28. Lucas
Lucas
Well, the Olympics were over. Our competitions anyway. And I didn’t faceplant this time. I’d like to think it was because my parents weren’t breathing down my neck or forcing me to live my life how they wanted. But I knew it was the kiss.
Honestly, as weird as it sounded, that’s all I could think of during both of my routines.
I’m sure the announcers said my confidence was a result of my experience, or because Shane was my coach again, when, in reality, it was another man. A man that I was pretty sure loved me.
He wouldn’t just kiss anyone in front of the world, would he?
There wasn’t much drama with the events, either.
Gracias a Dios. I crushed both routines, and I didn’t have to watch myself get pushed down the leaderboard.
I won the gold medal in the parallel bars first, and then both Alex and I made the podium in the high bar.
I won another gold, and Alex finished with a bronze.
The platypus coin wasn’t too far away, and Cam sent me an encouraging sext message, so I definitely had the right mindset to tackle both bars.
After the parallel bars, I had noticed Cassandra in the stands near Cam. She sent me a text too, saying she was here. I was both surprised and not that she stuck around. She had said coming to my events was a possibility, though I hadn’t seen or heard from her since the hospital.
The more time passed, the more I believed something happened to her that helped her finally see what Cam and I had. No one went from following my parents’ orders to flipping the script without a good reason. I guess the fire was kind of a good one.
Even without something as drastic as that, people could change. It was possible she just softened over the years, and didn’t show it until a few days ago. Who knows?
Alex and I finished showering up, and got dressed. Shane and Ty were waiting for us outside. They had coached us through the events, along with Woodward.
We were about to leave the locker room when he pulled me aside.
“Hey Luke, I just wanted to say how proud of you I am. Three golds, a silver, and a bronze,” Coach said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “You are the most decorated male gymnast in American history since the eighties. That is quite an accomplishment.”
“Thanks, Coach. It was easy?” I tried to make a joke.
“I’ll bet it was,” he replied, shaking his head. “Good luck with the press.”
I rolled my eyes. Warning. Fun times ahead.
“Are there any questions for Alex?” I asked, exasperated.
A hand shot up. “Alex, how did you feel watching two teammates kiss on the podium?”
“Uh-”
I interrupted. “Let me clarify. Are there any questions for us that aren’t about the kiss?”
The room was silent.
“Thanks for your time. Go Team USA,” I said into the microphone and stood up. I practically dragged Alex out of his chair and through the side door.
“You should be happy, not annoyed.”
I turned to look at Alex, my hands on my hips. “I am happy.”
Shane spoke up. “You were scoffing so much in there, I’m surprised you don’t need a lozenge for your throat.”
“Well, we are at the Olympics. That was like a Hollywood press junket.”
“Bro, isn’t Cam calling you Hollywood now? What did you expect?” Ty asked.
“No one is calling me that. That is not a thing.” I gave them all my evil eye.
Alex laughed. “Sure, it isn’t.”
“And I wasn’t annoyed. I just wanted to find Cam. I hate having to do the press things before seeing him. He could’ve surprised me in the locker room.”
“You know security’s tight, bro. London’s no joke.”
That was true. I heard the guards had tackled a custodian who didn’t respond when they yelled at him in one of the locker rooms. He had earbuds in.
“Still,” I said, pushing the doors open, the fresh afternoon breeze filling my nostrils.
“You’re literally moments away. Can you feel his presence yet?” Alex asked, clasping his hands under his chin.
“Go find your family,” I said, shoving him away from me.
With Shane and Ty at my back, I started searching the crowd.
I saw Noah’s tall frame soon enough. Cam and Heather were nearby, and there was another person with them.
A woman.
With long, dark, curly hair.
I made eye contact with Cam as I approached. I couldn’t read his expression, and no one was talking. The awkwardness emanating from the group had my brain clanging alarm bells.
It wasn’t until I was closer that I got a whiff of her perfume.
My mother’s perfume.
“Mom?”
“Hola, mijo.”
Cam came over to stand next to me. His fingers grabbed onto my hand and interlaced with mine. He squeezed.
“What are you doing here?”
“Can we at least go somewhere a little more private?”
I could see everyone standing around, trying to not pay attention, except for Heather. She looked concerned. Not angry, but definitely interested.
“Whatever you have to say, you can say in front of Cam.”
She sighed, but Shane, Noah, and Ty had already all moved a little farther away. It was just me, Cam, and Heather now.
“Your father and I...haven’t seen eye to eye lately.”
I wasn’t going to waste time. “Are you getting a divorce?”
