A new home

A little family

"Mrs. Collin? Can I speak with you..um...uh...well..alone?" I asked twisting my hands nervous. Something was wrong with me and I had no clue what. I wasn't completely sure if I wanted to know.

"Sure dearie. We can go out on the balcony here and sip a cup of tea. The little one's should be fine for a moment since Natya is sleeping right now."

We sat on the balcony and I held the warm cup of tea close in the cold air.

"I think there is something wrong with me Mrs. Collin! I'm always sick and just the smell of the fish market makes me want to be sick even though it didn't before and I am always tired and am sometimes cross when I shouldn't be. Oh Mrs. Collin what is wrong with me! Have I gone mental?" I asked the last question in a quiet voice my eyes focused on the ground below me.

Suddenly Mrs. Collin burst out in laughter and I just looked at her with bewilderment. Why was she laughing? Was I truly going mental?

"What...what is it? What's wrong?" I thought of ways already of how I was going to tell poor Andrey. Suddenly I felt very lightheaded.

"Oh nothing is the matter dear! You remind me of myself at your age! My dear your not mental oh no! Let me ask you this. Have you missed any....monthlies?" She looked at me seriosuly now as I thought about it.

"Yes...but what does that have to do with me being crazy?"

"Oh dear your not crazy! Your having a baby!" She looked at me with such glee it took a moment to register in my mind. Then so much excitement built up in me I nearly exploded.

"Oh a baby!! My own baby! Andrey's baby! Oh I can't wait to tell him! Oh a baby!" I did a small twirl and looked up the the sunset.

Oh a baby...what a blessing! After all the years of loosing things there was a tiny bit of hope arriving in our lives.

Alisa would be so thrilled! My mind went through all the baby things I would need and then a thought hit me.

My mother wasn't here to help me...Katya wasn't either I was completely and utterly alone and that scared me.

"I know what your thinking dearie. You will be alright now. I promise. I will be here to help you and don't you know that lovely young girl...oh what's her name...Bridget."

"Yes I do...thank you Mrs. Collin you have truly been an angel in disguise. Now I seem so foolish." I laughed as I gathered up the girl's things.

"No dear you aren't foolish you just didn't know. " She kissed Natya's still sleeping head as I lifted her up and opened the door.

We walked upstairs and I couldn't wait for Andrey to get home. What a surprise a baby....the thought still ran around in my head.

When we walked inside Alisa went to go play with her dolls and I laid Natya down on the bed we now had in the bedroom. The girls had two beds in the big room but the bedroom was much more quiet for her.

I knitted quietly as I waited for Andrey to come home. I had already started on a pair of baby booties in a soft yellow but the rows kept coming out horrible.

"I'm home." Andrey walked through the door and I smiled. Freshly fallen snow lay melting on his hair and his broad shoulders shook off his worn wool coat.

"Oh I missed you." I whispered as I wrapped my arms around him taking in the scent of the flour mill.

He kissed my head and looked at me puzzled.

"Come sit down I have something I want to tell you." I took his hand and took him to the table barely able to contain my excitement.

"Are you alright? Did you talk to Mrs. Collin today?" Worry lined his face as he sat down.