Chapter 11 - Sasha Stopped Letting Renee Speak for Her
Ridgerest offered Sasha the opportunity to submit a personal statement before closing the file.
Renee wanted to write it.
Sasha refused.
Their fight was loud enough that Cliff called me.
I stayed out of it.
Eventually Sasha came to Harlo Performance.
Not for training.
She sat across from me carrying three pages.
“Will you read this?”
“As your aunt or trainer?”
“Neither.”
“What does that leave?”
“Someone who tells me when I’m lying.”
Fair.
Her statement admitted she knew her official race time was 11.91.
She knew the portal showed 11.71.
She did not know how the number changed.
She failed to report the discrepancy.
She also admitted performing the dirt-bike stunt after telling Renee she did not feel comfortable.
Then:
I allowed adults to represent me in ways I knew were not fully honest because I wanted the scholarship. That part is mine.
I looked up.
“This is good.”
“Does it save anything?”
“I don’t know.”
She nodded.
“I figured.”
Then:
“Can I still train here?”
I thought about it.
“Not under me.”
Her face fell.
“Why?”
“Because we need family and professional boundaries.”
“So you’re kicking me out?”
“No.”
I slid Dominique’s card toward her.
“If Dominique and our other coaches agree, you can purchase sessions under the same policies as every athlete. Or I can refer you somewhere completely independent.”
“Purchase?”
“Yes.”
She almost smiled.
“Mom’s going to love that.”
“That is not currently one of my business metrics.”
Sasha laughed despite herself.
Then became serious.
“I’m going somewhere else.”
“Why?”
“I need to know what I can do when it isn’t your reputation getting me in the door.”
That answer hurt.
And made me proud.
“Good.”
Before leaving, she said:
“I’m going to pay Jude back.”
“Your mother owes him.”
“I crashed it.”
“She directed it.”
“I still twisted the throttle.”
May you like
Both could be true.
Sasha understood that now better than most adults in our family.
