Take Me as I Am

Olivia was sitting watching video of the Colorado Avalanche, nervously tapping her foot, waiting for the game to end. Yesterday, one of her coworkers had come in and told Olivia that the coach wanted to talk to her. Her stomach instantly dropped, as she realized that she was going to come face-to-face with her father for the first time in her life.

She had gone home that night and talked to Summer and Jonathan about it. She had no idea why the coach would want to talk to a video person. “Why does he want to talk to me?” she asked Summer and Jonathan as she sat down on the couch.

“I don’t know,” Summer said sitting down across from her. “It’s probably something to do with them playing the Avs.”

“He’s never asked before. And besides, why would he ask to see me and not Tom?” Olivia asked, referring to the head video person.

“I don’t know,” Jonathan told her.

“Do you think he found out?” Olivia asked quietly.

“How could he?” Jonathan asked. “And even if he did, why would he all of a sudden want to talk to you?”

“I don’t know,” Olivia admitted. “I’m just scared.”

“Well, who could blame you?” Summer asked. “I mean this is the first time you’re ever facing your father!”

“What am I going to do?” Olivia asked.

“You’re going to go in there and impress him with all your knowledge of the Colorado Avalanche,” Summer told her.

“Thanks,” Olivia said with a forced smile.

So, now she sat in the small room watching the final minutes of Colorado’s last game. She was supposed to meet Sokolov at five, and it was now five minutes before. She could feel her stomach all in knots, and she became more nervous as she watched the seconds hand on the clock tick by.

Tom looked over at her from his seat beside her. “Olivia, you can go. I know Coach wants to talk to you,” he said.

“Do you have any idea why?” Olivia asked as she stood up from her seat.

“No idea. James just said Coach wanted to talk to you,” Tom replied.

“Thanks anyways,” Olivia said as she made her way out the door.

As she walked down the hallway, all kinds of thoughts flooded her head. Why did he want to talk to her? Had he found out that she was his daughter? Did he really care?

She slowly made her way to Sokolov’s office, and stopped outside. She quietly knocked on the door, and Sokolov lifted his head and motioned for her to come in.

“Shut the door,” he told her after she had entered the room. Olivia promptly shut the door and took a seat in one of the chairs that sat before her. “I’m sure you want to know why I asked to speak to you,” Sokolov said.

“Um, yes, I am wondering that,” she said nervously.

“I know,” he said simply.

“I’m sorry, you know what?” she asked, hoping that he hadn’t found out that she was his daughter.

“How long were you planning on working here before you confronted me? Olivia, I know you’re my daughter,” he said, and Olivia’s heart sank. How had he found out?

“But…” Olivia began.

“What?” Sokolov interrupted. “Did you think I wouldn’t find out? Of course I know! I’m the coach. I know everything. But what was your plan? Just work here in order to say that you work with your father?”

“I didn’t take this job to be around you. I took this job because I’m good at it,” she said, saying the same thing she had told Jonathan.

“Oh, please. Like you didn’t know that I was the coach!”

“Yes, I knew you were the coach. But that is not the reason I took the job!” Olivia protested.

“And was dating the captain part of your plan, too?” Sokolov questioned. “Did you think if you dated him long enough and then told him the sob story of how I left you before you were born that you could turn him against me?”

Olivia couldn’t believe what she was hearing! Not only did Sokolov show no remorse about having abandoned his daughter, but he was accusing her of using Jonathan to get back at him.

“Of course not!” Olivia yelled. “I love Jon. I’m not with him out of spite for you!”

“I don’t want you dating him,” Sokolov stated.

“You cannot tell me who I can or cannot date!” Olivia yelled.

“Oh, really?” he questioned. “Well, let’s play a little game called I’m the Coach, shall we? If you do not stop dating him, I will make sure that both of you are not working here. So, either you will be fired or Jonathan will be out of here. And now you’re asking yourself how I am able to do that? Well, I’m the coach!” he laughed arrogantly.

“You can’t do that!” Olivia told him.

“Wait and see. I’m telling you, you either break up with him or one of the two of you are going to be out of the Blackhawks organization,” Sokolov threatened.

“Did you not see him when we broke up before? We were both miserable, and he wasn’t playing like himself,” Olivia reminded.

“I don’t care,” Sokolov told her. “I will not have my daughter dating my team captain.”

“I am not your daughter!” Olivia said angrily. “You left me before I was born. You abandoned me and my mother! You have no right to call yourself a father!”

“No matter how much you cry about it, I will always be your father. My blood is running through your veins as we speak. And, as your father, I am telling you to break up with Jonathan.”

“I won’t do it!” Olivia said getting up out of her chair.

Just as her hand twisted the doorknob, Sokolov told her, “Then be prepared to pay the consequences. Because one of the two will be gone before you know it.”

Olivia simply turned her back on him, not saying another word, and walked out of the door, slamming it behind her.