Anastasia was livid. She stormed into her room and slammed the door. The bed was covered with stacks of clothes and two open suitcases. One case was stuffed over the edge, and the other was only half filled. She didn't care what her father said; it wasn't his decision. She went to the chest of drawers and slammed each drawer as she searched for her makeup bag. The antique lamp that she'd bought at the County Fair teetered dangerously with each drawer slammed underneath it. She angrily pushed the items on her shelf aside, breaking her sophomore year soccer trophy.

        "Nina!" she screamed. Anastasia's footsteps thundered through the hallway. "Nina!" she repeated as she banged on her sister's bedroom door. She didn't wait for an answer; she opened the door and barged in.

        "Nina," she accused, "You took my lip gloss again, didn't you."

        The nine-year old girl sitting on the floor looked up at her fierce older sister and confessed, "Kinda."

        Anastasia ravaged the drawers of Nina's desk and extracted a pink satin makeup bag.

        "Hey," Nina protested.

        Anastasia shook the bag at Nina and said, "How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my room?" She left Nina's room, leaving the door wide open behind her. When she got back to her bedroom, she resumed stacking her clothes in the half-empty suitcase. She filled it past the brim then dropped her makeup bag on top. Leaning on top of the suitcase with all her weight, Anastasia struggled to squeeze it shut.

        Andrei knocked on the door.

        "Hey, give me a hand," Anastasia huffed to her younger brother.

        Andrei went into his sister's bedroom and stood next to her. The both of them pressed down on the suitcase, but it was no good. Anastasia sized up her brother and said, "Try sitting on it."

        The boy climbed onto the bed and sat on top of the suitcase. As soon as the lid crushed down, Anastasia locked it shut. "That's what we call teamwork," she joked.

        Andrei sat on the suitcase, looking positively dejected. "I don't want you to go," he sulked.

        "Andrei," Anastasia said, "We've been over this a dozen times. I'm going across state lines, not to the other side of the world."

        The boy sighed.

        "Look Andrei, I'm getting enough from Dad. I need you to be on my side."

        "I'm on your side," he complained, "But I still don't want you to go."

        "It's just college. I'll be back for the holidays."

        "That's a long time."

        "Yeah, it's three months," she said sarcastically. "Look, I'll call all the time, k?"

        Anastasia shut the other suitcase and looked back at her brother. "Okay?" she repeated.

        Andrei nodded and hopped back onto his feet.

        Anastasia handed him one of the suitcases and said, "Take this down to my car, and don't let Dad stop you."

        Andrei took the suitcase and Anastasia carried the other. She strung her pocketbook over her shoulder, and the two of them headed for the living room.

        "Stop right there!" Alek bellowed at the children descending the staircase.

        Andrei stopped, but Anastasia didn't hesitate for an instant. After Anastasia passed Andrei, he continued down the stairs and scurried around his mother, into the kitchen. He snuck out the side door while his father confronted his older sister.

        "I said stop!" Alek repeated.

        Anastasia shouted, "I'm not going to argue with you anymore."

        "Nastya, you will do as I say!"

        "Don't you Nastya me, Daddy!"

        "Please," Misha begged, "Can we not stop yelling?"

        "Yeah Mom, we can," Anastasia shot, "Because there's nothing to yell about- I'm leaving."

        "No you are not," Alek growled. "I forbid it."

        "Dad, I am nineteen years old; you can't forbid anything anymore."

        "Yes I can, and I say you are not to go to that school."

        "Alek, please," Misha pleaded.

        Anastasia picked up her suitcase and said, "The conversation is already over."

        Alek stood in front of the front door and said, "You do not need more education."

        Anastasia heaved her bag up to her waist and prepared to walk right through her mountainous father.

        Alek held up his hands and said, "If you must go, you will go closer to home." It was his version of a compromise.

        "Dad, there are no schools close to home. Home is the middle of nowhere. Besides, I already got accepted to Brown. Classes start in two weeks." She pushed past him and stomped down the driveway.

        Andrei was waiting by the car; he'd already loaded the suitcase into the back seat. Anastasia tossed her suitcase in and slammed the back door. Alek charged down the driveway, followed by his wife. Anastasia took her keys out of her pocketbook and opened the driver's side door.

        "Do not get in that car!" Alek commanded.

        Anastasia shot her father a fiery glance and slammed the door as she got in.

        Alek pointed his thick finger at his daughter and threatened, "Nastya, if you leave now, I will not pay once cent. Do you hear me? Not one cent!"

        Anastasia started the car and leaned against the open window with her elbow. "That's fine," she said petulantly. "I don't need any money. I have a scholarship, and a loan, and when I get there, I'll get a job. The truth is, I don't need you. You know it too, and it just kills you." Anastasia floored the gas and the car kicked up the gravel as it sped down the driveway.

        "Not one cent!" he screamed at the car as it drove off into the setting sun. Alek growled and stomped angrily back towards the front door.

