Chapter 16 Russia
ANNA'S POV
It’s been five years since I came to Russia. When I first arrived, I stayed indoors for almost a whole week, maybe even longer, just trying to get used to everything. The air felt different, the way people spoke, the cold breeze that clung to my skin every morning, it was all strange to me. I planned to stay inside for a while, partly because I didn’t really know their language here. Every time someone spoke to me, I had to guess what they were saying from their expressions or gestures. It was exhausting, but I told myself I’d get better with time.
After a while, my brother Daniel started helping me understand a little about Russian. He’d been here much longer than I had, and unlike me, he fit right in. He was already a known athlete here in Russia everyone seemed to know his name. He had this confidence in him that made people listen when he spoke, something I admired deeply.
I haven’t met my sister yet because she didn’t follow us when we first came. She wasn’t here in Russia. Mom said she was still doing her master’s and would be done this month, so I’m guessing I’ll finally meet her soon. Sometimes I think about what she might be like. Mom always described her as smart and focused, someone who didn’t let distractions get in her way. I wonder if she’ll like me.
The heavy doors to the living room opened suddenly, breaking through my thoughts. The quiet sound of pages turning from the book I’d been pretending to read stopped immediately. I turned my head around quickly, startled. I wasn’t expecting anyone, so who could it be?
My brother Daniel walked into the living room, holding a bag over his shoulder. His hair was slightly messy, and his shirt looked like he’d been rushing. He didn’t even greet me first; he just looked directly at me with a serious face, his voice carrying a mix of disbelief and curiosity.
“You know, when Mom told me I didn’t believe it,” Daniel said, dropping his bag on the couch with a soft thud. “So I had to come over here and speak with you about it in person.”
He walks in here, and those are the first words that come out of his mouth. No hello, no smile, nothing.
“Hey, Dan, you know a ‘good morning’ or ‘how was your night’ would’ve been nice,” I said sarcastically, folding my arms across my chest.
He ignored my sarcasm completely, his tone sharpening as he took a few steps closer. “This is way more important than greetings, Anna, and you know it. This is huge. This could be life-changing both for you and for the people of this world.” He paused, his eyes locking on mine. “So, were you able to get it done? Was Mom telling the truth, or is this just some kind of prank?”
His seriousness made my heartbeat pick up. For a second, I felt nervous, but then I smiled. “Well, why would Mom lie? I was able to re-engineer it,” I said, finding it hard to hold back my excitement.
Daniel’s face lit up almost instantly. “I knew you could do it! From the moment you told us you were planning on changing the world a few months ago, I believed you could.” His grin widened, genuine pride radiating from him.
He walked closer and opened his arms. “Congratulations,” he said warmly, pulling me in for a hug.
I accepted his hug with a small smile tugging at my lips. Finally, a sibling who actually cared about me. Yes, he might not be my biological brother, but he treats me more like family than Bella ever did.
For the past five years, the Quinn family, my real family has shown me so much love. They’ve accepted me in ways I never thought possible. They didn’t care about my past, or about what I’d lost before finding them. They made sure I felt like I belonged, and I’ve accepted every one of them back into my heart.
“Thank you,” I murmured softly when he let go, brushing a strand of hair from my face.
Daniel gave a small nod and glanced around the room. “So, where’s Mom and Dad?” he asked, his eyes scanning the space as if expecting them to suddenly appear.
“They stepped out to get something,” I replied. “Said it was quite important. What about you? You’re supposed to be out of town, so why are you here?”
“To speak to Dad,” he said after a short pause, his tone dropping lower than before.
“About what? You could’ve just told him over the phone,” I said, confused by how serious he suddenly looked.
“It’s not something to be said over a phone,” Daniel replied, his gaze shifting away. His jaw clenched slightly, like he was holding back from saying more.
I frowned. “So what’s it about? Tell me.”
“Well,” he began slowly, running a hand through his hair, “it might not really be important to you because you don’t know what we’re talking about. Besides, I don’t want to use this news to spoil your good day today.”
The way he said it made me even more curious, but before I could respond, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the hallway. I turned toward it, relieved and surprised at the same time.
“You two are back early,” I said as Mom and Dad walked into the room.
Mom was holding a small shopping bag, and Dad looked a little tired, rubbing the back of his neck as they stepped inside.
“Yeah, the place we usually get our supplements from isn’t open yet,” Dad said with a sigh. “So, we’re going to try again later.”
Mom’s eyes quickly found Daniel. “I thought you were out of town, Dan.”
“I’m supposed to be,” he said. “But I came back to tell Dad something important.”
Dad turned toward him, his brow furrowing in confusion. “What’s that?” he asked, his voice calm but curious.
Daniel hesitated for a moment. I noticed the way his shoulders tensed and the faint sigh that escaped his lips. Whatever he wanted to say, it was clearly weighing heavily on him. His eyes flickered between Mom, Dad, and me, and I could feel that the atmosphere in the room was starting to change.
My chest felt tight. What could it be? Could it be about his athletic competition? The way he looked, it wasn’t just about work or sports. It was deeper.
Finally, Daniel spoke, his voice soft but firm.
“Dad, I know this might sound hard to hear,” he said, pausing as if trying to gather the courage to continue. His next words dropped like heavy stones. “But Uncle Larry is dead.”