“No, mijo...but-”
“But what, Mom? Why are you here?”
“I came here to see you, to watch you. I arrived yesterday. And I’m glad I did. You were wonderful today.”
“So, what about Cam?”
“What about Cam?”
“You’re just fine with us now? Aren’t I ruining my entire career?!”
“It didn’t just happen overnight. I...always had second thoughts about Brisbane. Well not, Brisbane, but soon after, especially when I saw how miserable you were.”
Cam gave my hand another squeeze.
“I tried to reason with your father, but he wouldn’t listen.
For years, it’s been like that, with everything.
And then the business grew more, and you started doing well again.
It became easy to slide into our old pattern.
We were a few days away from flying to London, when I saw the fire on the news and footage of you leaving the hospital.
” She gave Heather a sympathetic look. “Part of me wondered. It was only a few hours before your father told me about your text. I was secretly proud of you for standing up to him.”
I stood perfectly still. I didn’t know what to say.
“I tried to convince your father to come here, but he wouldn’t. After my last attempt, early yesterday, I knew if I wanted to see you compete in the Olympics, I had to fly over immediately. So, I arrived late last night.”
“You were in the arena just now?”
“Yes, but I didn’t want to distract you. That’s why I didn’t sit with your teammates.”
Huh. “Did either of you know she was flying in?”
Heather shook her head.
“Nope. She found us out here, waiting for you. You found us a few minutes later,” Cam answered.
“Would you like to join us for lunch?” Heather asked my mom.
I was still speechless, and thankful for her offer. My mom had never sounded more like a mother my entire life, and hearing her now ignited something in me I didn’t think I had.
Hope.
Lunch was...normal.
Either my father was a social suffocator, or my mother was trying harder than she ever had before in her life. There was also the possibility that she always had this in her but no opportunities to show it.
Maybe I was so jaded before, or hadn’t paid enough attention?
Whatever it was, it was nice. Heather and my mother - Viv, as she told Heather to call her - got along well.
“Mom, can you not talk about me leaving my dirty clothes all over the apartment in front of my boyfriend?” My mom’s eyes widened. “He won’t want me to live with him.”
“Is that what you’re planning on doing? Moving back to Florida?”
I didn’t think my mom sounded accusatory, just curious.
But it still took a little effort on my part to not sound annoyed or defensive when I responded.
“Yeah, I was. Shane and Noah live nearby, so I can keep training at Cam’s gym, and there’s an opening at Heather’s flower shop, so I’d have a part-time job too. ”
“That sounds lovely. I know how you missed Florida, especially the nudist resorts.”
The water that was in my mouth ended up on the floor. I coughed as Cam patted my back. I could see the amusement creeping across his face.
And now I’m imagining Cam at a nude resort.
“You used to post that on Instagram all the time, Lucas.”
I guess I had forgotten. I hadn’t realized she paid that close attention.
“What was it called again? Happy Cheeks?”
“Oh jeez, Mom.”
“Keep going, Mrs. Rivera. I don’t get to see Luke embarrassed often.”
I shot Cam eye daggers, but couldn’t help the smile.
“No, no, no. I don’t want to make my little boy uncomfortable.”
“Little boy? I’m twenty-three.”
“Well, I’m sure Heather will understand, but you’ll always be my little boy.”
The rest of lunch passed with no more embarrassment.
I admit it was like a switch had flipped, and I wasn’t complaining.
This was the mother I had always wanted.
I was afraid of what happened when she went back to New York.
While she said there wasn’t a divorce on the horizon, I knew my dad wouldn’t be pleased with her trip to London.
Would he try to convince her to push me away? Or would he change his mind and end their marriage? That would split the business, and it would look bad to their social circle. Maybe she’d convince him to change?
Forget it. Just enjoy it while you can and hope for the best.
There wasn’t a point in worrying about something out of my control. I had Cam and Heather, Noah and Shane, and a plan for the rest of the summer.
“How are you feeling?” Cam asked.
We were in a taxi on our way to meet Graham and Jake for drinks and dinner.
“I’m good, I think.” I scratched my head and pushed my hair back out of my eyes. “It was certainly a surprise. Completely unexpected. But I believe her. I think she had second thoughts, and it’s not surprising that my dad didn’t agree with her. Even if he did, he needs things to be his idea.”
“Maybe he’ll come around?”
“I won’t hold my breath, but I guess it’s always possible.”
Cam’s phone buzzed. “Sorry,” he said, reaching into his pocket. “They’re there. They got a table already.”