Chapter 10: December Truths

“Welcome one and all to the Junior Grand Prix Final,”

“We are coming to you live from Malmo, Sweden ready to see the best of the best upcoming talent battle for the podium.”

“In each discipline there are six slots,” continued Jeremy. “And only three medals. The best of the best will be competing for a spot on the podium. I am Jeremy Jenkins,”

“And I am Sarah Larkin,”

“Welcome to Sweden.”

---

“You ready?” asked Jennifer as she and Liam found a quiet space backstage to focus while the rest of the short program routines went on. It was Saturday December 13th, 2003 and somehow Liam and Jennifer had managed to pull last slot. Therefore they had quite a while to wait before it would be their turn to take the ice for the short program and shine. “Liam,” she continued as she took her partner’s hand. “Can you believe we’re here?”

Liam nodded and then shook his head. “Yes I’m ready,” he stated with a smile. “But no, there’s a part of me that can’t believe that we’re here. I had no idea when Dad and I moved out here that I would be in this position six months later.”

Jennifer smiled. “I know what you mean,” she agreed as she allowed Liam to bring her into a comforting hug. “It all seems like a crazy dream.”

“Well this crazy dream isn’t over yet kiddo,” Elyse stated as she and Darren walked over to the pair. “You have some stiff competition out there, some of which you haven’t faced before. Both of you are going to have to be on top of your game…especially since your side by sides have been wonky as of late.”

Liam nodded. “I know, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

“You’re jumping a little too soon,” remarked Darren as the noise from the crowd filtered down to the holding area. “Wait that extra second and you’ll land on time with Jennifer.”

“Brenin and Belmont?” asked a voice of a technician.

“Yes?” asked Elyse in return. “This is them.”

“You are on in five minutes,” the woman technician responded before walking away, leaving the four of them alone again.

“This is it,” Elyse stated looking both Jennifer and Liam in the eye.

“You can do this,” Darren assured as he took both their hands.

Elyse nodded. “We believe in you,” she agreed as they walked back to the rink’s surface. “And so do your families.”

Jennifer looked out into the crowd and knew that somewhere out there were her mother and father who had both taken the week off and had accompanied their daughter to her first real important competition. She also knew that for the first time ever all her aunts and uncles and cousins would be watching their television screens in anticipation. They had never seen her going into a competition as the favourite and they all wanted to see how she and Liam would do. But even as that thought crossed her mind she looked to Liam. He had no one out there and probably no one at home watching or waiting for news either. He had explained on the plane ride over how his father and his mother’s only brother had gotten into a huge argument when she had died- what that argument was about Liam had no idea. All he knew was that he hardly ever saw his Uncle or his five cousins.

‘It’s not fair,’ she thought as she and Liam took the ice to warm up while the marks for their competition were being tallied. ‘He should have someone out there rooting for him besides his dad-’

“Penny for your thoughts?” asked Liam as he skated over to Jennifer.

She smiled. “I was just thinking about my family, I don’t want to disappoint them.”

“You won’t disappoint them,” Liam assured. “They’re so proud of you, at least I know that you’re parents are and-”

Jennifer shook her head. “I don’t want to disappoint you either.”

Liam smiled affectionately and took her hand. “There’s no way you could disappoint me,” he guaranteed as he squeezed her hand. “I’m already so proud of you, not to mention the fact that I am so glad that Elyse and my Dad brought us together.”

Jennifer bit her lip and tried not to blush.

“And no matter what happens here,” Liam continued as the crowd clapped for the marks that were coming up. “We still have nationals in January and we’ve only been skating together since mid-July which is peanuts by most people’s reckoning.”

Jennifer smiled and followed Liam back over to the boards where Elyse and Darren were waiting. She stayed silent all though their pep-talk and she stayed silent as they took their positions for their short program. “Ready?” asked Liam as always. It was a routine for them, Jennifer was always scared stiff but knew that it didn’t matter and that’s exactly what she said.

“No,” she answered in a quiet whisper. “But that doesn’t matter, does it?”

Liam grinned and shook his head as the opening strains of their music sounded over the sound system.

---

“Let me see them, let me see them!”

“Aunt Helena,” sighed Jennifer as she once again took out her three gold medals. One was from Mexico, the second was from Japan and the third was from Sweden. They were the ISU Junior Grand Prix Champions and to celebrate Abigail and Thomas Brenin were putting on a huge party with all their siblings and their siblings’ children as well as some really close friends.

“You shouldn’t complain about showing people your medals sweetie,” remarked Abigail as she passed the scene. “After all we’re all so proud of you and my very single sister wants to oogle over you like always”

Jennifer smiled, “I know Mom, it’s just that-”

“Hey everyone,” interrupted the small young voice of Jessica Brenin, Jennifer’s youngest cousin. “Jen and Liam are on TV!”

In an instant most of the family including Liam, Darren and Elyse were watching the forty-two inch TV as it showed Jennifer and Liam doing their exhibition routine in Sweden. And in other news, the anchor was saying, local girl Jennifer Brenin and her skating partner Liam Belmont have just won their third straight gold medal in a row. They are all set to storm the stage at the Junior Nationals in January and who knows, maybe even the Olympics one day.

That’s right, continued the second anchor. Jennifer and Liam are coached by none other than Elyse Smithson and Darren Belmont who were Canada’s own skating sweethearts back in the day and they were our only hope for a pairs medal at the ’88 Olympics in Calgary.

