Anya lifts her cup, and I notice her hands are shaking. I cover one of them with mine, steadying it.
"Remember that summer we spent at Grandmother's dacha?" I ask, keeping my voice light and nostalgic. "You were what, ten?"
"Eleven," she corrects, catching on. "You taught me to swim in the lake."
"You were terrified of the water." I smile at the memory, genuine despite everything. "Cried for an hour before you'd even put your feet in."
"Because you kept telling me there were monsters." She kicks my foot gently under the table. "You were mean."
"I was preparing you." I take a sip of tea, watching the guards from the corner of my eye. They're still listening but seem less interested in childhood stories. "Teaching you that sometimes you have to face scary things."
Anya's eyes meet mine. She understands what I'm really saying.
"You made me jump off the dock," she murmurs. "Said I had to trust you to catch me."
"And did I catch you?"
"Every time." Her voice breaks slightly. "Even when I thought I'd drown, you were always there."
"I'm here now too. Even when you can't see me. Even when it feels like you're alone. I'm catching you."
She blinks rapidly, fighting tears. "I don't want to leave you."
"I know." I set down my cup and lean closer, lowering my voice to barely above a breath. "But you have to. Tomorrow. Early. The account number is in your jewelry box, hidden in the lining of the bottom drawer. Memorize it and destroy the paper."
"Kira—"
"Promise me." I grip her hand. "Swear you'll go."
One of the guards shifts, and I immediately raise my voice. "And then you dumped that entire bucket of lake water on my head! I was furious!"
Anya catches the shift, laughing though it sounds forced. "You deserved it. You pushed me in first."
"Fair point." I pour more tea, the picture of sisterly bonding. "You always were good at revenge."
"Learned from the best." She takes a shaky sip. "When you taught me to be strong. To fight back."
“You’ve always been strong enough to do what needs to be done. Even when it's hard."
"Even when it means leaving the people I love?" Her eyes fill with tears.
"Especially then." I brush my hand across her cheek.
This is goodbye. I don’t know if I’ll ever see her again. I force down the lump in my throat.
“Time to go.” One of the guards appears beside us and grabs Anya’s arm.
“Don’t touch her!”
Anya gets to her feet. “I love you.”
“I love you.”
I stand and follow them across the room, but I’m not allowed to leave the confines of my space. I watch the guard practically drag her own the hall.
She looks back at me with tears in her eyes.
“Go,” I mouth.
