in Russian too, sometimes she still does.” They all laughed, and a moment later the bags were checked, and Axelle and Zoya were free to go, and as they drove away, Simon stood watching them, waving for a long time, as in the car Nicholas asked his mother, in Russian again.
“Who was that?”
“A friend of Axelle's. He happened to be on the ship with us.”
“He seems like a nice man.” Nicholas looked unimpressed.
“He is,” Zoya said noncommittaily, and asked him how Sasha was.
“As impossible as she always is. Now she wants a dog. A wolfhound, if you please. She says they're ‘all the rage,’ and she's going to drive you crazy till she gets one. I think they're horrible. If we get anything, let's get a pug, or a boxer.”
“Who said we were going to get a dog?”
“Sasha did, and what Sasha wants, she gets.” Axelle smiled. They had switched from Russian to French, when Zoya told him not to be rude to Axelle.
“Is that so?”
“Isn't it?” Nicholas accused with a grin.
“Not all the time,” she blushed, but he was right, she was a very persistent child, and sometimes it was easier to give in to her, just to keep the peace. “Other than that, has she behaved?” He had stopped in to see her every day, Zoya knew, although he had been staying with a friend, and she was at home with a baby-sitter.
Nicholas groaned in answer. “Yesterday she had a fit when I said she couldn't go to the movies with a friend. But she hadn't done her homework yet, and it was too late anyway. I'm sure she'll tell you about that the minute you walk in.”
“Welcome home,” Axelle smiled, and Zoya laughed. She had missed them a great deal, but she knew she was going to miss Simon now too, and he had been so sweet to Nicholas when they met.
“Your friend seemed nice,” he said politely to Axelle on the way home.
“I think so too.” She looked pointedly at Zoya as the boy chattered on, and she silently hoped that Zoya would see Simon again once they were home.
Soon after she arrived home a huge bouquet of roses was delivered. The card said only, “Don't forget, Love, S.” and she blushed as she tucked the card into her desk, and turned her attention to her daughter, who, as predicted, was complaining furiously about her brother.
“I've just gotten home, give me a minute to adjust!” Zoya laughed.
“Can we get a dog?” Nicholas had been right. The demands were endless in the first two hours, and she was scarcely mollified by the new red dress. But Nicholas was thrilled with his watch, and the clothes and the new books. He threw his arms around her neck and kissed her warmly on the cheek.
“Welcome home, Mama”
“I love you, sweetheart … and you too,” she pulled Sasha into the circle of her arms also.
“What about the dog?” Sasha inquired as her mother laughed.
“We'll see, Sasha … we'll see …” The phone spared her then, and she went to answer it. It was Simon, and she thanked him for the roses as she laughed at Nicholas and Sasha arguing about the mythical wolfhound.
“Do you miss me yet?”
“Very much. I think I need a referee here.”
“Excellent. I'll apply for the job. How about dinner tomorrow night?”
“How about a dog?” she laughed and he sounded confused, he could hear the excitement at the other end.
“You want to eat a dog?”
“That's a nice thought,” she laughed again, suddenly missing him more than she thought she would.
“I'll pick you up at eight o'clock.” But she panicked as she thought about it. What would the children say? What would Nicholas think? She wanted to call him back and tell him she'd changed her mind, but even after they went to bed, she couldn't bring herself to do it.
He appeared promptly at eight o'clock the following night, and rang the bell, just as Zoya came out of her room. The apartment was small, but simple and elegant. They had very few things, but nowadays what they had was good. He stood in the doorway looking larger than life, and as she ushered him inside, she saw Sasha staring at him.
“Who's that?” Sasha inquired, making her mother furious that she was so rude. Nicholas was right about her.
“This is Mr. Hirsch, may I present my daughter, Alexandra?”
“How do you do?” He shook her hand solemnly and with that Nicholas wandered in.
“Oh hello … how are you?” He