VERA
Ljuba threw a short yellow dress at me. One of those frilly, flowery monstrosities that belonged on the beach, not a lawyer's office.
"I'm not wearing this," I said.
"Why not? You'll look cute in it." But she put the dress away.
"I don't need to look cute."
"You're getting engaged. Of course, you need to look cute." She pulled out another dress, this one a little longer and not as frilly.
I opened the other door and took out a pants suit. This was much more appropriate.
"You'll scare the lawyer away," Ljuba said.
"His lawyer wants to fake the proof of my and Sean's relationship. How much do you want to bet he's Russian?"
She rolled her eyes at me. "Fine, go out looking like a grim reaper."
"Grim reapers wear black robes." I lifted my gray suit. "This is too light and not a robe."
Ljuba shook her head, went to the balcony, and came back with a jewelry box. "Wear this, then."
I looked at the balcony door, hating that this was the only way Ljuba could fall asleep. Hating that it was my fault.
With a sigh, I opened the box to find a necklace and earrings set with bright blue stones sparkling in the morning light. I didn’t deserve jewelry.
"Please," Ljuba said.
"I guess it won't hurt."
I put the necklace on and checked it in the mirror. It looked good and made my eyes appear normal, alive. Will they ever regain that innocent glow they used to have?
Who was I kidding? Of course not. Not being completely dead inside was the best I could hope for.
"Are you okay?" Ljuba asked, despite me trying not to show my emotions, but my youngest sister knew me too well.
"Yes," I lied. "Just wonder what exactly Sean's dad did."
Ljuba looked me over in the mirror. "You know I love you, right?"
I put my arm over her shoulder and nodded, knowing perfectly well that I had done nothing to deserve her love. There was nothing I could do to reverse that one bad decision.
"I love you too." Taking my bag, I turned away from the dead eyes that haunted me every time I looked in the mirror. "See you tonight."
I went to my car, cursing the traffic that was sure to come. Driving in this area was a stupid idea, but it was better than the crowded subway. At least I didn't have to worry about some creep trying to get into my personal space. My little hatchback kept me safe.
As I maneuvered through the congested city roads, doubt started clawing at me. What if I was doing the wrong thing? I had no way of knowing what was happening behind closed doors. Sure, I knew Damian well enough. He was a nice guy, always treating Lara well. But Sean wasn't him.
My GPS told me the lawyer's office was a block away, forcing me to stop wondering and park already. It would be fine. I wasn't that naïve sixteen-year-old anymore. I could tell if something was wrong.
As I walked down the street, I checked the numbers on doors until I found the correct one. And there was the sign. "Family Law. Yarikov and Ordzhenikidze." Called it. Russians everywhere.
The door swung open, and Sean waved me inside. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you. I kept thinking you'd back out."
"Not unless I have to," I answered, then noticed the lawyer at his desk. "Zdravstvuyte."
"Zdravstvuyte," he answered.