Chapter Text
“Hey, Rini! Nice game last night!”
Irina “Rini” Hollander-Rosanov smiled as she opened her lunchbox. “Thanks!”
Steve, one of the guys on her co-ed hockey team, leaned over. “Whatcha got today?”
“Miso ramen,” she said excitedly, pushing it toward him.
He groaned. “Your dad always packs you the coolest stuff. My mom just sends PB&J.”
“Well, he is half-Japanese.” She said pointedly.
“Really?” a newer kid she didn’t know very well, Leon, piped up. “My grandma is Japanese. Can you speak any?”
Rini shrugged. “Not really but my papa is Russian. I know it pretty well.”
“Say something in Russian, Rin!” Steve demanded.
Rini rolled her eyes but when she spoke a wicked grin was on her face. “Perhot’ podzalupnaya.”
“Is that the peehole dandruff one?” Steve asked, grinning.
“Maybe.” She snickered.
Leon frowned. “I thought you said your dad was half-Japanese?”
Lucy, her best friend since first grade, shook her head. “She has one Russian dad and one half-Japanese dad.”
“Didn’t you know? Her last name is Hollander-Rosanov. Her dads are literally two of the best guys to ever be in the NHL,” Steve said with a sparkle in his eye. He’d met her dads since she joined the team and still looked starstruck whenever he saw them. He nearly passed out when he finally got the courage to ask them to sign a jersey.
The new kid’s eyebrows shot up. “Holy crap! Those guys are your dads?”
“Yeah.” Rini grinned. She was proud to be their daughter and adored her parents. She was reminded of it when she stared at her lunchbox.
Dad packed her lunch. Papa always left a doodle of a silly character hidden somewhere inside.
Was she getting too old? Maybe. But no one else’s dads did this for them.
“So, are you like adopted or did they do the sperm donor thing?” Leon asked.
Rini snorted out a laugh. “The sperm thing?”
He went red and he smiled sheepishly. “You know. Like one is your real dad and they used a donor egg.”
“They’re both my real dad, but I was adopted.” Rini had told this story countless times so it was no big deal to her. “My mom was sixteen when she had me. She obviously wasn’t ready to be a mom. My bio dad was MIA. She picked my dads’ profile with an adoption agency.”
It had sounded so easy when she summarized it, but she knew how much more nuanced it was than that.
They’d always been up front about her adoption, how they’d tried to adopt for two years but things kept falling through. How twice a child had been ready but then the parents would back out. Once they nearly got scammed.
Her bio mom didn’t even know they were famous when she picked their profile. She was too young and not a hockey fan. She just said she thought they seemed friendly in their pictures.
“I still see my mom a few times a year.” Rini added. “She’s cool. Usually we text a few times a week.”
Her biological father was the only one who hadn’t been interested in her, but that was fine with her. She already had two dads.
“Wow.” Leon sighed, awestruck. “What’s it like having famous parents?”
Rini shrugged. “Normal. They sign autographs or get pictures with people sometimes.”
It used to be worse. Apparently, her fathers had been hockey rivals on different teams. They shocked everyone when they got together, got married, and started playing on the same team.
When she was really little people would try to snap pictures of her. She was the baby of the famed hockey rivals turned lovers, and everyone wanted to see her. Once, shortly after they’d first brought her home, someone had tried to lift the cover off her carrier to snap a picture. Grandma had told her that her dads had gone absolutely nuclear. Luckily, it had eased up as she’d gotten older.
“Rini,” Lucy leaned over. “Heather is coming.”
Rini turned to see Heather waving around the tables towards her, her face curled into a nasty smile.
She groaned and rolled her eyes. Heather Madison had been mean since they were six, and for some reason she always had her sights set on her.
Heather approached, eyes narrowed. “Hi, Hollander. Or is it Rosanov?”
Rini gritted her teeth. “It’s both, Madison. You know that.”
Heather ignored her, peering over Rini’s shoulder. “Ew. What is that?”
“My lunch.” Rini said, trying to ignore her. She was having a good day, and she wouldn’t let her ruin it. She scored two goals last night, aced a test, and she even smacked Heather with a dodgeball in gym.
Which was probably why she was over here.
“It looks like gross Chinese food.”
“Well, it’s Japanese and it’s good.” Lucy chimed in. “Leave us alone.”
