Chapter 25 – Focus on

Sasha’s POV

We were embarrassed by Tampa Bay. They beat us 7-4 and ended a 12 game win streak we had over them. We didn’t take the game seriously and as a result lost. We were caught not paying attention. The following game against the Panthers we won in the shootout. We were down 2 – 0 after the first but we fought back and won.

My dad picked me up from the airport when we made it back to DC. I hadn’t spoken to my mom much. She still refused to apologize and had gotten angry with my dad when he told her about the lunch we had with Nef.

”Our son has chosen to be with this girl. The least we can do is meet her BEFORE we judge her. How can you say she’s no good if you haven’t met her?” my dad argued.

I hated it when my parents fought. I hated that I was causing trouble between them. I was angry with my mother at her short sightedness. I just didn’t understand what was going on with her. It’s not like I told her I was bringing home a hooker or someone I knew they would be morally opposed to. Because of the three game road trip to Atlanta and Florida I wasn’t home to hear anymore arguments between my mom and dad.

I told my dad to stop arguing with mom. It was only causing trouble. He told me that he wouldn’t bring it up anymore.

After a while I decided that I just wasn’t going to worry about it. I would focus on hockey; the Olympics were about a month away. I would focus on my relationship with Nefertiti. Our time constraints meant that we had to put a little more effort into being together. We each wanted to make sure time spent together was meaningful.

It was really late when we pulled into the garage so I expected everyone to be sleeping. My mom was sitting up in the kitchen. I hugged her, told her I loved her, and then went to my room. She tried to talk to me but I said that I was tired and that I need to rest. I wasn’t quite ready to have a conversation with her. Maybe tomorrow once I’d had a good night’s sleep.



Nef’s POV


I could tell that Sasha was bothered by the exchange between his parents and I. Lately he had been subdued. I tried to focus on the fact that his dad was okay with getting to know me. I figured that we could win over his mother once she saw that I was trust worthy. She was only worried about her son. Any parent would be. I’m sure she wanted to protect him from the things that could hurt him. I just had to show her that I had no intention of hurting or using him.

I was sitting in the living room with Jesse talking when Steph came home. She and I hadn’t exactly been on speaking terms since before Christmas. I had been pissed with her not so much about her refusing to come and get me from the hospital when my purse was snatch but when that same night she decided to take my car to Delaware chasing after her boyfriend. She times she just didn’t think before she acted. I knew we needed to talk but I had been dragging my feet.

“Can we talk?” Steph asked.

“Yeah.” Jesse excused herself, leaving Steph and I alone to talk.

“I’m sorry about the whole car thing,” she said. “Terry and I were fighting when he left. I couldn’t just let him walk out.”

“Why didn’t you call me while you were in Delaware? Why didn’t you let me know what was going on?”

“I was so busy focusing on Terry that I didn’t think to call you. We spent the whole time fighting and arguing. I should have I know and for that I am sorry.”

“I needed you that night. I thought that I would be able to count on you but I was wrong.”

“Nef, come on. You know we’re best friends.” Really? Best Friends? Not so much anymore.

“I wouldn’t have done that to you.” Individually each act – not coming to get me at the hospital, taking my car to Delaware without my permission, and staying gone for almost three days without calling to tell me what was going on wasn’t enough to make me call to end our friendship but all three of these things together made me reconsider how close we really were.

I tried talking to her. I really did but she just didn’t get why I was upset. I don’t think she thought she’s done anything wrong. I got the feeling that she was apologizing because we were scheduled to go to court soon. I had every intention of not pressing charges – I just hadn’t told her that.

Later that night I watched the caps dominate the Thrashers. The following game against the Tampa Bay Lightening it looked like a completely different team had taken the ice. They were loose and sloppy. I didn’t watch the game against the Panthers because I was out with my dad helping him look for an anniversary gift for mom. Their anniversary is in March as well as my mom’s birthday so we were having a really big party with family and friends.

”So, how are things with you and Alex,” my dad asked.

”They’re going okay. His mom hates me,” I answered truthfully.

I explained to my dad what had happened...leaving out the part where she called me an American whore.

”How is he taking it?”

”He was upset. Now that his dad seems to be okay with it, it’s gotten better. At first he was just mad. I don’t think he expected to go that wrong.”

I couldn’t say that I was completely un-phased by everything that had happened but I tried my best not to let it bother me. Valeri had made the effort to meet me and get to know me before automatically assuming the worst about me. Tatiana wanted nothing to do with me. She didn’t want to know that I existed.

Focus on the good things – This was how my dad ended the conversation. I would. I’m going to focus on Sasha and our relationship. I’m going to focus on school and focus on work. I’m going to focus on everything that wasn’t Tatiana Semina.