Behind the Ice Wall
“Mom, I can’t just pretend this isn’t happening.”
“You can, actually,” she said, almost fierce underneath her exhaustion. “You’ve had years of practice doing exactly that, Sky, whether either of us wanted it to be true or not. I need you to use that ability now, one more time, for me. Play this game. Win it if you can. I’ll still be here whether you do or not, and I intend to be here for a long time after this season ends too.”
I didn’t argue further, though her insistence felt less like reassurance and more like both of us performing a script we’d rehearsed our entire lives without ever fully agreeing to write.