Aimee, Victoria, Dave, Denise, Lynette, and Gwen arrive at the stadium for the Opening Ceremony.
Gwen: Did we make it?
Aimee: They’re still letting people in, so I assume so.
Gwen: Well, that’s good. Do you think they’d let me perform in the ceremony? I know they have singing and such. I think my talents could be of great use.
Dave: I think that’s not necessary.
Gwen: Dave seems annoyed.
Dave: I’m not annoyed. I would just rather not embarrass us on a world stage.
Gwen: Fine. The world can miss out.
Lynette: Do I spot Melody Choi?
Aimee: No way! Melody would’ve told us if she were going to the Oly-
Melody: Aimee! What are you doing here?
Lynette: Did I tell you so? Or did I tell you so?
Aimee: You told me so.
Melody: Oh my gosh, this is quite a group.
Aimee: We got invited by Missy Ling. She’s from my area and we go pretty close.
Victoria: She and I really hit it off.
MelodY: Oh, she’s a sweetheart. So personable, so outgoing. I was so much more reserved than her at my first Olympics, which was a few years older than her.
Victoria: How do you know her?
Aimee: Well, she’s a gold medalist figure skater. So, connect the dots.
Gwen: Are you here to compete again? We’d be so happy about that.
Melody: Gosh, no! I’m retired and out of shape.
Aimee: This is out of shape?
Melody: Out of skating shape, yeah. I take care of myself as much as I can, but being ready for center ice takes so much work. And much more time than I have, between being a new mom and a senator. But I do still love to skate recreationally, and I keep in touch with everyone. I told my husband, our little one is going to be a little ice dancer when she grows up.
Dave: I’ll just be happy if my little ones are able to jog for ten minutes without getting out of breath. I’ve got absolutely zero athletic ability, and neither does Aimee.
Aimee: Excuse me? You’re looking at the softball queen of Capitol Hill!
Melody: That was vey impressive.
Gwen: She beat a bunch of grannies that are at least twenty years older than her!
Melody: They have more experience!
Gwen: In life, in softball, and in menopause, yes.
Aimee: So, Melody, you just here to take it all in? Or are you cheering for anyone in particular?
Melody: I’m doing commentary for figure skating! I was shocked to be asked, considering my political career, but very happy!
Aimee: Be kind to my girl Missy. And maybe nudge the judges to be generous to her.
Melody: That would be tampering and we’d both be banned from the sport.
Gwen: Wait a minute… the Russians can dope and not get banned, but a commentator can’t gently remind the judges of how talented a skater is from her own country?
Melody: I shouldn’t be talking to them at all. And Russia did get banned. That’s why they have to skate under a neutral flag.
Gwen: A neutral flag? Wow, what a punishment. You dope and all they do is fly a different flag when you win.
Melody: They are being punished, don’t you worry. The Olympic movement prioritizes fairness. Missy’s a very talented skater, she doesn’t need my help;
Aimee: I did see the odds don’t have her as a favorite to land on the podium. What would we need to do to change that?
Melody: Are you threatening the other athletes?
Aimee: Of course not! I’m a senator!
Dave: Aimee, your parents.
Aimee: They’re fine, they’re in there.
Dave: We’re standing around talking. The ceremony’s going to begin.
Melody: Yeah, I should let you go. And, Aimee… don’t do anything silly.
Aimee: I won’t sabotage anyone, no matter how strong my desire to do so may be.
Melody: Good! The Olympics are about being the best of the best. And to be the best, you have to beat the best. No cheating.
Aimee: I love that you take me at face value. I’m being sarcastic about 80% of the time.
Melody: I’m sure Tonya Harding’s friends felt the same about her.
Denise: I, Tonya told me that she was sort of a victim.
Melody: She was a cheater.
Dave: All right, off we go!
Inside the stadium…
Cherie: They’re not going to make it.
Kimmy: They can make it.
Ernesto: I just want to see Bad Bunny.
Kimmy: That’s at the Super Bowl, dad.
Ernesto: Well why didn’t we go to that instead?
Kimmy: I don’t know.
Cherie: It is unfortunate that we’re out of the county for the Seahawks’ first trip to the Super Bowl in a decade. Maybe we can stay up late that night and watch it.
Kimmy: It’ll run until like five AM.
Cherie: Okay, we can watch it on tape or something. I did set up the TiVo to record it before we left.
Kimmy: We still have a TiVo?
Cherie: I don’t know, I think so. We have something to record shows.
