The smell of fried eggs and potatoes woke him up, he could hear the sizzling of the frying pan and the quiet chattering of his mother and sisters as they ate breakfast downstairs.
He quickly got up, knowing that Sundays were the days Mama made black bread. He loved being home from the Academy, it gave him time to catch up with his mother, sisters, and grandmother.
"Good morning, Dima." His mother said, using his Russian nickname.
"Mmm.." He replied, too sleepy to talk.
"Victoria, please go water the plants." Karolina said. She loved her plants but was so pregnant at this point she couldn't do water them herself.
After a little arguing, Victoria agreed and ran off to the backyard.
"Mama, can I please have some-" Dimitri said, before he got ice cubes down his shirt.
"Damn it, Victoria!" He yelled.
Victoria just stood there laughing, tears running down her face.
Seeing the glare on his face, realizing what would happen, she started running.
"You're never gonna catch me!"
Dimitri growled, chasing her.
Her laughter filled the house, Olena sighed at the behavior of her children, but was content knowing that they would never really hurt each other.
Dimitri and Victoria always pranked each other, but adored each other as well.
Olena only yelled at them to stop when she heard a crash upstairs.
The house became very quiet...
She slowly made her way upstairs to see what had been broken by her children's banter.
She gasped as she saw the figurine on the floor.
Dimitri and Victoria twiddled their thumbs and stared at the floor.
"I'm sorry, Mama..." They said together.
They knew that their father had gotten it for her when they had gone to the market and she fell in love with the porcelain couple. She had said that they looked as happy as Olena felt with her love for their father.
But that love had faded.
The figurine was the only item in the house that still reminded Olena of him.
Good riddance.