For the next three days, Sonya lay in bed with an IV in her arm while Erica sat beside her watching TV or reading. Meals were brought to Sonya three times a day, while Erica either went to the hospital cafeteria or bought sandwiches out of a vending machine. At last the pediatrician said that all Sonya's test results were clear and she could go home.
Erica stopped by Jed and Carrie's to pick Toni up. The little girl came running, and Erica scooped her up and hugged her tightly, inhaling the powder fresh scent of her dark brown hair. "Oh, I missed you so much!"
"I missed you too, Mommy." The little girl clung to her, reluctant to let go.
Erica strapped Toni into her car seat, then drove the short journey home.
Everything looked pretty much the same as when she'd left it. Both girls ran to their bedroom as Erica sat down in the recliner and turned the television on.
That evening after dinner, she called Chuck to tell him what had happened. She got no answer.
She tried to call him several more times over the next week but never got an answer. At last she gave up and quit trying, resigning herself once more to her life of solitude.
Weeks passed. School started. Erica stood on the corner of her street with Toni, who looked very grown-up in a new dress, new shoes, and new back pack.
Soon a couple of other women arrived, a blonde with a little girl who looked to be maybe a year or so older than Toni and a brunette with a small boy who looked to be about Toni's age.
"I'm Erica, and this is Toni. She starts kindergarten this year," Erica told them.
"I'm Judy, and this is Tara. She's in first grade this year," said the blonde.
"I'm Debbie, and my son's name is Zane. He starts kindergarten this year as well," said the brunette.
The three women chatted until the bus arrived a few minutes later. Erica watched as Toni climbed the high steps with the other two children, then took Sonya to child care and went to work.
"So how did your first day of school go?" Erica asked Toni when she picked both her daughters up from child care that evening after work.
"It was fun!" Toni was all smiles, and her eyes danced with excitement. "My new teacher's name is Miss Turner, and she's really nice. We played 'Farmer In The Dell', and we had milk and cookies at snack time, and after lunch I took a nap on my new red mat. Tara asked me if I could go to her house and play after school. I told her I have to get on the child care bus because you're still at work. Her Mommy doesn't have to work. How come you have to work, Mommy?"
Erica sighed. "I have to work because the bills have to be paid, and there's nobody else to pay them but me."
"Tara's Daddy is a fireman. She asked me what my Daddy did. I told her I don't know 'cause he's in Russia and I haven't even seen him in a really long time. Is my Daddy ever coming back, Mommy?'
"I don't know."
That night Erica wrote a letter to Yuri for the first time in over two years.
Dearest Yuri,
Our little Toni started kindergarten today. Can you believe it? It seems like just yesterday that she was in diapers, doesn't it?
Both the girls have grown so much since the last time you saw them. Toni's just so smart. She already knows all her ABC's and can count to twenty, and Sonya's growing so fast! She's almost completely potty trained now, and she's beginning to talk in complete sentences. She loves for me to read 'The Giving Tree' to her. It's her favorite book.
I miss you so much, Yuri. Wherever you are, I hope they're treating you well. Toni asked about you again today. She still does from time to time. She doesn't understand why her Daddy doesn't still live with her like some of her friends' Daddies do. I'm not blaming you, sweetheart. I know it's not your fault, and that you'd be with us now if you could, but it hurts me to know how much she's missing out on. Sonya's too young to remember you at all, of course. I'm not sure which situation hurts worse.
Please take care of yourself, Yuri. I still love you, and I haven't given up hope that I'll see you again some day.
All my love,
Erica
Carefully she folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and addressed it c/o Felix and Sonya, at the most recent address she had for them. Then she went to bed and cried herself to sleep.