“Oh my God.” Heather leaned in closer and pointed. “Is that a note? Do your daddies still pack your lunch and put notes in there?”
Rini’s cheeks went red, fighting the urge to slam her lunchbox shut. “Yeah. So what?”
“Are you five?” She sneered. “That’s so embarrassing.”
“It’s embarrassing my dads love me? That’s dumb.”
“It is embarrassing. Wanna know why?”
“Not really.” Rini snapped.
But then Heather leaned closer and she hissed something in Rini’s face that made her entire body go numb.
Her stomach twisted. Her fists clenched. Her heart pounded so hard she thought everyone could hear it. Someone at her table gasped. The cafeteria noise faded into a dull hum.
Then, before she could think twice, Rini lunged. Her fists slammed into Heather’s face.
“Take it back!” she shouted. She was on top of her, her fist slamming down again. “Сука!”
Strong arms grabbed her from behind, hauling her upright. “That’s enough!” A teacher yelled.
Rini froze, her chest heaving. She looked at Heather—blood pouring from her nose, wailing—and then at the other students staring. Her hands were still shaking, but the anger was already fading, replaced by a hollow ache. And suddenly, without warning, she burst into tears.
***
That was how she ended up in Principal Gray’s office for the first time in her entire life.
Her dads were facing her principal while she sat in a chair off the side, miserable. She glanced up at them but then immediately wished she hadn’t.
Rini knew she was in serious trouble, because Dad had that look on his face.
His Tiger Dad face.
His eyes were narrowed, shoulders squared, lips pinched tight. She knew him well enough to know that he was mad and in management mode.
Papa, meanwhile, looked more confused than angry.
“Rini hit someone?” he clarified. “Our Irina?”
She did. And she’d do it again.
Principal Gray’s brows knitted together, her lips pulled into a frown. “I was shocked as well. Rini is usually a model student.”
“What happened?” Dad snapped.
“We were told Rini attacked another student in the cafeteria today. Black eye, busted nose, and a chipped tooth.”
“You chipped a tooth?” Papa asked, eyebrows shooting up. He almost looked proud. Usually, fighting was of little concern to him. He was the one who’d taught her how to punch.
For the boys, he’d said.
“Yes. The student’s parents are furious and wanted to press charges.”
Charges? Like jail?
Rini felt like she was going to puke. A glance at her fathers told her they felt the same way.
“They want to press charges? For a fight at school?” Dad balked. “Are you kidding me?”
Principal Gray nodded. “Yes. And based on Heather’s injuries, they have a right to.”
Papa went rigid. “Shane. Call the lawyer.”
The principal grimaced, “Sir-“
“My docha is not going to jail.” Papa declared. “Shane. Lawyer.”
“Certainly we can work something out,” Dad said, voice clipped. “They’re in eighth grade, for God’s sake. That seems excessive.”
Principal Gray nodded. “Precisely what I said. After I spoke with them, they were content with suspension-“
Dad’s jaw ticked. “Suspension?”
“Yes, two weeks. And a verbal apology from Rini.”
“You want me to apologize?”
All three heads snapped toward her.
“If you don’t want this to escalate, that’s my suggestion,” the principal replied, her voice firm.
“But she said—”
“It doesn’t matter what she said!” Dad hissed, and Rini felt like she’d been slapped. He turned back to Gray. “She’ll apologize.”
“No. I won’t,” Rini argued. She’d sooner get expelled.
“Irina.” Dad snapped. “Do you know what happens if you’re found guilty? You can go to juvenile hall. It’s on your record.”
“Well, what about Heather?” Rini asked, voice shaking. “Is she in trouble after what she said?”
“Irina, an insult doesn’t mean you can attack someone.” Gray chided her.
“An insult?” She gaped at them. That’s all that was?
“What did she say to you, docha?” Papa asked gently.
“Ilya,” Dad warned.
Papa’s jaw ticked. “I want to know what that girl said. Rini has never acted this way. There must be a reason.” He turned towards Rini. “Docha. Rasskazhi mne, chto proizoshlo.”
She opened her mouth to answer, but then Dad muttered something in Russian into Papa’s ear, so low Rini couldn’t make out a word. Papa looked upset, but reluctantly conceded.
Dad turned back to her, face hard. “Irina. You will apologize. End of discussion.”
