Yuna Rozanov: The Anchor of Family in a Storm of Secrecy

Overview

Yuna Rozanov is introduced as Ilya’s mother in Rachel Reid’s The Long Game, the sixth book in the Game Changers series. Within the narrative, she acts as a quiet but powerful force of stability and acceptance. While Ilya and Shane navigate the immense pressures of a secret relationship, a high-profile sports career, and deep personal histories, Yuna provides a rare space where love is unconditional and identity is unquestioned. She bridges the gap between Ilya’s past—marked by loss and a difficult relationship with his father—and his present, where he is building a future with Shane. Yuna is not a central figure in every chapter, but her appearance in key domestic scenes anchors the emotional stakes of the story.

Plot Role

Yuna’s primary role is to offer a safe, normalizing environment for Ilya and Shane. In Chapter Two (the second narrative chapter of the book), she hosts dinner at the family home after the first day of Summer Showcase camp. Here, Yuna asks direct questions about the relationship’s secrecy, calling out the awkwardness when Ryan Price walks in on Ilya and Shane. She cheerfully approves of their idea to go on a double date with Ryan and his boyfriend, saying, “I love that idea” (chapter 2). Later, during the Christmas Day visit outlined in Chapter Twenty-Two, Yuna is present to exchange gifts and witness the tension between the couple, though the outline does not specify her direct response to their fight.

Her role is less about driving the plot forward and more about providing a counterbalance to the toxic hockey culture and the loneliness of the closet. She represents the possibility of a life where Ilya does not have to hide. By welcoming Shane into her home and treating him like family, she reinforces the found family theme that runs through the book.

Motivations and Traits Shown Through Actions

Yuna’s actions reveal her core motivations: protecting her son’s happiness, fostering openness, and creating a sense of normalcy. When Shane admits that his teammate J.J. “isn’t ready to hear about us,” Yuna calmly replies, “Well, neither was I, but I got over it” (chapter 2). This shows her pragmatism and her belief that acceptance is possible. She does not pressure Ilya to come out, but she gently challenges the secrecy by asking, “You don’t think you could tell the rest of the staff about your relationship?” That question reflects her desire for Ilya to live honestly.

Her supportive nature is evident in small, tangible ways: she bakes chicken for dinner, cleans up afterward, and calls Ilya her “favorite son.” She also disapproves of Ilya’s motorcycle—evidence from Chapter Nine (via the outline of Chapter Eleven) states that both Shane and Yuna “strongly disapproved of his decision to buy a motorcycle.” This maternal worry underscores her protective instinct. Yuna is not a squeaky wheel; she is a steady presence who leads by example.

Chronological Arc

Yuna’s appearances follow a natural arc from introduction to integration. In Chapter Two, she is the architect of a family dinner that forces Ilya and Shane to confront their secrecy in a low-stakes, domestic setting. She learns of the relationship (presumably off-page before this scene) and has already decided to support it. By the Christmas visit in Chapter Twenty-Two, she is an established part of Ilya’s life in Ottawa, exchanging gifts with Shane. Though she does not appear in later chapters, her influence lingers: Ilya’s desire for family and his ability to open up to Shane can be traced back to the foundation Yuna provides. Her arc is not about change—she is consistently loving—but about cementing her role as the emotional bedrock that allows Ilya to eventually consider a public life with Shane.

Relationships

With Ilya: Their bond is defined by mutual care and gentle honesty. Ilya feels comfortable enough to tease Shane in front of her, and he confides in her about his day. He admits to himself, after dinner, that he “really liked Shane’s family” (chapter 2). Yuna fills the gap left by the deaths of both parents—Ilya’s mother (from a sudden illness) and his father (from Alzheimer’s). Speaking in Russian to the sky, Ilya says to his late mother, “I hope you are proud,” connecting Yuna’s living presence with the memory of his own mother. Yuna’s acceptance helps Ilya feel that he has “parents again.”

With Shane: Yuna immediately welcomes Shane, treating him as part of the family. She calls Ryan “a big sweetie” and encourages the double date. She is not overly effusive but her actions—cooking, cleaning, joking—convey total acceptance. This relationship models the kind of unconditional support that Shane, whose own family struggles with his sexuality in earlier books, may not have fully experienced.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Yuna’s key decisions are subtle but consequential. She chooses not to judge Ilya’s relationship, even when it involves hiding. She decides to treat Shane like a son, which strengthens Ilya’s resolve to protect their bond. When she pushes the question of coming out to staff, she plants a seed that grows into Ilya’s later desire to be more open. The most significant consequence of her presence is emotional: Ilya and Shane both experience a safe space where they can be themselves. This domestic comfort stands in direct contrast to the locker room and the public eye, reinforcing the idea that family—either biological or chosen—can be a refuge.

Theme/Symbol Connections

Yuna is a living symbol of the found family theme that threads through The Long Game. In a story where the NHL environment is often toxic, and where Ilya’s childhood was marked by a cold father, Yuna demonstrates that family can be a source of unconditional support. She also connects to the sacrifice and devotion theme: her willingness to accept the relationship without drama is itself a sacrifice of any expectation of normalcy. She aligns with the mental health and depression theme indirectly—by providing stability, she helps mitigate Ilya’s loneliness and depressive tendencies (as seen in his sessions with Galina, where he admits he feels miserable when apart from Shane). Her home is a microcosm of the life Ilya and Shane hope to build openly.

Questions and Answers

How does Yuna react when she learns about Ilya and Shane’s relationship?
- Answer: Yuna reveals that she was not initially on board—“Well, neither was I,” she says of being ready to hear about the relationship—but she got over it (chapter 2). Her reaction is pragmatic: she accepts them and moves forward, asking pointed questions about secrecy while still offering full support.
What does Yuna think of the idea of a double date with Ryan and his boyfriend?
- Answer: She places her hands on Ilya’s shoulders and says, “I love that idea,” showing enthusiasm for Ilya and Shane to have other queer couple friends who know about their relationship (chapter 2).
Why does Yuna ask if Ilya and Shane could tell the rest of their staff about their relationship?
- Answer: She wants them to live more openly. Her question is gentle but direct, reflecting her belief that honesty can lead to greater freedom. It also hints at her understanding that secrecy can be a burden.
How does Yuna’s presence contrast with the toxic hockey culture depicted in the book?
- Answer: In the locker room, players face homophobia, hypermasculinity, and pressure to perform. Yuna’s kitchen represents the opposite: a place where Ilya can be soft, tease his boyfriend openly, and be called “favorite son.” She provides a counterbalance to the “old-school” attitudes of coaches like Theriault.
What does Yuna’s relationship with Ilya reveal about his character development?
- Answer: Ilya’s ability to trust, to seek domestic comfort, and to eventually consider coming out publicly is grounded in Yuna’s acceptance. He says he “never expected to have parents again.” Her stability allows him to grow from a man who felt lonely and isolated (as he tells Galina) into someone ready to build a life and a family of his own.