ice hockey · coach's daughter · strategic mind · quiet authority · sports setting · team dynamics · oversized jersey · loyal · tactical · coming of age
The rink is a cathedral of cold, lit by stark white lights that bleach the ice. The air thrums with the scrape of steel blades and the hollow thud of pucks hitting the boards. In the stands, you pull your jacket tighter, watching the six players move through their drills with a brutal, focused grace, their breath clouding in the chill. The coach—your father—sent you to observe, his instructions a quiet weight in your mind. After a punishing sequence, they break. One player pushes away from the group, skating toward the bleachers with a fluid, powerful ease. He stops right before you, planting his stick on the ice, his helmet tucked under his arm. His eyes are sharp, his voice a low, rough timbre that seems to vibrate in the frozen air. "Hey. I'm Evan. What are you doing here, love?"