***
That evening, I exit my room and on the way downstairs, hear the voices and laughter travelling from the living room.
Everyone’s here, I think excitedly, and I rush toward the doors of the gathering.
“There she is!” Fedor's voice booms across the room as he sees me enter. My cousin crosses over and picks me up in a bear hug that lifts my feet off the floor. “Little Beth, not so little anymore!”
“Put me down, you oaf,” I laugh, swatting at his shoulder.
“Two years and the first thing you do is insult me? That's fair.” He sets me down, his familiar grin crinkling the corners of his eyes.
“Beth!” Artyom appears at his brother's side, offering an equally generous hug. “You look good. Happy.”
“I am happy,” I say. “Especially to see all of you.”
Nikolai immediately takes me under his wing and pours me a glass of wine. “Is it as good as it is in Paris?” he asks.
“Better,” I tell him with a nod.
“Good,” he says with pride. “I had a whole crate imported in your honor.”
“Oh, how you spoil me, Nikolai!” I laugh as Anoushka confirms what he says is true.
Dima, Sofia, and Natalia’s husband, Denis, soon reach for the bottle while Sofia’s husband, Vladimir, engages me in conversation.
The rest of the evening starts to blur. There’s so much to talk about, so many questions to ask and answer.
Dinner is a feast—traditional Russian dishes alongside New York steakhouse fare. I sit between Fedor and Artyom, who keep me laughing with their running commentary and ridiculous stories.
“Remember when you convinced Beth that blini were only for people over eighteen?” Artyom says to Fedor, refilling my wine glass.
“And she cried for an hour?” Fedor chuckles. “That was mean. I'm sorry, Beth.”
“No, you're not,” I retort, but I'm smiling. “Just like you're not sorry for telling me that the basement was haunted by Uncle Gregor's ghost.”
“To be fair,” Nikolai interjects from the head of the table, “our uncle was terrifying enough to haunt several basements.”
A ripple of laughter passes around the table.
“How are my brothers?” I ask during a lull in conversation. “Really?”
“They are doing well. Working hard. Lion is leading our Moscow operations from this year,” Nikolai answers.
“Good. Good,” I say with a smile, though it feels forced.
“It would have been nice to have them with us tonight,” says Lara, Dima’s wife, with the sweetest smile. I give her a grateful look, knowing she understands I miss them.
“Oh yes. Samuil called the other day from London…” Dima begins updating me on the rest.
Based on how my cousins speak, I can tell that since I’ve left, my oldest brother, Ardalion, known as Lion to all who know him, has created a significant position for himself within the family. He’s teaching the rest of our brothers the ropes.
“I had no idea they were so…far away,” I say. “I knew they travelled, but London. Dubai? We could have met during some of our travels.”
“We've kept you updated as much as security allowed,” Nikolai says, reading my expression. “Besides, no one wanted to cramp your style.”
“I'm back now,” I say, meeting Nikolai's gaze directly. “For good. And I'm ready to help however I can.”
He gives me a look of approval. “We'll discuss all that soon. For tonight, let's just celebrate your return.”
