He Switched Partners. I Switched Countries. novel · Chapter 1 of 24
Chapter 1: The Toast Through the Door
Lena overhears her fiancé announce a new partner at the team dinner, drives north and signs a Canadian partnership at 11:59, and her ex texts her to be at the boards by Saturday.
At seven o'clock, twenty people in a private room toasted my fiancé's new skating partner while I stood outside the door holding the champagne.
It was the last night of Olympic registration.
Every pairs team in the country had until midnight to lock in its partnership with the federation.
Wyatt and I were going to sign together after dinner, side by side on his laptop.
All afternoon he had been the Wyatt I knew.
He warmed my gloves on the rink heater, because my hands go cold before the rest of me.
He carried my skate bag to the car, and he kept the spare key to my locker in his wallet.
He was twenty minutes early to dinner, so he could save me the seat by the window.
I had gone to the kitchen to collect the bottle we'd ordered.
I was coming back down the hallway when I heard my name.
"So what about Lena?" a man asked. "You two are the favorites. Everyone says you'll medal."
Glasses clinked.
"I already filed," Wyatt said. "I'm skating with Paige this season."
The room went quiet for one beat, and then everyone talked at once.
"Paige Lindell?" a woman said. "She fell twice at Nationals."
"Her father is on the news every night and her partner quit in June," Wyatt said.
"She asked me for one season. I'm giving her one."
"And Lena?" the man asked again.
"Lena has my login," Wyatt said.
"She'll open the portal and sign on as my alternate so she can still fly with the team."
"She'll be at the boards on Saturday with her stopwatch, same as always."
Someone whistled. A second voice said, "Cold, Kessler."
"Practical," Wyatt said. "Nobody tell her tonight. I'll handle it after midnight."
The door was open a hand's width.
Through the gap I could see a teammate filming the toast for the team chat.
That afternoon Wyatt had kissed my forehead and said, "Don't stress about the forms, Len. I've got everything handled."
I had believed him, because I had believed him since I was six.
My mother had put his hand in mine on rental skates at her rink and told him to hold on.
On Monday Paige had hugged me in the locker room.
She had asked how the alternate button worked, so she would know what I was dealing with.
I had shown her, and she had thanked me twice.
I thought about the two taps I gave his left glove before every lift.
I had done it since juniors, and no stopwatch at the boards could do it.
I didn't open the door.
I set the champagne on the hostess stand and told the girl it was for table four.
Then I sat in my car and cried for twenty minutes, and I stopped when I realized nobody was coming out to find me.
My mother, Marianne, picked up on the first ring.
"Wyatt filed with Paige Lindell," I said. "It's done. He says I'll sign on as his alternate."
She didn't gasp, and she didn't say she was sorry.
"A coach I know in Burnaby called me on Tuesday," she said. "Her skater lost his partner to a broken ankle in September."
"Mom."
"His name is Theo Garrick. If he doesn't register a partner by midnight, Canada loses its pairs spot for the Games."
"I told her you were taken."
My hands were steady on the wheel, which surprised me.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because I was born in Victoria, Lena. You've held a Canadian passport since you were two."
"Can I skate for Canada?"
"She says you can register tonight and file your release from U.S. Skating within thirty days."
So I chose another country.
My passport had sat in the bottom of my skate bag for years.
I drove north with it on the passenger seat.
The line at the Peace Arch crossing was backed up for an hour.
At 10:40 a number I didn't know called, and a flat, tired voice said, "Hargrove. It's Garrick."
"Mr. Garrick."
"Theo. You have the passport?"
"It's next to me."
"Can you hold a lift?"
"I'm a pairs skater."
"Then I'll see you on my ice at six a.m., and I'll sign when I do. Don't be late, and don't be sentimental."
"I'm not sentimental," I said.
"You were crying when you picked up," he said, and hung up.
The form reached my phone at 11:52.
It said Garrick and Hargrove, Canada, pairs, and under it was a line for my signature.
I signed at 11:59.
The screen turned green and said the partnership was locked.
At 12:03 my phone lit up with Wyatt's name.
Len, call me when you see the portal.
Don't do anything dramatic.
Be at the rink at six on Saturday, I need you on the boards.
I read it once and turned the phone face down on the seat.
The officer at the booth held out his hand for my passport.
"Purpose of your visit?" he asked.
"I'm skating for Canada," I said.
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