AUTHOR’S NOTE: Tis the season and this story idea popped into my head. By the way, this will have nothing to do with the current storyline now processed in the fifth season. This a short story.
SUMMARY: It’s Christmas 2006. Sydney has had the baby who is now a year and a month old. Isabelle Anna Bristow-Vaughn is bright, sweet and very much in demand by her grandfather, Jack, who absolutely dotes on her. This will be the first Christmas she will enjoy.
DISCLAIMER: Alias and its characters belong to JJ and ABC-TV. Characters I have developed are mine.
RATED: PG-13
A VERY BRISTOW CHRISTMAS
By Lenafan
It was snowing in Moscow, two days before Christmas, and Irina Derevko stood at her window sipping tea. She was working on her accounts. Money was again flowing into her various banks located in Switzerland and the Bahamas. She was The Man once more and by using contacts in capitols of countries both east and west, began seeing a return to the power she once had before seeing Sydney, giving herself up to the CIA, and the nearly eighteen months she was a prisoner of her sister, Yelena.
She resurrected most of her team and they were again in place. However, as she had before, she gave her men and women the week off before Christmas to be with their families. As she looked down into the street, she saw a man and his little boy pulling a Christmas tree off the top of their small car. Irina had not celebrated the holidays for years. A tear escaped her right eye, as she thought of the last time.
Sydney was five years and eight months’ old. Jack had found a tall tree. It almost touched the ceiling of their home. Together, they had trimmed it the next night, allowing Sydney to help put colored balls around as far as she could reach. Jack had a bright star for the top and he held Sydney so she could put it on. She was thrilled. They sat on the sofa afterward—Sydney with cocoa, Jack with his scotch, and she with iced vodka. They stared at the tree and the varied blinking lights.
“Daddy, when will Santa come?” Sydney asked formally.
“When you are asleep, but not until the night before Christmas.” He smiled at her, kissing the top of her head.
“Does he bring presents for everybody?” She asked.
“Hummm, well he comes to visit children. Your mother and I are adults. So we buy gifts for each other. Santa would not have room in his sleigh if he had to bring gifts for the adults.”
“Oh! Then I’m glad I’m just a little girl.” She sipped her cocoa and stared at the tree.
Jack stared at his wife grinning, “What would you like Santa to bring you?”
“Nothing, as long as I have you and Sydney, I have everything I need.” She pulled his head around and kissed him with feeling. She pulled away slightly so she could see his eyes.
“I love you,” he whispered. “Later…”
Her cell phone rang and Irina picked it up from her desk. “Da?” She frowned. “Helmut is missing?” She put down her teacup. “Did you check with Maria...She hasn’t seen him either...How much...?” Suddenly she straightened. Three hundred thousand... Do you suspect foul play...?” She sat down at the computer and checked her account at the bank where the funds would have been transferred. “They aren’t there. I can be in Berlin in three hours. Pick me up at the airport…you know where.”
Three hours later, August Mueller watched the private jet pull onto the tarmac before the private hanger. Moments later, Irina Derevko, dressed for intense cold, disembarked. She hurried over to the black Mercedes. August pulled open the rear door and she sat down holding a purse and briefcase.
“Where to,” asked August as he belted himself up.
“The office first.” She buckled up also. It was the last thing she remembered.
“Is Sydney asleep?” Jack looked up from the mail. He was in his office paying their bills.
“Yes,” Laura sat on the arm of his chair. “Are you almost finished? We need to get those toys out for her. You know I have the feeling she’s going to be up long before we want.”
He chuckled, “Yes. I’ve wrote a check for the last one.” He closed the checkbook, reached in his desk for stamps. After stamping the envelopes, he stood handing them to her. “Put these in the mail the day after tomorrow.”
“Of course,” she stood and followed him out of the room. “The toys are in the closet. I think you’ll have to put a couple of them together.”
He groaned. “If they’d give better directions, it wouldn’t be…” He opened the door to the closet and began pulling out the dollhouse, the dolls, the pre-tend oven and other smaller items. There was a pair of roller skates among them. “I do hope she won’t break another leg.”
