in my bag. "Otherwise I'm always going to find errors."
Kova listened while I rambled on. His attention never left mine, as if every word I said mattered. It was the best feeling to see him already staring at me. I felt high on life, ready to tackle my next obstacle with Kova by my side.
"I'm not sure what came over me, but I was driven by power and determination. Maybe it was because I have you behind me, I'm not sure, but I do know that I have nothing to lose and everything to gain, so I just kind of let go and believed in myself."
I smiled brightly at him. The way Kova looked at me made my heart flutter. I couldn't stop it from happening. I felt great. Confident. Like I could take on the world. He was happy and proud, and I loved that I exceeded his expectations.
"Adrianna, I wish I could finish this conversation with you, but I have to go. Just know, that what you did up there is because you stopped doubting yourself. You proved it just like I knew you would. I cannot wait to see you perform tomorrow."
He turned away before I could say anything. I knew he wasn't leaving to purposely avoid me, my teammates needed his attention as well.
I tried not to smile from ear to ear. I tried not to stare at him with admiration. But I did and I didn't give a shit who saw. He was proud, and that filled my chest with so many emotions I couldn't put into words. Appraisal was not something I needed all the time, but in flashes of self-doubt, it changed everything. He gave me the courage I needed to move forward. He was my life boat.
Make it count.
It's what he'd said since the moment I started with World Cup. And I would. For myself. For my coaches.
Kova moved to stand near the uneven bars again, this time to help Holly. I watched as he instructed her, giving her the same reassurance he instilled in me. He believed in us. Despite his flaws—and he had plenty—he cared about his gymnasts and the sport. He wanted us to succeed.
But what stole my attention wasn't Holly's impressive routine. It was the burning glare coming from my right, searing a hole into my head. It was impossible not to feel the intensity of those spiteful eyes.
Reagan.
My smile faltered as she stared at me with a scowl so profound it caused a shiver to run down my spine. She lifted one brow and angled her head to the side, then shifted her gaze over to our coach.
She'd seen everything she needed to. And I’d let her.
Forty
My parents hadn't shown up until this morning.
Naturally.
My stomach fluttered at the thought of my mom coming to my first big qualifier meet. Not my dad, even though he'd been to less meets than Mom. I knew she was waiting for me to fail. My gut said she did because she never saw my dream as anything more than an expensive hobby, and that said more than anything else. Maybe Dad felt the same way, but he never openly stated it. He encouraged me and supported my hard work and dedication. Each slip up was an open door for my mom to criticize me, to insist I do something else with my spare time. I pictured her in the stands, glaring down at me, somewhere between uninterested and annoyed.
Anxiety seized my chest as a sharp pain tore through it. I closed my eyes and counted to ten, breathing deeply and slowly, just as Kova had shown me. Gymnastics was my life. It was my passion. My outlet. All you had to do was open your eyes and watch my heart speak for me.
I was going to show her that with my performance. Today was my day.
Swallowing away the worry, I opened my eyes and glanced around the gym. Chalk permeated the air. A springboard rebounded and feet slammed onto a dismount mat. Classical music blared on the speakers and the sound of the bars ricocheting echoed in the distance. The meet was in full swing.
There were three judges at every event. They sat at a long table, dressed in navy blue business attire with notepads and clipboards at their fingertips. Their beady eyes criticizing every little thing. With so much against me, I trained hard for this day. Blood and sweat. I pushed my body. My coaches pushed harder. Now I