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Summary
Men do not cry. Ilya knows this, as much as he knows that being strong is only part of the battle ahead of him; being seen to be strong matters more. Ilya is twelve years old, and no longer a child. It has been four long, brittle days since his mother— since her accident.
The practice rink is busy, tonight. Under the stern tutelage of Coach Baranov, everyone here is fighting to justify their time on the ice. Hockey, Baranov tells them, often, is not a team sport. Hockey is an act of violence, and of endurance.
Ilya believes he is practiced at both.
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Five times Ilya loses teeth, and learns to heal a little trauma (as a treat)