To Dream or Not to Dream

2018 Olympics

Author's Note:

Hello! The story is almost over friends. This will likely be the second to last full chapter and then some side chapters. Like always, I hope you are enjoying the story- please vote and comment. Your participation has been such a motivation and makes me so sincerely happy. Thank you so much. Really, thank you. It wouldn't have been finished without your support. =)

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Toronto, Canada - February 2018- Days Before the Olympics

In the past year Yumi had become used to the far off look in her son's eyes, just as she had become used to witnessing his fingers subconsciously gliding over the delicate metal of his necklace. She didn't know for certain what that necklace meant to Yuzuru, or Isabella for that matter, but she knew it meant something and she was entirely sure he was thinking about her every time he touched it.

Yumi remembered exactly when that necklace appeared around her son's neck. It was an early morning over a year ago now. He had come through their apartment door wearing it, though it definitely wasn't the first thing she had noticed about him.

It wasn't the first time he had walked through the door after staying out all night, looking like he hadn't slept a wink. By that point, Yumi was used to her son staying at Isabella's house. At first when he had stayed out all night she would find him trying to quietly sneak through the front door. It was almost comical how guilty he had looked then, like he had been caught doing something wrong.

Yumi, far from naive, knew her son was likely sleeping with his girlfriend, in every sense of the word. However, she chose not to confront him about it. She didn't want to make him feel guilty for something so inherently human. As challenging as it was to witness her son growing up, she was more delighted that he had found someone with whom he could be himself. Someone who loved him for him.

Eventually, as Yuzuru realized that she wouldn't impede him from returning home late, the guilt disappeared from his demeanor. Upon his arrival, he would merely greet her with a smile and a 'good night' before making his way to his room.

However, the morning that the necklace appeared had been different than every other morning. Those other times he had appeared exhausted, but that particular morning he was lifeless.

He had dredged into the apartment in a daze and as soon as he spotted the familiar comfort of his mother's face, he immediately walked towards her and enveloped her into a hug.

It had been a long time since her son had approached her like that. Probably since he had been a young child.

Yumi had been completely confused until she felt his body start to shake against her own. She soon realized that despite her son having matured into an adult before her eyes, his heart remained as fragile as a child's.

She had guided him to lay down on the couch like she had done when he was a kid and set his head in her lap as the tears ran down his face. Her hands pushed wet tendrils of hair away from his forehead, wishing to also take away the pain he was feeling.

It was then she spotted the white-gold figure skating emblem that was now a constant fixture on his body. And although almost a full year had passed since that time, that dazed look she saw that morning still remained on his face.

"Have you talked to her?"

Yuzuru's fingers stilled on the small golden skate, stopping in their habitual action. His eyes rose to his mother's as he sat across from her at their dining room table. It was the night before they were to leave for Pyeongchang, South Korea and apparently he had been lost to his thoughts again.