“Dad!”
“End. Of. Discussion.”
The fact that Dad wasn’t even trying to hear her side made her blood boil. If only he knew why she’d decked Heather in the face. He wouldn’t make her apologize then.
Right?
“Great,” Principal Gray said. “They’re right outside.”
Now? She had to do it now?
She shot a pleading look at her fathers. Neither one met her eyes, and she was hit with a sinking realization.
No one was on her side.
Tears stung her eyes. Not because she was in trouble, but because she was about to apologize to the person who’d said awful things.
About them. Her dads.
And they were the ones making her do it.
It wasn’t fair.
Heather walked in, flanked by her parents, looking worse for wear. Rini might have felt satisfied if not for the apology.
“You’re lucky we’re not pressing charges,” Heather’s father growled.
Dad stood stiffly. “I apologize. We’ll cover the cost of fixing the tooth.”
“Damn right you will,” he snapped. “And you’ll pay if we need to fix Heather’s nose. Your little delinquent may have broken that too.”
Papa’s eyes flashed. He opened his mouth—then shut it. A vein bulged in his temple.
“We’ll take care of it,” Dad promised, voice tight.
“Good.” Heather’s father’s gaze slid to her, his lips pulled into a sneer. “Well? Where’s the apology?”
Rini looked towards her dads again to please not make her do this. They were looking away.
She considered screaming exactly what Heather had said in the office, but she wondered if it even mattered. If anyone even cared.
So Rini stood, legs shaking, like she was walking to an execution. She crossed the room toward Heather, who somehow still managed to look smug beneath the bruises.
“Go on,” Heather’s father barked. “Let’s hear it.”
Rini swallowed. It felt like glass.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
Heather’s face twisted, feigning distress. “She’s not even sorry!”
No. She wasn’t. Not at all.
“She has one chance,” Heather’s father warned. “Or we’re pressing charges. You want that, girl?”
“You watch your tone when you speak to her.” Papa spat out.
“My tone? Your kid—“
“Sirs.” Principal Gray said sharply. “Emotions are running high. Let’s give Irina a moment, please, then be done with this.”
“Irina Hollander-Rosanov,” Dad said quietly, a low warning in his voice.
She didn’t want to do this. But she didn’t have a choice.
Rini took a shaky breath, tears threatening.
“Heather,” she said, voice trembling as she looked at her bruised face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have hit you. I was...” she swallowed “…wrong.”
She hated herself for every word.
A beat passed. She prayed it was enough.
“It’s because you’re jealous of me,” Heather said haughtily. “I feel bad for you, you know. So embarrassing.”
Embarrassing.
Her words from the cafeteria crashed into her, and Rini wanted to hit her again.
Heather’s father grunted in satisfaction. “That’ll do, then.” He turned to her fathers with a sneer. “Keep that kid in line. Next time we won’t be so forgiving.”
Papa shot to his feet, chair skidding back. He snapped something in Russian, something Rini knew she was never supposed to repeat.
“She apologized,” Dad said tightly, gripping Papa’s arm. His eyes were on Heather’s dad. “So let’s leave it at that.”
Rini felt sick.
She’d always done everything right. Straight A’s. Captain of her hockey team. She’d always been a good daughter. She’d even gotten into this fight defending her fathers from Heather.
And it didn’t matter. None of it.
No one was on her side.
***
The car ride home was silent, the tension so thick Rini felt like she could choke on it. They didn’t even have the radio on. As the car went on her resentment grew.
They’d feel bad once they knew the reason she did it. She just knew it.
The moment they stepped inside the house, Dad exploded.
“What was that, Irina? A fistfight? You know better!”
“She started it!”
“It doesn’t matter! They could have pressed charges! Do you have any idea what that would’ve done to your future?”
“She said you—” Rini tried, but Dad held up a hand.
“You’re grounded. I don’t know how long yet, but you’re grounded. No laptop, no hockey—“
Rini’s mouth fell open. “Are you serious?”
“Shane.” Papa’s voice was hard. “Hockey? Really?”
“As a heart attack.” He said evenly.
“Dad! I’m already suspended! Now I’ll have to miss hockey too?” She cried. “It’s not fair!”
“You’re lucky you weren’t expelled!” Dad pinched the skin between his eyes. “You don’t understand. One bad decision can follow you forever.”
