“Yes.”
He nods slowly. Accepting it the way children do when they realize arguing won’t change anything.
“Can we bring our toys?” Mila asks.
“All of them. We’ll pack everything you want.”
That seems to help. Mila climbs out of bed and starts gathering her stuffed animals. Alexei goes to his toy box and begins pulling out cars and action figures.
I grab suitcases from the hallway closet and start packing their clothes. Everything they own fits into three bags. Four years of their lives condensed into luggage I can carry.
My mother appears in the doorway. “Do you need help?”
“No.”
She hovers anyway. “Anna, please. Don’t leave like this.”
“How should I leave? Grateful?”
“At least civil. For the twins’ sake.”
I zip up one of the suitcases harder than necessary. “The twins will be fine.”
“Will you?”
I don’t answer. Just keep packing.
My mother steps into the room. “Luca is a good man. Difficult, yes. Demanding. But he keeps his word. If he says he’ll protect you and the children, he will.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I know men like him. They value control, order, and loyalty. Give him those things, and he’ll give you security in return.”
“I don’t want to give him anything.”
“Then you’ll make this harder than it needs to be.” She kneels beside Mila, who’s clutching a stuffed rabbit. “You’re going to love your new house, sweetheart. It’s very big, with lots of rooms to explore.”
Mila looks at me, uncertain. I nod, and she turns back to my mother. “Will you visit?”
“Of course. Whenever your mama says it’s okay.”
“Can Grandpa come too?”
My mother’s smile falters. “Yes. Grandpa too.”
I finish packing and carry the bags downstairs. My father is still in the living room, on his third drink now. He doesn’t look at me as I pass.
The car Luca sent arrives at eleven. A black sedan with a driver who doesn’t speak, just loads our bags into the trunk. I buckle the twins into their car seats in the backseat, climb in beside them, and we pull away from the only home they’ve ever known.
Mila presses her face against the window, watching the house disappear. Alexei holds my hand tight. “Is the new house far?” he asks.
“About twenty minutes.”
“Will we have our own rooms?”
“Yes. Your own rooms with new beds and new toys.”
“I want to share with Mila.”