        Misha put her arm on little Andrei's shoulder and said, "Do not fret Andrei, you know how they are. They will forget everything by the time your sister comes home for Thanksgiving."

 

        Christina sat up in bed, her heart pounding. Though she couldn't remember anything from her dreams, she felt the same sickening fear she'd remembered from childhood when she was frightened out of sleep by a nightmare. She looked around, forgetting for a moment where she was. When her senses returned to her and she remembered she was in her cousins' home, her breathing returned to a normal pace.

        Remembering last night's humiliations, she glanced to the other side of the bed and realized that Nina was not sleeping next to her. Getting out of bed, she stretched, then looked at herself in the mirror. It was still hard to believe that she was a girl. Turning her backside to the mirror, she lifted the bottom of her chemise, pulled her panties up, and smoothed out the back with her thumbs. Panties, though similar to her boy underwear on a conceptual level, were completely foreign. For one thing, they cradled her bottom, while boy underwear was strictly functional.

        Boy underwear came in one color, maybe two. It was there to get a job done, dammit. Panties had, for lack of a better word, personalities. The yellow, satin panties felt tantalizingly smooth. Unlike male underwear, they didn't cover her entire ass; her cheeks peeked out either side. It was all part of a show; there was no other rational explanation. These panties had a purpose in life- they were there to induce someone else to take them off.

        The blue lace panties she wore yesterday had a different personality. She remembered how she could feel the lace on her backside all day. Those were the sort of panties that you wore to feel pretty. No matter how much she tried to ignore them, the feeling of her panties on her cheeks constantly reminded her that she was wrapped in delicate lace. That was the one thing that all her panties had in common- the constant feeling that they were there.

        Male underwear blended into the background like an extra in a movie. Panties were the star of the show. Christina always knew she was wearing them, and they constantly prompted her to act like a girl. Thanks to Nina, Christina now owned a pile of panties. She'd have to burn them all when she got back home.

        Christina put her aunt's silk robe on over her yellow chemise and went into the hallway, which was filled with the muffled sound of running water. Christina stood by the bathroom door and listened. When she heard the shower stop, she knocked on the door and called, "Nina?"

        When the door opened, Christina froze when she saw Andrei, who was naked except for the towel wrapped around his waist. He was a solid mass of bulging muscle. Christina followed the trails of a dozen drops of hot water as they zigzagged down his chest to the towel. Instinctively, she looked at the sleeping dragon under the bath towel. The thing was massive even when it was limp.

        Andrei, for his part, gawked at Christina in her chemise. He savored her rosy face and her messy, slept-in hair. The tall girl had delicate shoulders and slender arms, and her slinky bedclothes did nothing to hide her impossibly long legs.

        Christina was still staring at Andrei's cock. It had to stop before it made her go blind. She kept replaying the scene from last night in her head. She could feel the weight of the tool on her belly. Oh God, did it move again? Was it just her imagination?

        As Christina took a step back, Andrei turned his head down and to the side. "I'm all done," he told her, blushing.

        Christina nodded, keeping her distance as Andrei walked back to his room in silence. Once Andrei was out of sight, Christina went down the hall and knocked on Nina's door.

        Nina called, "Come in."

        Christina opened the door and went inside. Nina was sitting in front of her mirror, fixing her hair. Christina walked up behind Nina, took the brush from the girl's hand, then took over the brushing.

        "I wish you didn't have to leave tomorrow," said Nina.

        Christina replied, "I'd love to stay longer, but I have to get back to my job."

        Nina nodded. She looked at the silver chain around Christina's neck and asked, "Can I see your necklace?"

        Christina reached behind her neck and unclasped the chain. She pulled the gear out of her chemise and placed it in Nina's hand. Nina held it and traced her finger across the teeth. She studied it and noticed two raised symbols on one of the metal faces. "What does this mean?" Christina resumed brushing her cousin's hair as she answered, "I don't know, Nina."

        Nina let the gear dangle by the chain and watched it spin in the light. "Where did you get it?"

        Christina turned Nina around, and she made some finished touches on her cousin's hair. "When I was a little girl," Christina began, "The house we were living in burned down."

        Nina nodded, remembering the story from the other day. "It must have been awful," she said.

        Christina nodded and continued, "My mother and I lost just about everything we owned. A few days after, I snuck under the yellow tape and looked through the rubble, looking for anything that was left."

        "And you found this necklace?"

        "Not quite," Christina said. "I found our old clock from the downstairs hallway. My father always said it had been in our family for a very long time."

        Nina squeezed the gear and asked, "It survived the fire?"

        "Not hardly. Most of it was all burned up, and the wood that was left over was warped from the water from the fire hoses. I took all the pieces I could find, and kept them in a box." She put the brush down and took Nina's hand in hers. She traced the teeth of the gear in Nina's palm with her finger. "I took this piece and made it into a necklace so no matter where I go, I will always have something to remember my Dad by."

        Nina nodded and held up the chain In her hands. Christina held her hair up while Nina refastened the necklace around her cousin's slender neck.

