Tears filled Zoya's eyes as she left the courthouse. Her marriage had just ended. The divorce had been finalized.
She felt as if she'd just left a funeral. There would be no gathering at a friend or relative's house to eat and talk about old memories. It was just over.
Wordlessly, she got into the back seat of Yuri and Elspeth's car. They'd driven her to the courthouse so she wouldn't feel so terribly alone.
"Are you all right, dear?" asked Elspeth as Yuri started the car.
"I am fine." Zoya stared straight ahead. Although Gabe had been the one who'd been unfaithful, she couldn't help feeling as if she'd failed herself. If only she'd been more affectionate toward her husband, wanted to make love more often, could she have prevented the affair?
"Are you going to pick up Dee now?" Elspeth asked when they reached home.
"Yes," said Zoya. "I will be gone for awhile after that. I do not know when I will be back."
Elspeth frowned.
"Where are you going?"
"To see Inna. I have to talk to her."
"Be careful," said Yuri.
"You know I will be, Papa."
In a few minutes she was at Deedee's house, ringing the doorbell.
"How did it go?" asked Deedee after she'd opened the door.
"It went all right." Deirdre came running when she heard her mother's voice.
"Hi, Mommy!"
"Hi, sweetheart." Zoya picked her up and held her tight.
"Would you like to stay and visit a bit?" asked Deedee.
"No, thank you. I do not have time. Thank you for watching Dee."
"Sure, it was no problem at all!"
Zoya put Deirdre in her booster seat, started the car, and headed for the interstate. If she hurried, she could be back before dark.
"Where are we going, Mommy?" asked Deirdre.
"To visit Aunt Inna," Zoya told her. "You remember her, right?"
"Aunt Inna has three babies," said Inna.
"That is right," said Inna. "But they are not so little anymore."
Arriving at the Roth home, Zoya parked in front of the white picket fence. Inna's home wasn't very large, but it was made of brick and looked very nice from the outside. Her front lawn was immaculate and freshly trimmed.
I hope I can live somewhere this nice someday, Zoya thought to herself as she took Deirdre's hand and approached the front door.
Inna saw her coming and opened the door before she reached it. One look at her sister's face was all it took. As soon as Zoya was inside, Inna reached for her and embraced her.
The sobs came like a deluge of water from a broken dam, and Inna held her sister, patting her back and murmuring words of comfort.
"Now that it is all over, I had to come and see you," Zoya choked out.
"I am glad you did," Inna replied.
"Mama!" piped up a little voice, and seconds later, Malachi appeared, covered in a sticky substance.
"Oh, no," said Inna. "Did the lid to your sippy cup come off?"
Miriam toddled in, followed by Michaele.
"You have grown a lot!" said Zoya.
Miriam and Michaela stood looking curiously at Deirdre.
"This is your cousin, Dee," Zoya told them.
"Their birthday party is the Saturday after next," said Inna. "You will come, right?"
"Of course I will," said Zoya.
It was sunny and cold the morning the morning the Rozanovs set out to drive to Inna's, their car laden with presents. Zoya and Deirdre rode along in the back seat.
After a good cry and a sisterly visit, Zoya had felt much better. She was already thinking about the steps she needed to take to put her life back together.
Daniel and Inna had set up a long table with a white tablecloth in their front yard. The well-bundled triplets were playing on their outside play equipment. On the table was a sheet cake with a numeral '2' candle, along with stacks of paper plates and cups.
Inna walked up to meet her father and stepmother. Yuri hugged her first, then Elspeth.
"How are these darling little ones of yours?" asked Elspeth.
"They are fine!" said Inna. "Into things all the time! I really have to keep an eye on them!"
Elspeth laughed, then picked up Michaela, who had toddled over.
Bob and Annie arrived about twenty minutes later.
"How are Tyson and Tara?" asked Inna.
"They're fine!" Annie replied. "Tyson's a sophomore this year, taking driver's ed and looking forward to getting his license. Tara's in seventh grade. She's in chorus at school, and she loves hanging out at the mall with her friends."
Annie showed Inna her children's most recent school photos, and Inna remarked on how grown-up they looked.
Ten minutes later, Pete and Astrid arrived with Ella. She had long blonde hair and pale blue eyes and was wearing a purple coat.
"You look just like a princess," Inna told her.
"Thank you." Ella smiled, showing the gap in her top front teeth.
"How old are you now?"
"I'll be seven next month."
"How are your sons?" Inna asked Astrid.
"They are doing well," said Astrid. "Jurgen is in the ninth grade, and Rainer is in the seventh grade."
Joseph, Helen, and Rachel arrived soon. The party lasted several hours. The triplets received many presents, and everyone had a lot of fun.