Page 24 of Raine
He opens his mouth to say something, but Babushka’s voice cuts him off.
“Raine Alla Voroniva, you get your sweet little butt here this instant.”
His eyes soften, and I sigh, grabbing my dolly off the floor. I straighten my blue and white striped dress and do the same to my dolly’s.
“Will I see you tomorrow?”
He shrugs his shoulders, kicking at the dust on the floor of the treehouse with his tennis shoes. “Probably.”
“You promise you won’t let the boogie man get you?”
He moves his hand over his chest in the shape of a cross and shakes his head.
“I promise. I have the mattress over there, the blankets you stole from your grandmother’s house, and my slingshot and pocketknife. I’ll be good.”
I let out a breath and nod my head. With one last lingering look at the boy that makes my belly flutter and my heart gallop, I climb down the treehouse ladder carefully.
Walking the short distance toward the house with my head down low, I know I’m in trouble, and I hate the yucky feeling in my belly when I manage to find myself in these situations. But being with Arrow is always worth it.
I reach the stairs of the porch and drag my feet until I’m at the front door. Taking a deep breath and readying myself to be told off, I reach for the handle, but a sound to my right draws my attention.
My neck snaps to the side, and I smile widely when I see my mother swinging back and forth on Babushka’s porch swing, her black pantsuit unbuttoned a bit at the top.
“Mama! You’re home,” I squeal, running toward her and throwing my hands around her belly.
“Hello, baby girl,” she laughs, smoothing my blonde hair down. “Did you miss me? Because I missed you so much.”
My eyes find hers, and I see hers look a little glassy and wet. My head tips to the side, and I move my little hand to her face. Her skin is so soft, and her blonde hair, which is so similar to mine, is piled on top of her head in a neat bun.
“You really missed me, Mama? Like really, really?”
“Well, of course I did. You are my favorite in the entire world,” she admits, tapping my nose.
“I heard that,” comes my papa’s voice, and my eyes pop wide, a giggle escaping my mouth.
“Papa! You are here, too!”
The screen door opens and slams behind him, a smile on his rugged face. His dark blonde hair was pushed back like always, and his dark blue shirt, with sleeves rolled up and tucked into his dress pants.
“How could I ever leave my little Thumbelina for too long? It’s impossible,” he says, placing his hand over his heart. “But even when I’m not here with you, you are always here in my heart, as I am in yours. Now come here and give your papa a hug before your babushka comes out and yells at us again.”
He winks, and I untangle myself from my mom and run into his arms. “I missed you, too, Papa.”
“As I missed you, sweetheart.”
The door wheezes behind us, and I burrow my face into the crook of Papa’s neck, not wanting to be told off. I lift my eyes a little to find my babushka scowling at us, but I see the twinkle in her eyes and the smile trying to break through.
She might be angry at me for not answering her and sneaking off into the treehouse again to be with Arrow, but when we are all together like this, she seems the happiest, especially after Dedushka went up to the sky with the angels.
I peer up at the stars starting to form in the sky, looking for him. Babushka told me once that Dedushka was the brightest star in the sky; that’s how we knew he was watching down on us. Moving my eyes back to my babushka, I grin behind my papa’s shoulder.
Her red apron is tied around her waist, and she has a tray of tea and biscuits. My eyes light up, and all I can think about is how I need to steal one of those to give to Arrow when no one is looking. He loves Babushka’s biscuits.
I sit between Mama and Papa on the porch swing while Babushka pours us tea. It’s the safest and most loved I’ve ever felt, but when my eyes drift to where the treehouse is and I see Arrow standing outside the treehouse looking in, a pain settles in my heart, and I want to see if he’s ok.
“What are you looking at, baby girl?” Mama asks, and I shake my head, looking back up to see that he’s gone.
“Nothing, Mama,” I answer, curling into her side and smelling the sunflower perfume she always wears, which always comforts me.