“You don’t know what she said! You’re not listening to me!”
“Irina, it doesn’t matter what she said!” Dad threw his hands up. “You have to look the other way! Tell a teacher! Ignore her! Anything else!”
“So I should just let people say whatever they want?”
“No, you don’t.” Papa said firmly.
“That’s what Dad’s saying! I guess I’ll just shut up from now on!”
“He’s not saying that—“ Papa started before Dad cut him off.
“Watch your tone, Irina.” He warned, eyes boring into hers.
Rini glared back at him, lips trembling. Before she could stop them, the words slipped out of her. “I hate you.”
For one long, awful moment, Dad looked like she’d slapped him. But then his jaw set, and he exhaled through his nose.
“Stop. This is too far,” Papa half-shouted. “Irina, you do not mean to say that. Shane, stop. I want to hear what that girl said.”
Rini shook her head, tears finally spilling over. “No. It’s like Dad says. It doesn’t matter.”
“It does, docha.”
“No! Apparently all anyone cares about is how Heather feels! No one cares what she said, or that I had to apologize when she started it! You know what? I’m glad I hit her! She deserved it! If she were here, I’d hit her again!”
“Tell us what she said,” Papa pleaded.
Ignoring him, Rini spun on her heel and stormed to her room.
“Irina!” Dad shouted. “We’re not done talking, young lady!”
“Well, no one’s listening, so I am!” she yelled back, slamming the door hard enough to rattle the walls.
Rini threw herself onto her bed, covering her face with her pillow as she screamed frustration.
Screw Heather and her dad. Screw Principal Gray. Screw Dad for not listening and Papa for not trying harder.
She could hear her dads arguing outside. Rini rolled over onto her back, the pillow still on her face, tears leaking out of her eyes and onto the comforter. She was sad. Angry. Embarrassed. Everyone saw her punch Heather and cry. She was suspended. She was letting her hockey team down. Everything felt so big, so bad.
She didn’t know how long she laid there until there was a knock at her door.
“Rini?” Papa asked softly. “Can I come in?”
“Just leave me alone.” She replied, voice thick.
There was a loaded pause. “Okay.” He said, sounding sad. “Take your time. We are waiting.”
Rini shook her head. They could wait forever. She was never coming out of this room again.
***
That night, Shane lay beside Ilya, guilt weighing heavy in his chest.
Irina hadn’t come out for dinner. She’d stayed in her room. Ilya had knocked several times, but she’d only answered with short, tearful replies.
His knock hadn’t been warranted a response.
I hate you.
She didn’t mean it. She was thirteen. But it still hurt.
Shane knew he’d handled everything wrong. And judging by how cool Ilya was beside him, he knew Ilya thought so too.
Shane winced. Taking away hockey? Where the hell had that come from?
He’d just been scared. When they’d mentioned pressing charges, he’d wanted it to go away. To make it stop. Rini’s future was so bright. She was so smart. A hell of a skater. She could be anything she wanted.
A middle school suspension could be forgotten. Criminal charges were another animal.
“Are you mad at me too?” Shane asked softly.
“No.” Ilya sighed in the dark. “Fine. A little.”
“You think I was too harsh?”
“I think I want to kill that fucking guy. Getting snappy with my Rini.” He grumbled.
Shane swallowed a knot of anger in his throat. He’d dug his nails into his palms to keep himself from reaching over and throttling that guy.
“We should have listened to her side.” Ilya said sadly.
“Yeah.”
“I know Rini. She would not hit someone without reason. She wasn’t given a chance to explain.”
Shane shut his eyes. That part was his fault, and he’d agonized over it all evening. “I know.”
“Did you see that smug little shit?” Illya seethed. “I’d smack her too.”
“You can’t say that, Ilya.”
Ilya rolled over and propped himself up on his elbow. “Come on. No part of you was proud? That Rini can kick ass?”
Shane huffed a laugh. “Of course. But she needs to keep it on the ice.”
A heavy silence stretched between them.
“Something made her do it.” Illya paused. “I think it was us.”
“What?”
“Think, Shane. What else would upset Rini like that? And that father—” Ilya’s voice sharpened. “The way he was staring at us. Tell me you saw that.”
