It started when Victor was 3 years old. Lada liked watching ice skaters on TV, so when she was flicking through channels for something to put on in the background, she had settled on a televised skating competition. As she folded laundry out of a basket, she casually watched as the skaters flew over the ice.
Her son, however, was fascinated. He had been sitting in the living room playing when his mama came in and turned the TV on. He usually ignored the TV, but for whatever reason he was fascinated with the competition. His bright blue eyes followed the skaters, and when Viktor Petrenko appeared, Victor watched even more intently, gasping at each jump. When the routine ended, Victor tugged emphatically on his mama's sleeve.
Lada paused in her folding. "Yes, Vitushka?"
He pointed his chubby finger at the screen. "Mama, he's pretty."
Lada followed her son's gaze, seeing Viktor Petrenko bowing to the audience. She thought about this for a moment. "Oh, you mean the skater. Yes, he is very pretty when he skates, isn't he?"
Victor's little silver head nodded, not taking his eyes off the TV.
The corner of Lada's mouth twitched up at his fascination. Her son rarely showed such intense interest in anything, even his parents. As she watched him, it occurred to her that it would probably be a good thing to foster this interest. She asked, "Would you like to skate like that, too?"
This finally earned her a glance from her son. His blue eyes widened even more. "I can do that?"
She fought to keep a smile off her face. If Victor thought she was making fun of him now, the entire idea would be abandoned. She nodded. "Yes, there's an ice skating rink near here. Do you want to go down there and see if they're open? If you learn how, you can skate too."
Solemnly, Victor nodded, standing up and heading to the door to get his shoes. Lada stared at him, fighting hard not to laugh. She hadn't meant right at that moment, but when her son got an idea into his head, he was incorrigible. Resigning herself, she set aside her laundry and followed him.
A few minutes later, they left their house, with Lada having successfully located the skates she had used as a teen, as well as an old pair that looked like they might fit Victor. She wasn't sure if they were hers or her wife's, but she knew Roksana wouldn't mind if she used them for their son. She settled Victor carefully in the car and drove them to the outdoor rink.
After they checked in, Lada led her son out onto the ice, holding both of his hands and watching him closely to make sure he wouldn't fall. But she hardly needed worry. From the second he stepped onto the ice, Victor seemed like he belonged there. He was skating on his own within an hour, and stayed so long that the sky darkened to an ominous hue. Finally, Lada dragged him away with promises of seeing his mat who was due to return home soon. But Victor wouldn't let them leave before she promised to bring him back the next day.
That visit opened up a floodgate. Victor became obsessed with ice skating, demanding that his mama take him to the rink every day. Eventually, Lada realized that his talent was something special, and they got a private coach when Victor was four years old. His skill continued to blossom, until he entered Juniors and began competing.
Lada watched her son grow with pride, but also with some apprehension. For all his successes, Victor never seemed to form any firm relationships. Sure, he got along with his coach and the other Russian skaters, but he didn't really seem to connect to any of them. She also noticed that he seemed to have no interest in romantic relationships with girls of his age, even as he entered his teens.
The reason for this became abundantly clear one day when Victor and Lada were idly watching TV, with Lada sorting laundry nearby. They had put on a recap of famous ice skaters, and when Viktor Petrenko came on screen, Lada chuckled.
"I don't know if you remember, Vitya, but you watched him on TV when you were little, and after that you made me take you ice skating for the first time."
Victor looked at her with a smile. "I do remember seeing him on TV and thinking he was pretty. I think that's really when I first started liking guys."
Lada paused her folding to look more fully at her son. "Oh?" she asked mildly.
"Yeah. He was just so pretty on the ice." He laughed a little. "I guess this is kind of a weird way to tell you that I like dick."
Despite herself, the corner of Lada's mouth twitched up in amusement. "That's all right, Vitya. You've always done things your own way, and I suspect you will continue to do so in the future." She smiled softly at him. "I just hope you can find a boy who makes you happy."
Victor's eyes grew guarded, and he gave her the plastic smile that he wore when he was on the podium at competitions. "I'll try, Mama." He stretched and sighed. "Honestly, I was sort of hoping you'd be more surprised at me being gay."
Lada laughed outright at that. "Well, why don't you tell your mat when she gets home? She might be more surprised than me."
Victor brightened a little. "Yeah, that's true. This could be fun."
Lada watched her son's smile with a mixture of amusement and apprehension. She was sure his penchant for surprising people would be the end of her some day.