        "It's very pretty." Nina said.

        "I dunno how pretty it is, but when I feel bad, it reminds me there at least used to be someone who really loved me."

        Nina smiled at her cousin and said, "There's people right now who love you."

        Christina felt as though she was going to cry. She stood up and tightened her robe. "Come on," she grinned, "Let's get something to eat."

        The two of them headed downstairs and into the kitchen. Misha heard the girls come in and said, "Good morning, children."

        The two of them said, "Good morning," in unison. Misha, as usual, had breakfast waiting for them. When Christina had first arrived, it seemed odd that there was always food on the table, and that her family actually ate together. After only a few days, Christina was finding it hard to imagine living any other way. The women of the house sat down and enjoyed breakfast. Once the three of them were finished eating, Misha said, "It's a shame you have to leave tomorrow."

        Christina placed her hand on top of Misha's and said, "I really do wish I could stay, but I need to get to my meeting."

        "What do you want to do with your last day?" Misha asked.

        "I've been thinking about it," Christina said. "I really would like to help out at the store with Uncle Alek."

        Misha nodded. "You know, Tina, you should come back and visit when you have more time. You are always welcome."

        Christina nodded, stifling a tear. She knew that after tomorrow she could never see these people again. She didn't want to focus on that. She wanted to have one perfect day with her family before it was all over. She said, "I'll try to visit again." The noncommittal tone in her voice made her aunt sad, though Nina did not detect it.

        The three of them chatted as they had every morning, until it was time for Misha to take Nina to school. After they'd left, Christina went upstairs to take a shower. Sitting down to use the toilet no longer felt completely bizarre. After the past few days it was becoming habit. When she'd finished washing and drying her hair, She returned to the large bedroom, and shut the door. After making sure it was latched against Boris, she took off all of her clothes. Pulling out a pair of mesh, v-string panties, she slid them up her legs. She put on her waist cincher before she pulled her clean jeans out of the clothes basket, holding them in front of her in the mirror. Christina was tired of wearing skirts and dresses, but she decided not to wear her jeans. Though it felt strange, she wanted to make herself pretty for her uncle. The man seemed to like having another girl in his house, and today she was going to give that to him.

        Christina dressed herself in a long, flowing floral skirt. She picked out a simple white tank top with tiny ruffles on the breast and straps. She placed her bust enhancers in the built-in bra top and scrutinized herself in the mirror. The top exposed her chest and shoulders- the illusion mostly worked. To give her false breasts more coverage, she took her light pink, ruffled cardigan out of the closet and put it on over her top. She buttoned a few of the buttons; it covered her breasts though it left her neck and belly exposed. Christina put her hands on her hips and looked at herself from different angles. A small portion of midriff was exposed, and she hoped her Uncle wouldn't think it was too revealing. The sleeves of the cardigan only came down to her elbows. It wouldn't keep her very warm, but she was dressing to please her uncle, not for the weather. Satisfied, she stepped into her heels and grabbed her purse.

        She took her cosmetics down the hall and made up her face and hair in her cousin's mirror. She tried to remember how Steph had done her makeup in the diner. She still didn't have the hang of things, but after several attempts, she was able to make herself look passable. Christina finished her hair and spritzed her neck with perfume.

        She left Nina's room and went down to the kitchen. She searched through the cupboards and a cabinet until she found a wicker basket, then went to work making sandwiches for her uncle's lunch. As she finished each sandwich, she wrapped it in wax paper and placed them in the basket. She added some fresh fruit, some silverware, and two glasses.

        Christina noticed a vase of new spring wildflowers in the middle of the table. She took a few out and walked to the window. Using the window as a makeshift mirror, she arranged the tiny purple and yellow blossoms in her hair above her left ear. She smiled as she thought of spending the day with her uncle.

        Christina looked through the window at the old barn. Today was her day to say goodbye, and she had some loose ends to tie up. Taking her oversized jacket off of the wall, she went out the side door. Spring had finally arrived. There was still a chill in the morning air, so Christina put on the leather jacket. A field of flowers, blooming in the pale morning light, filled Christina's vision as she walked across the driveway to the old barn. She knocked on the door.

        "Who is it?" came Andrei's voice from inside.

        "It's me," Christina answered.

        Andrei opened the door, but couldn't bring himself to look Christina in the eyes.

        "Can we talk?" Christina asked.

        Andrei shuffled uncomfortably, "There's nothing to talk about."

        Christina pushed against Andrei's chest and barged through the doorway. Looking around, she saw a well stocked carpentry and metal workshop. There were a number of electric tools but most of the implements in Andrei's workshop were old fashioned, hand-powered tools.

        Christina reached out and took her cousin's hand. She had to break that physical barrier. She squeezed his giant fingers and said, "Look at me."

        Andrei did not budge.

        "Look at me." Christina said, more forcefully.

        Andrei looked down into is beautiful cousin's green eyes.

        "About last night," Christina began.

        "I-" Andrei stuttered.

