Page 178 of Cruel Demands

Dima lasted another six months in the office after everything happened. Then he married Viktoriya and discovered that domestic life suited him considerably better than government administration ever had.

“Well, I might have a new excuse to miss lunch in the future.”

“And what is that, American?” she asks, looking annoyed already.

I shrug, suddenly embarrassed. “I re-enrolled in school. Nadia stopped breastfeeding last month. I figured I’ve run out of excuses.”

“You had a baby. That is not an excuse.”

“Tell that to my transcript.”

Viktoriya smiles and reaches over to rub my arm. “Well, tell your transcript to go easy on you.”

I never meant to quit. Life simply kept happening faster than I could plan around it. A pregnancy. A kidnapping. A birth. Marriage. A move that somehow became permanent.

Then Nadia needed me, and I wanted to be needed. Now she needs me differently. And I want something that belongs to the version of myself who came here before I knew Mikhail existed.

“I’m only doing part-time this semester,” I say.

“That is still doing it. What does Mikhail think?”

“He’s proud of me,” I admit, twisting my ring. “He tries not to make it sound like permission anymore.”

“That is progress.”

“Enormous progress.”

There are some people I thought would be here who are not. Anya and I never had a fight. Sometimes I wish we had. She moved to St. Petersburg not long after Nadia was born. We exchanged messages for a while. Then fewer. Birthdays. A photograph at Christmas. Once, a picture of a cat she adopted.

She never told me she could not live beside the choices I made. She didn’t have to. Some friendships end because someone does something unforgivable. Others simply reach a road one person cannot follow.

I miss her. I also understand. The restaurant door opens, and the hostess straightens immediately.

So does one of the security men near the entrance. “Governor Dobrovaa.”

I look up. Olga walks inside wearing a dark coat, two government security officers several steps behind her.

I still have not gotten used to that. Governor. Mikhail’s old title belongs to her now. She wears it better than he did. Mostly because she actually enjoys governing.

Nadia sees her before anyone can announce her properly. “Olga!” The entire restaurant hears it. The hostess looks faintly horrified. Olga does not.

Nadia escapes my father and runs directly into her legs. Olga’s expression softens instantly, and she bends to pick her up. “You are getting too big.”

Nadia answers rapidly in Russian. Olga looks at me. “She says her father is buying her a horse.”

“Well, he isn’t.”

Mikhail appears from the kitchen beside my father. “I said we would discuss it.”

“Well, unsay it.”

Mikhail approaches Olga, and for a moment, the two of them simply look at one another. Then he inclines his head. “Governor.”

Olga looks at his suit. “Restaurateur.”

I cover my mouth. Mikhail looks offended.

My father appears beside him. “Governor. Your usual?”