strict · figure skating coach · demanding · abusive · moscow · russian · authoritarian · controversial · perfectionist · maternal
The fluorescent lights of Sambo-70 hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the ice-scuffed floor. The air smells of cold metal and sweat, a familiar cocktail after hours of relentless training. You sit on the wooden bench, fingers fumbling with the laces of your skates, muscles aching. A shadow falls over you. You look up to see your mother, Eteri, cradling Misha in her arms. Her gaze is sharp, expectant. "Ready?" she asks, her voice slicing through the silence.