Page 61 of Rise After Fall

“I miss my daughter. You haven’t been home in forever,” she whispers.

“I know. I promise I’ll come for New Year’s.”

She sighs.

“Fine. I’ll see if Patrick can bring Kelly for New Year’s as well.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“I love you, Zoey.”

“I love you too. I’ll call you in a few days,” I promise.

I click off the line and set the phone on my desk.

I hate hurting her. The truth is, I’ve done everything in my power to avoid trips home for years now. All my father ever wants to talk about is my past and what could have been. I hate facing his disappointment when I shoot down every one of his suggestions to help me get my athletic career back.

Why can’t he just let me be his daughter?

Morris and Clay walk into my office.

“Something wrong?” Morris asks.

“No. I just got off my regularly scheduled guilt-trip call from my mother,” I say.

“You get those too?” Clay asks.

“Oh, yes. Today’s concern was about me missing Thanksgiving next week.”

“I got that one,” he empathizes.

“It’s like she doesn’t know how skiing for a living works. I’ve only been missing Thanksgiving since kindergarten,” I say.

“I never thought about that before. My mom would lose her mind if we weren’t home for Thanksgiving. Garrett’s had to miss a few, but the rest of us are always around her table. I bet that’s hard for your moms,” Morris says.

“Great. There comes that wave of guilt again,” I mumble.

“Sorry,” he says.

“You’re so lucky to have your mom and your dad. Sara-Beth seems to love all of you and truly wants the best for you,” I say.

“You sound like you don’t have parents who feel the same way.”

“It’s not that,” I say.

“But you don’t get along with them?” he asks.

“It’s complicated.”

“Complicated. Well, the good thing about complicated is that it can always be worked out,” he states.

“Not always,” I mutter.

“Sure it can.”

“My father will never forgive me for walking away from the Olympics. It was as much his dream as it was mine.”

“Hey, your parents are the two people who loved you before anyone else even knew your name. I’m sure that hasn’t changed,” he says.