Ernesto: I’m gonna go get a snack.
Cherie: A snack?
Ernesto: I told you I was hungry!
Cherie: Honey, this isn’t a Rolling Stones concert. I don’t think they’re selling snacks.
Kimmy: I actually did see them selling snacks.
Cherie: That’s a bummer. I thought this institution had a bit more class and sophistication than that.
Ernesto: Do you not want me to get a snack?
Cherie: Will you complain about it the entire time if I say no?
Ernesto: No…
Cherie: Then keep your butt in that seat, I don’t want you missing anything!
Ernesto: Will do. After all, happy wife, happy life.
Aimee: Mom! Stand up!
Cherie: Did you hear something?
Kimmy: It sure sounded like Aimee to my ears.
Aimee: Mom, wave to us.
Kimmy: She said to wave. I think she’s trying to find her seats.
Cherie: Hi, honey! We’re here!
Kimmy: I see her now. She’s coming up the stairs.
Cherie: Good! I was so scared they weren’t gonna - ooh, it’s starting.
Aimee: Gosh, I bet you thought we weren’t gonna make it!
Victoria: We barely did make it.
Aimee: But we did!
Cherie: Sit down and enjoy the show! It’s starting.
Aimee: Dad, I brought you some fries.
Dave: I told her not to stop in line for those, but she insisted.
Ernesto: I thank you for that! My stomach hurts, I’m so hungry.
Denise: Well, my knees hurt from that plane ride. How long is this gonna be?
Cherie: Three, four hours.
Denise: Of course it will be.
Gwen: I just want to say… my knees feel incredible.
Lynette: You don’t have to brag about it.
Gwen: At my age, it’s about the most impressive brag imaginable.
Later that night…
Victoria: Oh, that was fantastic! What a dream come true!
Cherie: Doesn’t it make you excited to go out and experience Italian culture firsthand?
Victoria: No, it makes me excited for the Olympics! They’ve got some speed skating tomorrow, I want to see that firsthand. And do we think we could make it up to Cortina to see the skiing and snowboarding?
Aimee: let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Ernesto: I think a day of letting Victoria drive to Cortina herself would be great for us. Some peace and quiet.
Victoria: Very funny.
Ernesto: I know. Even hours away, I’d still be able to hear you.
Gwen: I don’t mean to intrude, but I did want to ask Aimee when her skater friend is competing. I don’t intend on being connected at the hip with you guys the whole time we’re here, but I do want to see what she’s made of after hearing so much about her.
Lynette: You can hang out with us all you want!
Gwen: I… Lynette, I was intending on leaving them be as a family. Maybe we can have dinner a few times or something, but, you know… we did impede on a family trip.
Ernesto: No, we don’t want you guys alone in Italy. You’re free to come with us.
Cherie: Are they?
Kimmy: I don’t know, mom. I think seeing these two experience Italy will be very entertaining.
Gwen: You know, my grandparents were Italian immigrants. It was a tough life for them, as poor immigrants to America and leaving everything they knew behind, but they always told stories of Italy. I’m happy to finally be seeing Milan. I’ve visited Rome, but never Milan. So, I’m not going to be a burden to you all. I feel at hoe already.
Lynette: Is the invitation still open to me?
Ernesto: Of course!
Denise: I feel like I’ve been forgotten. Don’t worry about me, though. I’ve got two weeks to spend watching everything I can at the Olympics in person. This is fine.
Victoria: Cherie, how much of the Olympics are you planning to see? That’s the whole reason we came here!
Aimee: My intention, and I can’t speak for mom, is to spend as much time at the games as possible. How much did you guys see before we got here?
Kimmy: She wouldn’t let us go see any of the really cool stuff without you.
Aimee: Well, I want to see all the skating that I can. And, like aunt Vic, I do want to head up to Cortina d’Ampezzo to see some of those mountain sports.
Denise: I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer, but the snowboarding is in Valtellina. No, I don’t know where that is. I just read an article about it.
Aimee: So what’s in Cortina?
Denise: Uh… curling, for some reason.
Dave: Well that’s a must-see.
Denise: And the luge!
Dave: I’m still confused on how the luge is a sport. I ride in a car, that doesn’t make me an athlete.
Ernesto: They call NASCAR drivers athletes. And the lugers - is that what they’re called? - they control the thing with their bodies.
Aimee: This has been such an insightful conversation.
Cherie: Aimee, you’re right. All of these events are must-see. Why see the glory of Italy when you can watch people push rocks on ice?