        "Shhh," Christina cooed. "Listen to me." She held Andrei captive in her gaze. "It happens, okay? It's not your fault. I know what it feels like. Sometimes they have a mind of their own. It doesn't mean anything."

        "You know what it's like?" Andrei asked.

        "No," Christina stumbled, "No I don't know, not exactly. But I've had ... reactions ... kinda like that before. Everyone does."

        Andrei nodded.

        "So it's okay, right? We don't have to feel strange about it anymore."

        When they heard Misha pull up outside, Christina looked out the open door. "I would really appreciate it if you would drive me to the store?" she asked sweetly.

        "Oh sure, no problem ..." Andrei looked around uncomfortably, "I want to show you ... I mean ... Would you like to see what I'm working on?"

        "I would like that very much," she grinned.

        Still holding his cousin's hand, Andrei led her through the barn to a large mahogany desk. It was still drying, and it reeked of wood stain.

        Christina was floored by the large, curved desk. It had a classic style, like an antique from the 1940's. Christina could picture it in an upscale office. "You restored this?" she asked.

        "No," Andrei said, "This one I built myself."

        "You made this? I mean, you actually made this by hand?"

        Andrei's chest swelled with pride. "Yeah."

        "You're ..." Christina searched for the right word, "You're a genius."

        "Do you want to see more?" Andrei asked, as though he expected his cousin to decline.

        "Yes, I'd love to." Christina answered.

        Andrei took his cousin to another area of half-finished works. Each one had the makings of a masterpiece.

        Christina sat down in front of an old battered vanity that Andrei had purchased in an estate auction.

        Andrei watched as his cousin checked her hair in the broken mirror. "Do you like that one?" Andrei asked.

        Christina nodded. "I can tell it used to be very beautiful."

        Andrei pulled a thick splinter from the side of the mirror. "It will be again, someday," he bragged.

        Christina fixed the flowers in her hair and said, "All of this must be worth a fortune."

        "Perhaps," Andrei said, "But this is a small town and I don't have anywhere to sell these. I do have someone who is interested in the desk," he added, pointing back to the mahogany desk, "But we're still arguing over the final price."

        Christina stood up and walked back to the barn door. She placed her tiny hand on Andrei's shoulder and said, "I know one day you will be very successful." She waited for her cousin to put on his coat, but he just stood there with a goofy grin. "Andrei," Christina asked, "I know you are very busy, but do you think you could take me to the store now?"

        "Yeah, of course," he stammered, "Let's go."

        Christina returned to the kitchen and grabbed the basket of food she'd prepared for her uncle, then kissed Misha goodbye. She went out to the old truck, where she found both Andrei and Boris sitting in the truck, waiting for her. Christina hopped into the truck and buckled herself in. Boris lay across Christina's lap and stuck his head out the window. Christina stroked the fur on the dog's back as the truck sped away to the family grocery store.

        When they arrived in town, Andrei helped Christina out of the truck and insisted on carrying her basket. He gladly took her arm in his and escorted her into the store. Boris trotted closely behind.

        When they arrived at the store, Andrei put Christina's basket down behind the counter and Boris ran into the back room.

        Christina gave her cousin a hug saying, "Thank you so much, Andrei."

        Andrei's face went red and he stuttered, "It was no big deal."

        "Yes," Christina corrected, "It is a big deal. Now get home and get back to work." Christina grinned at him and joked, "I already stole too much of your time."

        Andrei toyed with the keys in his hands then left the grocery.

        Hearing the sound of paws on the floor, Christina looked up and saw her uncle following Boris from the back room.

        "Misha?" he called.

        Christina waved and went over to him. "Hi, Uncle Alek."

        "Hello, Christina," he beamed.

        Christina stood with her hands behind her back and presented herself to her uncle in the way that a little girl would model a new dress for her daddy. She said, "I'm going to work with you today, if you don't mind."

        "No, not at all."

        "What can I do to help?"

        "You can stay here out front and help the customers, while I restock."

        Christina looked around; there was no one in the store. "It's not really busy, can't I help you with restocking too?"

        "No," Alek dismissed. "The boxes are very heavy."

        "I'm not made of glass," Christina joked.

        "Please Tina," the older man smiled. "I can work much faster if I do not have to watch the front."

        "Okay," Christina conceded as she grabbed a broom from against the wall. "But I'm going to clean up at least, until someone comes in."

        "Good girl," Alek nodded. He disappeared into the back, leaving Christina to sweep while Boris chased the head of the broom. She should have been offended, but she felt oddly flattered. Alek was obviously overprotective of his girls. Christina was so used to no one giving a damn about her, that she didn't mind being coddled, at least for a little while.

        Christina had to abandon cleaning around noontime. People came and went; Christina even began to recognize a few of them. Doctor Stone stopped in for some rubbing alcohol and other supplies. He took time to examine the spot on her head that had been so badly bruised. Abby stopped by too, and the nervous boy from Arnold's Electronics store.

