Let's Run

“Ana!” I grinned happily at Denis as he hurried over to me. I threw my arms around him as he picked me up much like his brother had the night before and spun me around.

“Mama and Papa got caught up with your parents and Elena, but they’ll all be here in a few minutes.” Denis said as he let me down and reached around me to shake Viktor’s hand.

I took my seat in between Viktor and Denis and wiggled excitedly in my seat. Denis chuckled at my excitement, but didn’t say anything. Instead, he and Viktor began discussing what the game was going to look like. Viktor bet that Evgeni would get a goal, but Denis had less faith in his younger brother, joking that he would take that bet.

“Tatyana, my sweet girl!” I turned my head and stood quickly. I stepped around Denis and threw my arms around Natalia Malkin. She laughed happily and tightened her grip on me. “We watched you on television!” she grinned.

I laughed and then was passed on to Vladimir. He hugged me tightly with a warm smile that I’d admired my entire life. Vladimir Malkin was a constant strength for me. He’d always been like a father to me and whenever I felt like I couldn’t ask my actual father for something, I’d always gone to Vlad.

“Congratulations, my flower.” He kissed my forehead and then passed me back to Viktor and Denis.

Elena, my little sister, sat on my left and quickly began whispering in my ear about all of the cute athletes she’d seen so far today. I laughed happily at Elena’s confessions as Viktor and Denis continued to discuss the game with my father and Vladimir.

Soon enough the game started and my attention was torn from my little sister to Evgeni. He blazed past, grinning all the way when everyone stood and screamed for him. I laughed and took my seat.

“Ana,” I leaned over and raised an eyebrow at Denis. “They’re talking about you.” he pointed to one of the cameras that clearly focused on me.

I smiled at the camera and waved.

Natalia was the first one out her seat when Evgeni scored his first goal. She screamed and hugged my mom and then turned back to the ice where her son was celebrating with his teammates. This celebration happened two more times throughout the course of the game when Evgeni assisted goals. By the third period Russia beat Slovenia five to two.

I stood and clapped with the Malkins and my family as the players celebrated their first win. Evgeni turned and waved at our little section. Everyone cheered back at him. I laughed when my sister gripped my arm tightly after one of the other players for the Russian team winked at her.

As the arena was clearing out I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned and smiled brightly at the teenage girl standing in front of me. She bashfully tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and stumbled over a request for me to sign her Team Russia hockey jersey. I smiled and eagerly agreed.

“Here, darling.” I thanked Natalia as she handed me a Sharpie from her purse. I turned back to the girl and signed my name just above Malkin spread across the back. I laughed at first when I noticed that she was wearing his jersey.

“Thank you!” she smiled widely.

“No problem, nice to meet you.” I waved goodbye and then turned to follow Evgeni’s parents out of the arena.

We waited patiently for the guys to get undressed and to leave the locker room. I stared down at my shoes and leaned against the wall, only vaguely listening to my sister blabber about school and her friends. I nodded to show that I was listening, but didn’t offer any advice or words.

“Evgeni!” I turned to see Natalia greeting her son with a kiss on the cheek. I smiled brightly, happy that she still greeted him the same way after all of these years.

He hugged Vladimir and then moved on to shake my father’s hand and hug my mother. He laughed and hugged Denis and Viktor and then shoved them away from him. Elena practically catapulted herself into his arms. He stepped back at first, surprised by the impact, but quickly hugged her back. Elena dropped herself from him and moved over to everyone else who were already talking about his next game against the US.

I smiled up at him and crossed my arms.

“Only one goal?” I raised an eyebrow.

He rolled his eyes and then pulled me into a hug. I laughed and wrapped my arms around him, pressing my face into his chest.

“You’re taller.” He commented, looking down at the shoes I was wearing.

I turned my foot a little, giving him a better view at the heels I was wearing.

“Only by like four inches.” I replied. “But I’m at least more human looking now.” I shrugged.

“Do you want to watch the Canada game?” he leaned down to ask me as we followed his parents down the hallway and out of the arena. I nodded excitedly, always eager to watch hockey. He chuckled and then threw his arm over my shoulders.

On our way out of the arena we stopped a few times to take pictures and sign autographs. I smiled happily as I signed a magazine with my face on the cover for a young girl. She couldn’t have been older than seven and she was adorable.

“Do you skate?” I asked her.

She nodded and showed me the little pink skates in her backpack.

“Do you want to compete in the Olympics one day?” I asked her, kneeling down in front of her.

Again she nodded.

“Well, I’m sure you can one day.” I winked. “Just keep practicing and believe that there is absolutely no way you won’t reach your goals and then one day, maybe you’ll get a gold medal.” She smiled and launched herself into my arms. I chuckled and hugged her back and then handed her and her magazine back over to her parents.

I let Evgeni lead me towards the section of the arena we were sitting in for the Canada vs. Norway game. I sat down next to him and crossed my legs, angling my body towards his.

“Who is who?” I asked him, nodding towards the ice.

“Sid is 87.” He pointed to his teammate who was currently warming up on the ice. “Kuni is 14.”

He continued to name off the players and what team they played for. I was able to place a name with each face, which made it much easier to keep up with.

“When do you go back to America?” he asked me during the intermission.

I thought about it for a moment, trying to remember exactly when my flight to the United States was.

“The 25th.” I replied. “I have a few interviews for the next few days and I have to be in the closing ceremony because of my gold, but after that I’m done.”

“You really aren’t coming back next time?” he asked me.

I shook my head, “I’ve given 23 years to figure skating, and I’m done.”

I started skating when I was three. My brother was six, Denis was five, and Evgeni was four. While the boys followed in our fathers’ footsteps and took up hockey, I showed much more interest in figure skating. My mother practically forced me into lessons and soon enough I was competing all over the country. My first Olympics was in 2006 in Torino; I was 18. In Vancouver in 2010, I was 22. At 26, I was ready to hang up my skates and happy that my last time competing was in my home country.

“Besides it’s time for me to move on with my life.” I added. “I want to get married. I want to have kids.”

Evgeni nodded.

“You’ll be a good mom.”

I glanced up at him as he stared forward at the ice. The teams had begun to file back out and were about to start the next period. I scooted closer and let my head rest on his shoulder, watching the game, but not really paying attention. Instead I was thinking about what kind of parents the two of us could be together. Like that would ever happen.