Victoria: They also sweep them! Fun!
Cherie: If I wanted to watch shuffleboard, I’d go to Manuela’s retirement home.
Kimmy: The one she refuses to move back into?
Cherie: That’s the one!
Aimee: Mom, I have something else to say.
Cherie: Oh boy.
Aimee: Dave and my’s anniversary is in four days. We want to spend that night alone.
Cherie: Got it. No further comment necessary. We will take the kids back to our room after dinner.
Aimee: No… we want to go out to dinner alone.
Cherie: Why would you need to do that?
Ernesto: Use your brain…
Cherie: I did use it. We never go out for romantic dinners alone anymore, so I don’t see why they need to, either.
Victoria: Not everyone has to be miserable just because you are.
Cherie: I am not miserable!
Victoria: You’re right, you’re the picture of joy.
Cherie: I just like everything a particular way.
Aimee: If it upsets you so much, we’ll spend our anniversary with you.
Cherie: You mean it?
Dave: No! I’m putting my foot down. You’re her mother, she struggles to say no to you. I can stay it. Cherie, no! It’s one night. We’re here more than two weeks! And we’re going to enjoy the Olympics - together - and then, when it’s all over, we will go see what you want to before we head home. We have a few days once the games fizzle out before we fly home.
Aimee: Thank you for that!
Dave: Sometimes, it has to be said.
Ernesto: I’ve never been able to say it. Not in almost fifty years.
Kimmy: I have been.
Aimee: That’s because you generation’s lost the ability to respect your elders.
Kimmy: Ha! You just called mom old!
Two days later…
Aimee: Missy, that was incredible!
Missy: I can’t believe you really came!
Aimee: I wouldn’t miss it! You are a very special talent.
Ernesto: Much like Bad Bunny, who we should be watching tonight!
Kimmy: Dad, give it up.
Ernesto: No! And I said that in Spanish, just to reinforce my point!
Missy: I don’t know if it’s enough for gold. I’m relying on my team for that.
Aimee: You’re in first right now!
Missy: There’s still two more disciplines in this event. And I only came in second - out of five. I could’ve done a little better.
Gwen: I must say, kid, Aimee has a history of exaggerating.
Aimee: When?
Gwen: Often, but not this time! You’re a star! Have you considered Broadway?
Missy: I can’t say that I have.
Gwen: You’d be fantastic!
Denie: Where? In Oh, Mary!?
Gwen: No, that’s not a choreographed piece.
Denise: Well, it’s the only one I’ve seen recently.
Missy: I think I’ll stick with skating.
Aimee: Good choice! Now, go celebrate with your team. I’m so proud of you. And so happy you inspired me to take this trip. This city has everything!
Missy: I mostly just stay in the village. I can explore once I’m done with my events.
Aimee: Ah, the life of an athlete. Seems stressful.
Missy: No more stressful than being a senator!
Lynette: Honestly, not that hard of a job.
Gwen: Yeah, even she can do it!
Two days later…
Dave: Oh, Aimee. What a week this has been so far.
Aimee: It’s even better for things to finally slow down and give us a chance to just spend some time together. Especially after how damn clingy my family was today! Happy anniversary!
Dave: Happy anniversary! Do you think Victoria will keep the kids alive?
Aimee: That’s the hope.
Dave: It would be nice to have more than hope.
Aimee: I think mom will help her out. You know how she is.
Dave: Insane?
Aimee: Glad you said it. We’re talking about my very own mother, you know. Some things, you just don’t say.
Dave: But enough about them. Fourteen years! Can you believe it?
Aimee: Time flies.
Dave: What a life it’s been. Certainly not quite the life I was expecting to have.
Aimee: in a good or bad way?
Dave: In an incredible way. You continue to amaze me.
Aimee: Thank you. I continue to amaze myself.
Gwen: Oh my gosh, Aimee! What a coincidence we picked the same restaurant!
Aimee: Oh, lord.
Gwen: I feel like I’m interrupted.
Dave: You are.
Gwen: I’m… I’m gonna go find another restaurant.
Dave: They got a lot of ‘em here.
Gwen: You two enjoy your night.
Aimee: Isn’t it crazy? We fly all the way to Italy and we still can’t get a moment to ourselves to save our lives!
Dave: Sometimes I think it’s God’s plan.
Aimee: And other times, I think my mother just doesn’t believe I deserve peace.
Dave: That too.
What did you think of this episode of Evergreen Aimee? Let us know in the comments and make sure to read a new episode next week!