        After the midday rush died down, Christina called her uncle to the front. "Uncle Alek, can we stop for lunch? I made you some sandwiches."

        Alek smiled and said, "Yes ... Let me take care of one more thing." Alek went to the front door and put up a sign indicating that the store was temporarily closed.

        "You don't have to close the store, Uncle Alek."

        "Nonsense," Alek boomed, "My niece and I are going to sit down and eat together."

        Christina smiled as she skipped over to the basket of food. As with everything else that day, Alek brushed her hands aside and carried the basket into the back.

        Opening the basket, Christina took out a tablecloth, which she spread the cloth over the top of a large crate. She motioned for her uncle to sit and he waited patiently as his niece intricately arranged two place settings on the makeshift table. Christina arranged a platter in the middle of the table, which she covered with the sandwiches and some of the fresh fruit that she'd packed. Her uncle was a large man, but she was certain she'd prepared too much food.

        She took the two glasses over and filled them with water from the sink. Alek pulled the napkins from the basket, but Christina snatched them away after she placed the water glasses down. She shook her finger playfully at her uncle, and continued setting the table. Christina arranged two plates and folded the napkins neatly next to them. She stacked three sandwiches on her uncle's plate, then took one for herself. Once Christina was pleased with every detail, she sat opposite her uncle and the two of them began eating.

        "Uncle Alek," Christina said, "When I called last weekend, I was just looking for a place to spend the night, but you took me into your home, and I don't think I've told you just how grateful I am."

        "It was nothing," he dismissed.

         "It's not nothing," Christina beamed, "You've made me feel like part of your family. I haven't had that for very long time."

        Alek stopped eating and said, "Misha tells me you do not get along with your Mother."

        "I never told her that."

        "Ah, but your Aunt sees this. She sees everything. There are no secrets with her."

        Christina didn't want to think about what else Misha might have deduced. "My Mom and I don't really talk anymore," Christina explained. "That's not exactly true. We call each other sometimes, but we talk at each other, not with each other. I guess after my Dad died ... I dunno ... Things were different. Mom got married again, but it's not like we were a family like we used to be."

        "Tina, things change. It is just the way of life."

        "I know," Christina frowned. "It's just hard when everything used to be better, and things change, then it all gets worse. And that's when you realize, it's never going to be good again."

        Alek lifted the heavy wooden crate he had been using for a chair and placed it next to Christina. He sat down next to the girl and encircled her waist with his gigantic arm.

        Christina reluctantly leaned against the man. She tensed for a moment then exhaled. She continued, "It's like my mom decided to forget about my Dad. And she started this new life, and I wasn't a part of it. The guy she married- Danny, I don't know how she could forget about my Dad, and marry him. He doesn't even treat her right."

        "Did he not treat you well Tina?" Alek asked as he stroked the girl's hair.

        Christina answered, "It's not important."

        Alek held the girl for a long while. "Tina," Alek explained, "Sometimes we try to forget those who are lost to us, because remembering hurts too much."

        Christina sat up and looked at her uncle. "Uncle Alek," she asked, "Where's Anastasia?"

        Sadness overcame Alek's face. He said, "Anastasia is lost, just as your father."

        Christina held her uncle's hand in both of hers. She said, "I'm staying in her room, aren't I."

        Alek nodded and explained, "Anastasia was my firstborn, the first of our family in this country. She was six years old when we moved into our house. I can still remember the first time she walked in the door. She was holding Andrei's hand; they were so small then. She went straight to her room and said, 'This is the one I want.'"

        They were silent for a moment, then Christina asked, "How did she die?"

        Christina didn't know what she was asking. Alek had never told anyone the details of Anastasia's death. He was silent for a long time before he decided he would tell Christina. It could have been because she knew loss as he did. Perhaps it was because the girl sitting next to him looked so very much like his beloved Anastasia. Maybe he couldn't keep it inside anymore. It was just over five years ago that Anastasia had argued with her father for the last time.

        "Nastya and I had a fight. She wanted to go away to school, but I did not approve. I was cruel to her, Tina," he said. "I said things I did not mean. I said them because I could not bear to have her leave. She left in anger and ..." Alek stared into the distance and gravely said, "... there was an accident." Even though he had tried to forget, he remembered every moment of the night he last saw Anastasia.

 

        Even though more than an hour had passed since the Anastasia left, Alek was still angry from the argument, and he was sulking in the kitchen. Hearing the sound of the phone ringing, Misha motioned for Andrei to remain seated, and went into the living room. She picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"

        Andrei came down the stairs and watched as fear took hold of his mother's face.

        "Alek!" she cried. The man ran in from the kitchen and stared at his wife. She held the receiver out with a trembling hand and said, "The police ..."

        Andrei sat up and watched his father take the phone. The man's brow knotted in pain.

        "Are you sure it's my Nastya?" he asked. "Yes, I know where that is ... Yes ... Right away ..."

        Andrei's heart was racing. What was happening?

        Alek hung up the phone and looked at Misha. There were tears in her eyes. "I have to go right now," he said.

