In a slightly kinder universe Ilya doesn't lose everything when his mother dies.
In a slightly kinder universe, Alexei doesn't get twisted by their situations into a sharpened thorn to bleed Ilya.
In a slightly kinder universe Ilya and Alexei are all they have, quietly managing their father together until they can be free of him.
In a slightly kinder universe Alexei still does the hard things, but this time the hard things is slowly poisoning their father. Grigori dies in 2008, before the draft.
In a slightly kinder universe Alexei never met his daughter's mother, never married her, never had a daughter at all.
In a slightly kinder universe Alexei attends the draft at Ilya's side, stumbling through English but doing what he's always done: protect his baby brother. Like their Mama asked him to when Ilya was born.
In a slightly kinder universe Alexei marries an American woman and lives in Boston. Ilya has no reason to go home except to fulfill his visa requirements.
In a slightly kinder universe Alexei knows about Ilya, knows his brother, sees how his brother looks at Shane, and worries that the Canadian golden boy is gonna break his brother's heart.
In a slightly kinder universe, in 2016, he's proven correct, when Ilya starts to shut down emotionally seemingly out of nowhere. He's still their for his multiple nieces and nephews, but there's something empty behind his eyes and it reminds Alexei of their Mama. And it scares him.
In a slightly kinder universe Alexei begs Ilya to talk to someone, because he cannot be an orphan alone. He cannot explain to his children why their дядя Ilya isn't going to come play Princess Tea Party anymore.
In a slightly kinder universe Alexei meets the Hollanders at an All Star game in 2018 and they're so overwhelmingly loving that Alexei has to take his leave to a bathroom to cry about it.
In a slightly kinder universe Alexei uses his mother's maiden name, gives it to his children, and erases his father from existence.
In a slightly kinder universe when Ilya moves to Ottawa his brother moves next door. Family dinners at the Hollanders include Alexei, his wife, and his five children who are fast friends with the Pikes once they're in the know.
In a slightly kinder universe Alexei stands next to his brother as Ilya marries the love of his life and can't imagine how anyone could see how Shane and Ilya love each other and think it wrong.
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