I confiscate all of them.
But I start noticing changes anyway.
Mila mentions seeing “the tall man” in the hallway. Says he smiled at her. Alexei talks about how “Mr. Luca” asked what his favorite color was when they passed each other near the library. They’re not as scared of him anymore.
And that terrifies me more than anything.
On the seventh day after the warehouse, I’m looking for Mila’s jacket when I pass the playroom. The door is partially open. I can hear the twins inside, talking and laughing.
I push the door open wider.
They’re both on the floor, completely absorbed in playing. Mila has a three-story dollhouse in front of her, complete with furniture and tiny dolls. She’s moving the figures from room to room, creating elaborate stories. Alexei is running a train on a wooden track that loops around half the playroom. The train set is massive, detailed, with bridges and tunnels, and multiple cars.
I’ve never seen either of these toys before.
“Where did you get those?” I ask.
Both twins look up, startled.
“They were in here this morning,” Mila says. “When we came to play.”
“Who put them here?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know. But they’re so pretty, Mama. Look at all the rooms!”
I step into the playroom and crouch down beside the dollhouse. It’s handcrafted and expensive. The kind of toy that belongs in a museum, not a playroom. The train set is the same. Real wood, hand-painted details, quality that will last decades.
Luca did this. Had these delivered while I was occupied elsewhere. While I thought I was watching everything.
“We can’t keep these,” I say.
Mila’s face crumples immediately. “Why not?”
“Because they’re not ours.”
“But they were in our playroom,” Alexei argues. “That means they’re for us.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“That’s not fair!” Mila’s eyes fill with tears. “I really like the dollhouse!”
“I know, baby. But we can’t keep it.”
“Why not?” Alexei stands up, fists clenched. “We didn’t do anything wrong!”
“I didn’t say you did anything wrong. But these toys aren’t appropriate.”
“What does that mean?”
How do I explain this without explaining everything? How do I tell them that the man who gave them these gifts is the same man who put a gun to someone’s head and pulled the trigger? That I can’t let them get attached to him because he’s dangerous?
“It just means we can’t keep them,” I say. “I’ll get you different toys.”
“I don’t want different toys!” Mila is crying now. “I want the dollhouse!”
“Mila, please?—”
“You’re being mean!” She grabs one of the tiny dolls and clutches it to her chest. “It’s mine!”
