"Final results," Tovah chanted. "I'm pretty sure I know where you both placed, but we need to see the official listing. That will determine when your next practice ice sessions are, as well as which warm-up group you will be skating with tomorrow afternoon."
"Tovah?" the young man asking was bundled up against the outside cold and had walked across the back-stage area to speak to her. "Tovah Meyers?"
Tovah turned around to look at him.
"Well, maybe not Meyers any more," he commented as he noticed her baby bump.
"You probably don't remember me," he continued. "I used to skate with you years ago at the Southern Virginia Ice Arena. I'm Ian – Ian Friedman."
"Ian?" Tovah's forehead wrinkled as she thought. "You were in my class in grade school, too, weren't you?"
"That's right – You do remember!" he replied with a sigh of relief. "I was afraid you would think I was some kind of creepy stalker or something."
"What are you doing here?" Tovah asked. "Don't tell me you are coaching, too. If I remember right, your father was transferred and you moved to - " She looked at him for help.
"We moved to Aurora, Ohio, one of the suburbs around here," Ian told her. "And, yes, I am coaching. I have a skater in the Men's Junior Division. He's on the ice in an hour or so and I am here waiting for him to show up. It looks like you have two skaters in this division?" He looked over at Paige and Jade.
"I certainly do," Tovah confirmed. "And they both skated extremely well today."
"Tovah Meyers-Reid?" a woman wearing a navy blue wool coat, carrying a microphone, and being closely followed by a cameraman rushed over to where the group was standing.
"Yes?" Tovah responded cautiously.
"I'm Cassie Hernandez of The Ice Channel," the woman introduced herself. "And I just want your comments on what it is like to have two students competing against each other. How difficult is it?"
"Difficult?" Tovah repeated slowly. "It's not what I would term difficult. They are just both out there trying to skate their best."
"But, how do you divide your time?" the woman persisted. "It can't be easy – "
"Excuse me," JJ walked over and placed herself between Tovah and the newswoman.
"Jennifer Jareau," she introduced herself. "Close family friend of both skaters and their families, as well as of Coach Tovah. If you will let me, I can give you some insights into both of the skaters as well as into how Coach Tovah handles having two very talented students."
JJ skillfully guided the newswoman and her cameraman away from the skaters and their coach and into a quiet corner of the room.
"You have your own media person?" Ian asked in surprise.
"Friend of the families," Tovah breathed a sigh of relief. "JJ used to be a Media Liaison for the FBI, and there are days when that definitely comes in handy.
"FBI?" Ian echoed. "You have definitely been leading a more charmed life than me. We have got to get together before this competition is over with so you can catch me up on all the details."
"Final Results!" Garcia's voice floated across the back stage area. "We have final results!"