Chapter 1 - A Happy Family

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"Spasibo

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"Spasibo." I thank the man when he hands me the brown paper bag, consisting of the glass bottle I had picked out.

The old man gives me a small smile in return with a small nod. With that I leave the small shop and begin making my way back to my aunt's home.

A faint smile forms on my face when I look at my surroundings. I'm in my home country where it is currently snowing. It feels so delightful to be here. I think what makes it even better is that I have my parents and brothers with me too.

We only have a few days left here before we go back to our other home. We've only come to visit my aunt, my father's sister.

We're a very small family but it's full of a lot of love and happiness.

My grandparents are all dead unfortunately. They died for different reasons and at different times when I was only a little girl, so I don't remember much about them. My mother is an only child, so she doesn't have any family, not any that she knows of anyway. The same is with my father except he has a sister.

"Katya!" Anton walks out the house with Ilya behind him to keep an eye on him.

My youngest brother hugs me with a smile on his face and I return the hug with my free hand. We walk back toward the door where Ilya gives me a small smile before disappearing into the house.

I close the door behind me and walk into the kitchen where my parents and aunt are making our dinner for tonight.

Papa is the first to notice me and he walks toward me to take the paper bag from my arm. "Thank you, honey."

"Katya can you come play with me and Ilya?" Anton enters the kitchen and the look he is giving me makes me accept right away.

I follow him out and into the living room where Ilya is setting up a video game. He hands Anton and me each a controller and with that I take a seat on the couch with Anton following and sitting beside me.

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"I'm going to miss you all so much." My aunt Galina speaks looking around the table at us all.

"We're all going to miss you too." Mama responds with a warm smile.

"Very much." I add in and her eyes become teary.

She always cries when we come visit her, but she cries even more when it is time for us to leave.

It makes me feel a bit sad too since she's here all alone and we're on the other side of the world in a completely different country.

"You can always call and maybe even move over there soon." Papa tells her and she only smiles but it's a sad smile.

"I'm not ready to leave my home yet." She responds and then my little brothers stand up to go hug her.

She only slightly chuckles at the action. I decide to get up and join them. My parents join as well after a few seconds, and it turns into a big and warm family hug.

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I put my hair up while staring at myself in the mirror.

My bracelet on my right wrist catches my attention. A small smile forms on my lips when I look down at it to admire it and the meaning behind it.

My parents gave it to me when I was a little girl. It's made out of plastic and fabric that I had chosen out myself. I still remember it and it's a very beautiful memory. The color I had chosen was dark pink color because I had realized then that it was my mama's favorite color. She even has a coat that is the same color, and she looks beautiful in it even if it's a bit too bright.

My papa was actually the one who made the bracelet and when him and mama put it on my wrist, they explained it's meaning. They told me that it meant that they would always be with me through this bracelet no matter what. It's to symbolize their presence in my life and their memory.

I was confused on why it meant that until I was older and found out what it was that they actually did for a living. It's risky and they still do it.

I've actually started doing it to because I wanted to see why it was so addicting to them. It's become a small habit of mine now and I guess the addiction of it was passed down to me because it feels good and so right even if it isn't.

They don't know about it, and I don't know if I would ever tell them or if they would ever find out. I don't know how they would react and feel.

I'm also planning on stopping before it gets worse and goes too far.

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I step out the house to be attack with snow.

Anton and Ilya laugh in my face while I stand there trying not to lose it all while I try to brush off all the snow that got all over me.

"You take too long and that's the consequence of it." Anton says and the deadly stare that I give him causes him and Ilya to run away into the car.

My father walks toward me in confusion on why I have snow all over me.

"It was your sons' fault." I say as he grabs my luggage and mama walks out the house from behind me.

"Oh my god." She lightly chuckles, helping me take off all the snow as papa chuckles too, leaving to put my things in the trunk.

My aunt walks out now, and my brothers decide to come out the SUV to say their goodbyes to her.

When she gets to me, she hugs me tightly and then holds my face in her hands softly. "Take care of yourself, dear."

Her eyes are teary like always as she stares at me. "I will and you have to do that same."

"Of course, I will." She gives me a small kiss on the forehead and then one last hug.

"I'll see you all again soon." She tells us all and after a few more big hugs, we finally get into the SUV to head for the airport.

Aunt Galina waves goodbye to us until we're out of sight.

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