        Misha went to the kitchen and returned with her pocketbook. "I am coming," she insisted.

        "No," Alek said, "You must stay with the children."

        "What's going on?" Andrei cried.

        Alek looked at his son. There wear tears running down his cheeks. Alek bent down and placed his giant hands on Andrei's shoulders. "Anastasia was in a car accident."

        "Is she okay?"

        "I do not know Andrei, but I must go to her now."

        "Take me with you," Andrei insisted.

        Alek looked over his shoulder to his wife then back to his only son. "Andrei, I need you to be in charge now."

        Andrei shook his head.

        "I will bring her back," Alek promised.

        Alek grabbed the keys off the fireplace's mantle and charged out the front door. He ran though the moonlight and rushed into the truck. Alek shot down the driveway and into the dark. He followed the road out of town towards Franklin's Notch. It took him twenty minutes to reach the twisting mountain road. He sped dangerously around blind corners, searching for his daughter's car. There were flashing red lights in the distance. Alek stomped hard on the breaks and the truck screeched to a halt. He got out of the truck, not bothering to turn off the engine. As he crossed the street, his heart raced. There were three police cars and an ambulance. The aspen trees flashed red then blue in the rotating beams. Alek saw his daughter's car off in the woods; another car had struck it head on.

        "Oh God," he shuddered.

        Two police officers stood in front of him with their arms up, but he burst through them. A third asked, "Alek Levchenko?"

        "Yes. Where is my Nastya?"

        The officer's eyes were bloodshot. He put his hand on Alek's shoulder and said, "Sir, before I let you see her, you have to understand, it's is a very bad crash."

        "Let me see my daughter," he demanded.

        "Sir," the officer repeated, "Please let me explain."

        Alek turned from the police officer and went to the back of the Ambulance. He yanked the door open and saw that there was no one inside. He turned back to the police officer and begged, "Where is my baby?"

        The officer said, "Mr. Levchenko, she's still in the car."

        "Why?" Alek cried. He looked at the paramedics by the car and pleaded, "Why do they not do something?"

        The officer tightened his jaw and a tear formed under his eye. "Sir, we can't take her out without ... You need to understand, she's not coming out of the car. Do you understand what I'm telling you?"

        Alek clenched his teeth and his throat closed up. He pushed the officer aside and went to the wrecked car. The two paramedics that stood on either side of the open car door couldn't look at the man. Alek walked past them and knelt down. He looked into the car and saw Anastasia. The steering wheel was smashed into her chest. She was hunched over; her arms dangled listlessly. Alek could see that her body was broken.

        "I have come to take you home," he wept.

        Anastasia looked at her father. Her face was drained and blood drenched her long brown hair. There was still some measure of fire in her eyes. Her lips moved, but they made no sounds. Alek leaned into the wreck so that his face was merely inches away from his daughters'. Her mouth moved again, and she whispered, "Please."

        Alek stared at his daughter's perfect, green eyes. He watched as the light left those eyes forever. He fell into them, and sank to the bottom of some unknown sea. She was empty. His daughter was gone.

 

        Tears streamed down Alek's face from his puffy red eyes. "I drove her away," he insisted. "When I found her, it was already too late." Christina wrapped her arms around the man and held him. "For so long," he said, "She was in my dreams. Every time, she said, 'Please.' I tried to make myself forget. I could not lose her every night."

        Christina didn't say a word; she only held the man. Boris wandered in from the back room and sat at their feet. Eventually, Alek regained his composure and wiped away his tears. "Forgive me Tina," he said. "That was to be my burden, alone."

        Christina rested her head on the side of Alek's shoulder and placed her hand on her chest to feel her necklace. "Uncle Alek," she said, "I don't know why we have to lose people. After my Dad died, I wanted to forget, too. It was like, if I forced myself to not think about him anymore, then maybe I wouldn't remember how alone I felt. And one day, I realized that it was selfish. You know, for twelve years, I had the greatest Dad. And it's so hard not to be grateful for every day of it. He was better than I deserved, and how could I ever forget that? Now, even though he's not around anymore, he's never really gone, because I remember to be grateful, and I keep him close to my heart."

        Alek nodded. He asked, "You are just nineteen, yes?"

        "Yeah."

        "That is very wise, for nineteen."

        "Not really," Christina said as she grinned melancholically, "After nineteen years, that's the only thing I've got worked out."

        Alek leaned over and kissed his niece on the forehead.

        Christina stood up and started packing things back into the basket. When she was finished, she took her uncle by the hand and urged him to stand. "Let's get back to work- it'll be good for us."

 

        Christina dutifully worked the register until closing time. Long after the sun had set, Alek flipped the sign in the window to "closed." He turned to Christina and said, "Andrei will be here soon, and Misha has dinner already waiting for us."