“Our kid hit his. Maybe he was just—”
“No,” Ilya cut in. “It wasn’t that. You know the look. It was us.”
Shane swallowed. “Maybe… but—”
“I feel sick,” Ilya said suddenly. “That man speaking like that to my baby. And I just sat there. I am ashamed.”
“Ilya,” Shane whispered, turning toward him. “She had to apologize or they would’ve pressed charges.”
“So?” Ilya snapped. “We have money for lawyer. Good one.”
“But—”
“Your mother would have fixed this in one hour.”
“Probably,” Shane admitted softly.
Ilya rolled back over and covered his face. “What if she had a good reason, Shane? We are supposed to protect her. We didn’t listen. Now she thinks we are against her.”
I hate you.
Shane’s throat tightened. Ever since they had Irina, the only thing he’d ever wanted to be the best at—besides hockey—was being a dad.
Tonight felt like a failure.
“She hates me.” He choked out.
“She does not. She’s mad.”
“I was just scared,” he admitted. “I just wanted it to be done with.”
“I think she was scared too,” Ilya said. “She kept looking at us.”
Shane pressed his fists to his eyes. His throat bobbed. When he spoke his voice sounded raw. “I wasn’t a good dad today.”
“I wasn’t either.”
“That’s not true. You tried to listen,” Shane said. “You tried to defend her. I wouldn’t even entertain it.”
Ilya reached for his hand. “It’s okay. You are the best dad most days.”
Shane swallowed a lump in his throat and rolled over towards Ilya. He threw his arm around his middle and rested his cheek against his shoulder.
He felt Ilya’s lips in his hair. “It’s okay. You love her. She knows that.”
“I hope so.” Shane said miserably.
“She does. Tomorrow we tell her we are sorry. We listen. We go from there.”
***
The next morning, Rini was still in bed. Which meant she was still avoiding them.
They decided to leave her alone for now, but if she didn’t come out by lunch they were going to get her.
Shane was sitting on the couch when his phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Mr. Hollander-Rosanov? This is Principal Gray.”
His stomach dropped. God, he hoped that family wasn’t changing their minds.
“Good morning.”
“Sorry to bother you, but we’ve had an…interesting development regarding what happened yesterday.”
Shane swallowed. “Okay.”
Her voice was careful, measured. “A few students came forward. According to them, Heather Madison goaded Irina into the fight. She said some…hurtful things.”
“Hurtful?”
Gray hesitated. “She used several homophobic slurs. In reference to you and your husband.”
Shane felt like his skin was too tight. Guilt surged, hot and sharp.
Ilya had been right. Rini had been defending them and he hadn’t even listened.
“Sir?”
“I’m still here.” He coughed. “What exactly did she say?”
“I… It’s enough that it changes things slightly. While we maintain a zero-tolerance policy for violence, we do as well for hate speech. Heather Madison is also being suspended. We’re shortening Rini’s suspension to one week.”
“That’s… good.”
“I’d also like to apologize. For making Rini apologize without all the facts. I’ll do so in person, but I wanted to let you know.”
Get in line, he thought sadly. Instead he said, “Thank you.”
“Despite everything that’s happened, I want you to know that she’s a really great kid. I can’t stress that enough. You and your husband should be very proud.”
Shane blinked hard. “We are. We really are.”
He hung up, chest aching.
God. How was he going to fix this?
Shane stood still for a long moment after the call ended, phone still pressed to his ear.
Ilya was watching him, eyes sharp. “What happened?”
Shane swallowed and set the phone down. “That was the principal. She says Heather egged Rini on by saying things about us. The other kids confirmed it.”
“What things?”
“The words she used were ‘homophobic slurs’, whatever the hell that means.” His voice cracked. “Rini was defending us. You were right.”
Ilya’s face drained of color. “I knew it.”
Guilt hit Shane so hard he had to brace a hand on the counter. “They’re shortening her suspension to a week and suspending Heather as well. The principal apologized. I… Ilya I really messed up.”
“I’m getting Rini.” Then, without another word, he turned and headed down the hall.
Shane followed a few steps behind, his chest tight.
They’d—he’d—apologize. Let Rini be mad at him. Tell her that he’d failed but he’ll do better next time.
Ilya knocked once on Rini’s door. “Rini?”
No answer.
He tried the handle.
The door swung open.
The room was empty.