The Favorites
by Layne Fargo
Contents
Chapter 72
Overview
Katarina refuses to argue that she and Heath deserve an Olympic spot, then goes to the hospital and learns that Bella is pregnant with Heath’s child and suffering from severe preeclampsia. The revelation reshapes the emotional stakes between all three of them just as Shaw and Rocha are unexpectedly named to the Olympic team. Bella insists they go to Sochi, turning a crisis into a new, shared commitment to chase Olympic gold.
Summary
After Nationals, Ellis Dean asks Katarina why she and Heath deserve another Olympic berth. Instead of defending their record or making excuses for missing their skate, Katarina says they do not deserve to go any more than the other teams. Her answer shows that Bella’s medical emergency matters more to her in that moment than public perception or Olympic politics.
At Massachusetts General, Katarina finds Bella awake and stable in a private room. Bella immediately challenges Katarina for not skating, but the conversation shifts when Katarina realizes Bella is pregnant and Heath is the father. Bella admits the pregnancy was unplanned, says she once scheduled an abortion before canceling it, and reveals that doctors suspect severe preeclampsia and want her on bed rest until delivery.
Katarina and Bella then confront the emotional implications of the pregnancy and Bella’s secrecy. Bella insists she does not love Heath the way Katarina did, while Katarina pushes back and reassures Bella that love is not a competition. When Bella anxiously asks whether she will be a good mother, Katarina tells her she will be excellent, easing some of Bella’s fear.
Heath returns with vending-machine snacks, and Katarina quietly congratulates him on becoming a father. As the three wait together for medical updates and Olympic news, Katarina reflects that fatherhood suits Heath and that a life with her might have cost him that future. The waiting ends when Ellis arrives and tells them to check their phones: Shaw and Rocha have been named to the 2014 Olympic team alongside Gaskell and Kovalenko, while the U.S. silver and bronze medalists are moved to alternate positions.
Heath’s first instinct is not to leave Bella, but Bella refuses to let either skater give up the Games for her. She says she can hire help and that Garrett is already on his way, making clear that what she wants most is for them to compete. Katarina tells Heath she will go only if he chooses it too, and after Heath confirms that Bella truly wants this, the three align on the decision: Shaw and Rocha will go to Sochi and chase gold.
Who Appears
- Katarina ShawSkater who visits Bella, learns about the pregnancy, and agrees to pursue Sochi only with Heath’s consent.
- Bella LinCoach and former rival; hospitalized with severe preeclampsia, reveals Heath is the father, and pushes the pair toward the Olympics.
- Heath RochaKatarina’s skating partner and Bella’s unborn child’s father; torn between staying and returning to Olympic competition.
- Ellis DeanJournalist who provokes Katarina after Nationals, then brings word that Shaw and Rocha made the Olympic team.
- GarrettFriend arriving to help care for Bella, giving Heath and Katarina freedom to go to Sochi.