        Christina felt sad as she went about the closing tasks. She busied herself wiping down the display cases and counting out the register, but all she could think was that this was her last day with her uncle. She cast about the store trying to keep herself busy. There was a stack of boxes filled with giant cans of tomato paste that Alek had brought out from the back. Christina decided to help out and put them out on the shelves. She lugged the first box out and stacked the cans on a low shelf. When she returned for the second box, Christina did not see that the cardboard was torn on the bottom. When she lifted it up to her waist, one of the cans fell through and dropped onto her right foot. She cried out in pain and dropped the box to her side. She slumped down to the floor and held her foot.

        Alek rushed out from the back and shouted, "Tina, are you alright?" He looked around and could not see her.

        "I think I'm okay," Christina called out.

        Alek sprinted around the shelves and found his niece sitting on the floor.

        "I dropped a stupid can on my foot," she complained.

        Alek asked, "Can you stand up?"

        "Yeah I think so." Christina began to stand and winced as soon as she put weight on her right foot.

        Much to Christina's surprise, Alek bent down and picked her up. He stood up straight and effortlessly held Christina to his chest, then carried her into the back room. He placed her in a chair and knelt before her. He removed the high heeled shoe from Christina's right foot and examined her foot with his large, rough hands.

        "I'm sorry Uncle Alek," Christina apologized. "The box broke and I dropped all those cans,"

        "You should not be lifting heavy things," Alek scolded. He pressed gently on her foot and asked, "Does that hurt?"

        "A little," she winced.

        "It does not look bad," Alek said as he stood. "You stay here and rest. I will finish up."

        "I probably dented all those cans," Christina frowned.

        Alek held the side of Christina's face in his palm and grinned, "Tina, I have no concern for cans."

        Christina glowed as Alek left for the front of the store. Her uncle treated her as though she was as fragile as a porcelain doll. The odd thing was, she was beginning to like it. Feeling a cold, wet nose under her hand, she smiled at Boris. She scratched his head and whispered, "I haven't said goodbye to you yet, have I?"

        Boris rested his head in Christina's lap, giving her a sad look as though he knew where this conversation was going.

        "You and I are a lot alike," she said. "On the outside you're big and scary, but really, you're just a puppy dog. I'm not what I look like on the outside either, but you already know that. When I leave tomorrow, I can't come back anymore. I would if I could, but I'm not who everyone thinks I am. I can't keep lying to them, and if they ever found out the truth, I don't think they would ever forgive me. I can't pretend to be Christina Chase anymore."

        Christina stopped when she noticed that Boris was looking towards the door. She turned her head and saw Andrei standing in the entranceway. Christina wasn't sure just how much of her confession he'd heard, but the look on his face said that he'd heard enough, and she began to tremble before her older cousin.

        Alek walked in behind his son and said, "What are we all waiting for?" He looked at his, son then to his niece. Neither of them said a word. Alek pointed at the basket on the crate and commanded, "Andrei, get Christina's basket and take it to the truck."

        Andrei glared menacingly at his cousin as he snatched the basket and left the room. Alek went over to his niece to help her up, and as he did so, could feel her arm shaking. He held her to his body and tenderly asked, "What is the matter Tina?"

        Christina found that she couldn't speak. She wanted to escape; to disappear. There was no way she could undo what had just happened. She closed her eyes and clung to her uncle, knowing that it was the last time that she would ever hold him.

        "Come, child," Alek said as he led her out of the store and to the truck. She sat between her cousin and her uncle on the ride home, too afraid to utter a word.

 

        When the truck arrived back at the Levchenko home, Boris leaped from the back and Alek helped his niece into the house. As Misha ushered them into the kitchen, she saw that Christina was visibly shaken. Nina was already at the dinner table, and Andrei sat down beside her. Alek helped Christina to sit, then they were all at the table together.

        Misha asked Christina, "What is wrong, sweetheart?"

        "I ..." Christina tried to speak but she could not manage it. She looked at Andrei in fear. His face twisted with the sting of betrayal.

        "Christina hurt her foot at the store," Alek explained as he patted Misha's arm. "It is nothing to worry about."

        Christina's shaking grew worse as she watched the anger increase in Andrei's brow. Her heart pounded in her chest.

        Andrei stood up and looked to his parents and his sister. Pointing at Christina, he said, "She is not our cousin," his voice laced with poison.

        "What has come over you?" Alek barked, "Of course Christina is our cousin."

        Andrei stormed over to Christina and yanked her to her feet by her arm. "You are not Christina Chase!" he yelled. He looked across the table to Nina, his mother, and his father.

        "She is lying to all of us," he accused. He shook the girl and shouted, "Who are you?"

        Boris growled at Andrei. The dog's ears dropped back and he exposed his teeth.

        Alek stood up so fast that his chair shot backward. He tore his son off his niece and threw him clear across the room into the refrigerator door.

        Christina held her hand over her mouth and felt as though she could not move her legs.

        Alek shouted, "Dammit Andrei! What has gotten into you?"

        "Ask her about her clothes!" Andrei screamed at his father.

        "What clothes?" Alek pleaded.

        "From the accident!"

