“Our brother isn’t exactly… stellar with the ladies,” Katya sighs.
“Oh?” I inquire, wondering what they mean.
Tatiana chuckles, sharing a knowing look with her sister before leaning in closer.
“Let’s just say his way with people isn’t exactly charming,” she explains. “Agafon has always been… reserved. It’s hard for him to connect with others on a personal level.”
Katya nods in agreement. “He’s too focused on his work, his responsibilities. Sometimes we worry he’ll forget how to have fun. So we were here to help him get his priorities right.”
Tatiana nods in earnest. “He married you and moved you into this—” she looks around at the huge space as though she can’t find a word to describethis—“house?”
On cue, all three of us begin to laugh, realizing how ridiculous the space actually is.
“Try chateaux,” Katya adds.
“A castle?” I offer.
Once again, we begin to laugh. When the laughter dies out, I lean in. “So, Agafon, has he never dated before?”
“A little,” Tatiana says. “But not seriously.”
“As we said, he took it on himself to care for all of us,” Katya explains sweetly. “Even though we’re capable of making our own way.”
I listen intently, realizing that Agafon’s aloof disposition might be more than just what he extends to me. If he’s always been focused on caring for his siblings, it’s no wonder he struggles to open up to others, to lean on someone other than himself. Suddenly, I feel a pang of sympathy for him, understanding a bit more about the walls he must have built around himself over the years.
It’s hard work, taking on such responsibility. I know because I ran from mine for two whole years. In that moment, I begin to admire him.
“He was different when we were younger,” Katya continues, her gaze thoughtful. “More… expressive, I guess.”
“Before the weight of the world fell on his shoulders,” Tatiana adds softly.
There’s a silence in the room, a contemplative one, before I speak. “Well, if it helps, I promise to uproot his life. He’ll have to let loose a little, by virtue of that.”
The girls look positively delighted. “That’sjustwhat we were hoping for!”
“Our brother truly does have a stick up his ass. You know what would be fun?” Katya, the practical joker, wiggles her eyebrows. “If we replace all his serious socks with those animal-printed types.”
Tatiana and I roar at the idea of Agafon walking around in a navy blue suit with pandas on his feet.
“Oh, wouldn’t that be fun.” I wipe at my tears.
We talk some more about how the week has been, how I’m settling in, and the changes I wish to make around the house. They decipher, from how I describe my days, just how lonely it is around here sometimes.
I ask how it is growing up with so many siblings and whether they all live independently. “Katya and I live with Bogdan because he’s got a huge mansion,” Tatiana explains, before going into the arrangements of the rest. Once again, she doesn’t mention Nikandr.
I'm about to find the right moment to ask about Nikandr when Tatiana sits up suddenly, clapping her hands.
“I have a brilliant idea,” she announces as she looks over at Katya. “Let's take Lilibeth out tonight.”
“Out?” I repeat, surprised.
“Yes, out. Into the world. Where people have fun,” she says. “There's a new club opening downtown. Very exclusive, very private. It would be perfect for your first official outing as a Letvin.”
“I don't know if Agafon would—” I start.
“Agafon isn’t around, is he? You’re going to get bored to death in here,” Katya interrupts with a mischievous smile. “Besides, you're family now. That means we get to corrupt you a little.”
For the first time since the wedding, I feel a spark of excitement. A night out. Normal people doing normal things. Not sitting alone in thiscastle,waiting for a husband who barely acknowledges my existence.
