to see my babushka?” The glimmer of hope in her eye is the most emotion I’ve seen from her since Sunny left.

I shake my head, and the disappointment lands on her shoulders.

Once we’re settled in our seats, she straps her seatbelt and reaches inside her bag. Instead of pulling out her tablet and headphones, she grabs onto a little container of clay. Her fingers work furiously as she tries to form something with the material.

I’m assuming that’s her way of feeling close to Sunny without being with her.

Like mother, like daughter. Except, in this case, it’s like nanny, like Ellie.

Right before we take off, I steal a piece of her clay and start to knead the material in my own hands.

Ellie growls with frustration.

I lean into her space and hope I’m not fucking myself with my spoiling where we’re going.

“You want to know where we’re going, Printsessa?”

Her angry brow smooths. “Yes.”

“We’re going somewhere…Sunny.”

She thinks for a second, and like a lightbulb, her green eyes light up.

I grin, and she does the same.

Sixty-Six

SUNNY

I knowI’ll feel better after I see my nana. She may think it’s December, but she’s not too far gone that she won’t recognize me when I walk into her room.

“Allison!” Nurse Jamie comes around the corner of the reception desk and gives me a big hug. It’s warm and comforting. She has no clue that it’s needed. “How are you?”

I’ve been better.

“I’m good. How are you? How is Cole doing in college?”

I made friends with just about everyone in the nursing home before moving. I’m happy to know they still welcome me with open arms.

After Jamie tells me all about Cole and his time at college while walking toward my nana’s room, she grabs onto my arm. “Wait a second.”

I pause. “Is everything okay?”

It’s going to be about Nana. Her memory is getting worse, I know it.

---