The male anchor nodded as Elyse and Darren came up on the screen. They were wearing their team outfits for the Calgary Olympics and they looked as though they were fighting. What many people don’t know, the male anchor continued, is that Elyse and Darren were engaged to be married the summer after Calgary but an untimely fall ruined everything. Before everyone’s eyes the news station showed the footage from the long program where after a mere minute, Darren hoisted Elyse over his head and then promptly lost his edge and sent the two of them crashing to the ground.

It was one of the worst skating falls that I have ever seen, the female anchor stated as the footage looped in slow motion. But even worse, rumour had it that Elyse was two months pregnant at the time and that the fall caused her to loose the baby…

The male anchor shook his head. How the two of them are working together now is beyond me, but whatever has happened we wish our local girl luck in her upcoming competitions. This is Gerald and Viviane signing off…

The news program ended and all were silent. Liam looked white as a sheet but when Jennifer looked to Elyse and Darren she could see pain and hurt on their faces. “Wait a minute,” Liam muttered, breaking the silence in the process. “If in ’88 you two were engaged to be married then what about mom?” he asked standing up to face his father. “I was almost three by the Calgary Olympics. Were you planning on leaving Mom?”

Darren shook his head. “Not now Liam,”

“Yes now,” Liam insisted raising his voice a little and not caring that Jennifer’s entire family was watching the exchange with a mixture of interest and horror. “What did Mom say when you told her that you were planning on leaving her? What did she say?”

“Darren,” Elyse whispered quietly. “It’s time.”

“She didn’t say anything,” Darren stated with a quiet sigh.

“I don’t believe you,” snapped Liam. “Tell the truth.”

“I am son,” Darren insisted. “Lily, your mother didn’t say anything because at the time of the ’88 Olympics we weren’t married. In fact we were barely even friends at that time. It was only during Thanksgiving that we reconnected.”

Liam shook his head. “I don’t understand, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying that when I knew that it was over between Elyse and I, I turned to Lily for support. Your mother and I had been childhood sweethearts who had grown apart in college. When I reconnected with her, it was because she had sought me out. She knew through the grapevine what had really happened and she wanted to offer her support. She came out to Vancouver where I was living at the time with a three year old boy. That boy took to me like a duck takes to water and she told me that his father had died in a fire that had destroyed her home just four months earlier. Then and there I promised Lily that I would always be there for her… a month later we were married and three days after that Liam Young became Liam Belmont…”

There was a stunned silence. Liam was in total shock but as Darren’s words registered he turned to Jennifer with a suspicious and hateful look in his eyes. “You knew,” he sneered as he walked towards the couch where Jennifer was sitting. “You’ve known all along…you started saying it when we first met but you were cut off….why didn’t you tell me?”

Jennifer glanced to Elyse and then back to Liam. She had known all along that not only were Elyse and Darren former partners but lovers as well. She had known that Elyse had lost their baby and that the resulting emotional aftermath had driven the two of them apart. But she also knew that it was something neither of them wanted to get out.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Liam asked again his voice wavering. “Answer me Jennifer! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t my place to tell,” she answered quietly. “At first I assumed that you knew but when I realized that you didn’t I knew that it wasn’t my place to tell you. It was something that Darren had to tell you and I’m sure that he was going to tell you in due time-”

“Due time?” asked Liam hatefully. “Don’t you think that fifteen years is a long enough time?”

Jennifer shrugged. “It’s not my place to judge, but he’s your father Liam-”

“No,” Liam interrupted as he shot a spiteful look at Darren. “No he’s not my father and I don’t want to see him ever again.”

“Liam,” Darren began reaching out to his adoptive son but Liam recoiled.

“Liam you can’t hate him,” Jennifer stated, causing Liam’s attention to turn from Darren onto her.

“Yes I can,” he whispered venomously. “I can hate him for lying to me all these years. I do not want to see him ever again…or you for that matter.”

“Wait,” Jennifer began in a panic as Liam stormed from the room. “Liam!”

But it was too late. Liam had already gone out into the night.

“You have to go after him,” Elyse whispered as she placed a comforting hand on Darren’s shoulder. “He’s your son,”

“Adoptive son,” Darren corrected.

“That doesn’t matter,” Elyse stated.

“She’s right,” Abigail agreed. “Darren you have to go after him.”

“He’s not in his right mind,” Thomas continued. “He could get himself hurt.”

“Or killed,” finished Jennifer with a lump in her throat and tears in her eyes. “Darren I know that everything seems bad right now but I know that Liam must be feeling betrayed right now- by you and me and everyone. I know you must think that giving him his space is the best way to go but being alone is something that Liam doesn’t need.”

Darren looked wearily at his pupil. “And how Jennifer, would you know that?” he asked watching the emotions that were flitting all over her face.

“I know that because he once confided in me how he wished that he has a family as big as mine,” she answered. “Right now he believes that he’s lost everyone. You have to make him realize that he hasn’t.”

Darren nodded. “You’re right,” he stated. “I have to go after him.’

“But where did he go?” asked Jennifer’s Aunt Helena Hart who was the only one of Abigail’s four sisters who decided not to get married.

Jennifer pondered the question for a moment and then the answer hit her. “The rink,” she stated causing everyone to look at her. “He’s probable gone to Cove Haven to practice. He told me once that he was much more comfortable on-ice than off….I’m sure he’s gone there.”

“Right,” Darren stated with another nod. “Then that’s where we’ll search. Elyse and you and Jennifer come along?”

Elyse nodded sympathetically and together the three of them left the house to search for Liam while the rest of the Brenin-Hart family left for their respective homes leaving Abigail and Thomas to clean up the remnants of the party. ‘I do hope they find him,’ thought Abigail as she cleaned. ‘He needs to be found.’