        Misha stood up and asked, "What about them Andrei?"

        "Those aren't her clothes."

        "Of course they are," Misha said.

        "I saw her rolling those clothes in the mud outside! Her jeans-" he insisted.

        Nina looked at her cousin with scared eyes and said, "You bought jeans when we went shopping."

        Tears streamed down Christina's face as she reached her hand to the girl and cried, "Nina, I-"

        Andrei threw open the side door and grabbed Christina's dirty tennis shoes. He held them up wildly and shouted, "These are not her shoes!" He threw them at the ground and said, "She was barefoot when we found her."

        Misha looked back at her niece and whispered, "That is true."

        Christina looked pleadingly at her aunt then back at Nina. Nina did not understand what was happening, and she began to cry. It broke Christina's heart.

        Alek held Christina by the shoulders and searched her perfect green eyes for an answer. "Tina," he begged, "What are they saying?"

        Christina wiped her tears from her face and tried to regain control of her body. How could she be so stupid as to think she could fool these people? It was all over now; all she could do was show them the truth. She took a deep breath and quivered, "Uncle Alek ... everyone ... I have something to show you."

        Christina brushed her uncle's hands off her shoulders. She stood in the middle of the kitchen and took the wildflowers out of her hair. Reaching up to her chest, she slowly unfastened the buttons of her cardigan and pulled it off.

        She began to lift her top, but Alek stopped her. He placed his large, rough hand on top of Christina's chest.

        Christina was fearful, but there was no anger in the man's eyes.

        Alek lifted her necklace and held it in his hand. "Andrei," he said calmly, "There is no doubt that Christina is your cousin." Alek reached behind Christina's neck and unclasped her necklace. "Come with me," he said, "All of you."

        Christina pulled down her top and put her sweater back on. Nina ran to Christina and grabbed her hand. They all followed Alek into the living room. Christina held onto Nina's hand tightly. Her body still trembled.

        Alek stood by the wall across from the fireplace. He pointed to the clock and said, "Listen to me, everyone. Your great, great grandfather, Kiryl Levchenko, was a master craftsman." He looked to Christina and assured, "Your ancestor as well, Tina." Alek took the clock off the wall and carried it into the middle of the room so that everyone could see. "Before he died, Kiryl made five clocks, one for each of his sons. They were handed down though our family from father to son. Three of them are still in Russia. One I hold in my hands. This one however, was not the first one to travel to America."

        Christina and Nina walked closer to Alek and looked at the intricately carved clock.

        "Christina," Nina said, "Your necklace came from your father's clock."

        "Yeah," Christina muttered in disbelief, "That's why I know this." She placed her hand on the face of the clock. "I can still see ours on the wall," she continued. "I remember the chime."

        Alek looked at his son. Andrei was confused and still not convinced. "Look Andrei," Alek said. "He opened the door of the clock and pointed to two Cyrillic characters etched into the wood. Alek held the gear necklace out to his son. The raised markings on the gear were the same.

        "Do you see Andrei? Everyone? These are initials. They stand for Kiryl Levchenko."

        There was no doubt; Christina's necklace came from Alexander Chase's clock. Even Andrei was nodding his head as though the truth in his father's hands had negated everything he'd overheard.

        Alek put down the clock then walked over to Christina. He placed his enormous hands on her petite shoulders.

        "Child," he said, "Was Alexander Chase your father?"

        Christina nodded.

        "And you are our cousin, are you not?" Alek said with an assured look on his face.

        Christina softly said, "I am."

        Alek hugged her tightly and said, "There is nothing else to know."

        Alek released the girl, then reached around her neck and clasped the silver chain around it. He beckoned the entire family to sit, and he went to the master bedroom. Nina sat next to Christina and snuggled tightly against her. She wasn't sure what had just happened, but she was thankful that it was over.

        Alek returned with a box of pictures and some photo albums with yellowed pages. He spread them out over the coffee table and showed the children pictures of their ancestors, explaining how each one was related to them. Christina looked at all the distantly familiar faces. Alek progressed through the generations. At the end, he pulled out a new album and opened it. Misha took over, presenting pictures of Anastasia, Andrei, and Nina from when they were very young.

        As Alek and Misha reminisced about times long past, the man again told the story of how Anastasia picked out her room.

        It had been so long since Andrei had heard his father mention his older sister. He took a picture out of the album and held it. It was a picture of himself and Anastasia, holding hands as they entered the house for the first time.

        He rested his forehead on his hand and refused to cry. "I miss her so much," he said.

        "I do too," Alek agreed. He took the picture from his son and walked to the shelf above the fireplace. "We will always miss her, but even so, she is never truly gone." Alek took a picture of the family off of the shelf and slid the picture of Andrei and Anastasia into the corner of the frame. He placed the picture back on the shelf and said, "Not so long as we keep her in our hearts."

---

Edited into coherence by Holly H. Hart.
Hope you enjoyed it. If you liked it or hated it, please leave a tasty comment.
Krunch Away!