A new home

Making the best of things

I stared at our small sparse apartment and wanted to cry. I knew Andrey had done his best but it was still a shock.

"Don't you love it? This won't be home forever. As soon as we can afford a house we will but for now we have plenty of space."  He put his arm around my shoulder as I stared trying to wonder where all of us would sleep. I had to say something though.

"It's very different from Russia but....I am sure we can make it work it just needs a bit of...cleaning."

"I knew you would like it here! Now I have a job at the factory about five blocks down tomorrow. Before you know it Annika we will have a true home." I nodded hoping that I was hiding my feeling well enough and smiled.

Alisa stood plastered against me and Natya didn't even fidget in my arms.

"Well then I will set up some blankets to sleep on."

I walked over to one of the two traveling cases we have and opened it up. Just what I thought three blankets was all we had.

"Alisa come here and help me. Place this blanket on the floor over there and then place this folded one on top for tonight. Then I will put this one over here." She moved to do what I told her and I place my blanket on the floor and smoothed it out.

"Look at that! Now we have a place to sleep." I smiled slightly and laid Natya who was already almost asleep on her blanket.

"Now I wish we have food." Alisa sat down and put her head on her knees.

"I know honey. Hold on Andrey just stepped out maybe he's getting food. Or at least I hope." It was so strange.

In any house I had ever been in there were was always people you knew ready to welcome you at the door. Warm beds and steaming hot food always came with it.

Here I would have to make my own everything. After years of having most everything provided for me I would have to figure out how to do it on my own.

"Do you think we will be happy here?" Alisa looked up at me her eyes filled with question depending on me to answer for her.

"Yes we will. With a little hard work and a lot of love we will." I kissed her head hoping I was right and searched around for a rag,broom,or simply anything to clean with.

Sadly there was nothing. Not one thing I could use to clean the place up.

"Well Alisa looks like we are just going to have to start all over again." I blew a piece of hair from my face and wondered what to do until Andrey came back.

Just then the door burst open with a smiling Andrey.

"Well Annika dear I have met some of the neighbors and they offered to give us dinner for our first night here."

"Yay!! Dinner!" Alisa hugged Andrey and smiled.

"Andrey! We have nothing to change into! How am I supposed to go to dinner without a formal dress?"

"Well if I remember right you didn't wear a formal dress in the ballet. You showed up to dinner however as did the other girls."

I felt my cheeks glow a bright red. "Andrey if you haven't noticed this isn't the ballet."

"If you haven't noticed Annika this isn't Russia. I doubt Mrs.Collins will mind how you show up. They are just trying to do something nice for us."

"Oh all right at least let me get my shawl and wrap Natya up." I scooped up Natya and followed Andrey out the door hoping the Collins were good people.

Sorry it's so short I wanted some space in between this chapter and dinner at the Collins:) Thank you all for reading!!