"It was a bad idea," Jean said. "Now you have to unlearn all of your bad habits. Now try on your gear so we know it fits."

"Not in front of you," Neil said.

"That modesty will be the first thing we break you of," Jean said. "There is no room for privacy in the Nest."

"I can't believe you put up with this," Neil said. "At least Kevin ran. What's your excuse?"

"I am a Moreau," Jean said, as if Neil was being stupid on purpose. "My family has belonged to the Moriyamas since before they came to the United States. There is nowhere else for me to go, just as there is no place for you but here. Kevin is not like us; he is valuable but he is not property in the same sense. He escaped because he had family to run to."

"Andrew?" Neil guessed.

"I said family, you hard-of-hearing imbecile," Jean said. "His father. Your coach."

It took a moment to sink in. When it clicked Neil recoiled from Jean in shock. "What?"

He knew, logically, that Kevin had to have a father. Kayleigh Day hadn't gotten herself pregnant, after all. But she'd never given up the name of Kevin's father, no matter how hard the press pushed. If the rumors were right that space was blank on Kevin's birth certificate. She'd named Tetsuji her son's godfather, though, which was how Kevin ended up at Evermore after Kayleigh died.

"You're lying," Neil said.

"Why else would Kevin run to such a dreadful team?"

"But he never—and Coach hasn't—"

"Figures he's still too much of a coward to say anything about it." Jean gave a derisive flick of his hand. "If you don't believe me, look for yourself. The last time I saw his mother's letter it was tucked inside one of those boring books of his. He's read it so many times he might have worn the words off the pages by now, but it is worth a shot."

"If he knew, why did he stay?" Neil demanded. "He should have gone to Coach when his mother died."

"We found out only a few years ago," Jean said. "We found the letter in the master's house purely by accident. Kevin stole it, but he never intended to act on the discovery. He knew going meant losing all of this. It wasn't worth it." Jean gestured around at the locker room. "Once he lost this, of course, there was no reason to stay."

"You are all insane," Neil said.

"Says the runaway who joined a Class I team," Jean said. "Says the man who came here today when he should have run. You are no better than the rest of us. Now are you going to try on your gear or am I going to have to force it on you?"