For The Plot// F1

Chapter 14: The Current Between Them

Catalina didn't think anything could shake her before a race — not the crowd, not the noise, not even the scouts with their clipboards. But the second she stepped off the dock and saw them — her parents standing by the barriers, and Leo waving his arms like a lunatic — her throat tightened instantly.

"Mamá... papá...?" she whispered, barely believing it.

Her mother was the first to reach her. She looked exactly the same — hair a little shorter, smile just as fierce, eyes already glossy with tears. Catalina didn't even get a word out before her mom pulled her into the kind of hug that made the world tilt.

"Cabrona, tú y tus ganas de estar fuerte! ¡Pa' eso tienes mamá!"
(You little brat, always trying to be strong! That's what you have a mother for!)

Catalina let out a broken laugh against her shoulder, the tears spilling before she could stop them. "I know, mami, I know..."

Her dad came next, tall, steady, smelling faintly of cologne and home. He wrapped his arms around her with a quiet strength that made her heart clench.

"Estoy muy orgulloso de ti, mija."
(I'm very proud of you, my daughter.)

That was it — Catalina lost it completely. She laughed through her tears, pressing her face into his chest, her body shaking from the weight of it all. Six months away from home, six months of brutal training, of heartbreak, of pretending she was fine — and now her parents were here, grounding her again.

"Gracias," she whispered. "For coming. You have no idea how much I needed this."

"Yeah, well," came a familiar voice from behind them, dry as hell, "try picking up your phone next time, stupid bitch."

Catalina turned just in time to see Leo standing there, arms crossed, grinning like the menace he was.

"Go make fucking history for our family," he said, smacking the back of her head lightly.

Catalina laughed, swatting at him. "Te odio, twink." (I hate you, twink.)

"Yeah, yeah, love you too," he said, pulling her into a hug before she could hit him again.

She squeezed him hard, burying her face into his shoulder for a moment before pulling back. "I love you, twink."

He smirked, voice softening just a little. "I know, whore. Now go win."

Coach Margaret cleared her throat a few feet away, pretending not to be emotional herself. "Alright, family reunion's over, Captain. The Sirens are waiting."

Catalina wiped her eyes quickly and nodded, straightening up. She turned back to her family one last time, memorizing them — her mom's tearful smile, her dad's proud eyes, Leo's ridiculous grin.

She raised her hand, gave them a mock salute, and grinned. "Watch me make history," she said.

Then she jogged toward the dock, braid swinging, heart thundering, ready to take everything — her pain, her love, her fury — and pour it into the race.

The starting horn split through the air like lightning.

Eight oars hit the water in perfect unison — the sound sharp, rhythmic, alive. Catalina's lungs filled with the smell of salt and cold and the faint tang of adrenaline. The roar of the crowd blurred into white noise. It was only her, her girls, the rhythm, and the race.

"Power! Drive! Eyes up!" she yelled, voice cutting through the wind. Her tone was steady, commanding — the voice of a captain who knew how to pull victory out of pain.

The Sirens moved as one. Water exploded off their blades with every pull, their bodies synchronized, the boat gliding with terrifying precision. Catalina's eyes flicked toward the next lane — the German team, the same one that had stolen gold from them last year.