Remembering My Childhood Crush

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Evgeni’s POV
We thought everything was finally turning around. I had been on the ice for the first time in months. I was smiling genuinely, none of this forced stuff. I was actually happy.

But the moment Kira got a phone call from her mother telling her that her father had been admitted into hospital with another heart attack and probably wasn’t going to make it through the night she became nothing.

“Kira just calm down,” I tried to stop her as she began shoving stuff into her duffle bag.
“No I just calm down alright. My dad is dying and if I promised him one thing it was that I would be there with him.”
“Kira please, you aren’t helping anything by acting like this.”
“I don’t care!” she pried my hands from the bag and headed for the door.
“Kira,” I stepped in front of the door way as she tried to push past me but I wasn’t going to budge. I wasn’t going to let her go through any of this without me by her side.

I wasn’t sure how long Kira laid in my arms crying but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t begin to imagine what it would be like if I found out either one of my parents was sick and dying and there was nothing I could do about it. But I was going to try my hardest to be there for her.

“You know Mike is going to kill you when he finds out you left Pittsburgh,” Kira continued to stare out of the plane window.
“It doesn’t matter hockey can wait,” I grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

Kira’s POV
Sitting on the plane staring out of the window usually calmed me down but right now my heart was racing.
Evgeni squeezed my hand dragging my attention back to him where he offered me a weak smile.
“Thanks for coming with me,” honestly I was glad he hadn’t let me go on my own otherwise I probably would have done something drastic.
“Anything for you,” he took my hand and kissed the inside of my wrist.

God he was a ridiculous. I don’t know how I stayed mad at him for all those years. I guess if I had have actually seen him I would have given up which was why I ignored him all this time.

“Don’t worry sweetie, Zhenya will grow up and see what a beautiful young lady you have become,” his mother tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
“No he won’t, he is with Oksana and according to him they are going to get and married and live happily ever after,” I babbled.
“My little Zhenya is not marrying that woman, don’t you worry,” she pulled me forward and placed a kiss to my forehead. “You two were meant to be together from the day you were born.”

Our parents had been trying to get us together for as long as I could remember. Always dressing us up in matching costumes for Halloween, getting us working together on the same line in hockey. I also remember the year they brought us matching onesies for Christmas and if I remember rightly it was still stashed away in my cupboard at home in my parents house.

I was almost certain I would be sick when I walked into my father’s room to see him looking more than wrecked.
“Kira,” my mother looked relieved when she saw us walk in the room.
“Mama, are you ok?” I wrapped my arms around her.
“We will pull through… Zhenya?” my mother smiled when she saw Evgeni standing shyly by the door.
“Mrs Petrov.”
“Oh Zhenya come here,” she put her arm out and pulled him into a hug where somehow I got wedged in the middle of them.

“Kira…” we were broken up by a very quiet, very sick sounding voice behind us.
“Papa,” I pulled away and rushed to his bedside, “You have to stop scaring us like this,” I grabbed his hand but he this time he was too weak to squeeze back.
“Kira shhh… I just want you to know I love you,” he struggled in a huff.
“I love you papa,” I lent down and kissed his forehead, “please don’t leave us.”
“Kira, don’t be silly. Look after your mother.”
“Papa,” I felt the tears stream down my face and I had to get out of there in a hurry.

I was in such a rush I wasn’t looking where I was going, didn’t really care where I was going as long as I got out of there
“Kira wait,” Evgeni ran rushed after me.
I went to round the corner before I ran into someone with a thud.
“Sasha?” I looked up from the floor where Alex was quickly scooping me back up off the floor.

“Kira are you ok?” Evgeni ran after me and pulled me into his embrace.
“I am fine,” I straightened myself up wiping the tears away.
“I will look after her,” Alex nodded to Evgeni who reluctantly let me go.

“How is your father?” Alex asked as we sat down on some nearby seats and I watched Evgeni disappear back to my father’s room.
“Alex he isn’t going to make it,” I sighed giving in and needed to be close to him once more. He was with me the last time this happened he knew how to help me.

Evgeni’s POV
I really didn’t want to leave her alone with Alex. The last time she was sad and alone with him they slept together, granted that was my fault but right now I had no idea how she was going to react.

“Zhenya my boy, come here,” Mr Petrov put his hand out for me to come to his side.
“Sir,” I grabbed his hand and he weakly squeezed it.
“Look after Kira, she loves you.”
“I will.”
“Alex not best for her, you are the only man I give permission to marry my daughter.”
“Thankyou.”

I didn’t know what else to say to that. I was flattered at the least but more importantly I didn’t want to let anyone down. Not only did I promise Kira but now I had to keep my word to her father. I man I looked up to my whole life just like my father and now here he was in his smallest weakest form.

I felt so ashamed and guilty that all those years ago I hadn’t only let down Kira I had let down everyone that mattered to me; my parents, my brother, Kira’s parents and most of all myself. I had cheated myself out of a life I now could only have dreamed of.