Laura laughed. Together they arranged the toys. Jack put the dollhouse together as Laura read him the directions. It took about a half hour. They looked about the room. It was perfect. Sydney would be so excited when she saw them. Jack was about to leave when he spied the cookies and milk Sydney left Santa. He drank the milk and shared the cookies with Laura. They kissed under the sprig of mistletoe he put up.
“I love you,” he whispered holding her slender body in his arms. “I want to make love to you tonight.”
“Me too!” Her voice was husky with emotion.
Irina’s eyes opened slowly. She was in bed. She blinked trying to clear her mind. Where was she? She remembered getting into the back of the Mercedes and then nothing. August would have some serious…she froze. There was someone in bed with her. His arm was around her waist, his body next to hers. Was she a prisoner? Her hands and feet, she moved them, so were free from rope, wire, or shackles. God in heaven, she was not wearing any clothes.
Her mind ran at full tilt trying to ascertain every scenario. She was kidnapped, but by who? She reached down and carefully found the hand of her captor. She froze; then she turned swiftly to look into the eyes of…
“Jack!”
“Good morning, sweetheart.” He pulled her head down and kissed her. “Merry Christmas!”
“What the hell do you mean Merry Christmas?” She was incensed although she was very happy to see him. It had been months. “What did you do to me?”
“Just a little scheme to get you in the holiday spirit. You’ve got to stop working so hard at being big bad Irina Derevko. Remember what I told your sister? Well, you’ve got to have a little fun in your life.”
“Where am I?” She was ready to bounce out of bed angry.
“With me, darling, where I think at this time in our lives you need to be.” Jack’s hand stroked her left thigh and his lips found her shoulder. “You need me and I certainly need you.”
Irina’s thoughts took a tumble and the anger subsided. She stared at him. Saw the look in his eyes. She knew he was being honest. His eyes held hers without guile. “Jack…I…well I suppose…it is Christmas. Wait what about Helmut and the money? I thought he was kidnapped.”
“Nope, your team helped me pull it off. Helmut is safe with Maria. August has garaged the car and gone home.” Jack pulled her over closer and looked at a woman who betrayed him, but gave him at the same time a gift…Sydney. He came to understand over the years what that gift meant to the giver. As a spy and assassin, Irina Derevko probably could not marry, let alone have a child, but she did and had. Her defiance led to her imprisonment in Kashmir.
He kissed her. “Sovogda made me realize how much I missed you. Sydney told me what you said to her that night. We both told Langley what you did. It has, I believe, eased the tension and you have,” he grinned, “been removed from the most wanted. You can’t come back to the States, but no one will come after you.”
She smiled. “Means I can’t see my granddaughter though.” She pulled back. “Jack where the hell are we?”
“Moscow! Sydney’s apartment in your building.”
Irina looked around; then glancing out the window saw that it was snowing and she barely made out the buildings across the alley, which was next to her building. “You…” She leaned down at kissed him. “We could go to my apartment.”
He shook his head. “Not now, sweetheart. I plan to have sex with the only woman I love. Your apartment has too many phones and a computer. Sydney told me this one had one phone and no computer. Now shut up and kiss me.”
They made love, slept, and then made love again. They showered together and then put on terry cloth robes Sydney had in the linen closet. In the kitchen, Irina made tea. She looked in the refrigerator and saw Jack had stocked it with eggs, her favorite dark bread, jam, some condiments, fruit juice, and meat.
Jack emerged from the bathroom to find she had scrambled eggs, buttered toast, jam and a pot of coffee and a glass of orange juice. He stood next to her at the stove, slipping his arms around her waist, and nuzzled her, whispering, “I haven’t felt this good in a long time.”
She laughed softly, “Me too!”
Glancing up at the clock, Jack saw that it was nearly eleven just an hour before midnight. “Where has the time gone?” He grinned, taking the plate of food. “How about church?”
“Church?” She filled her own plate and sat down opposite him. “You must be joking?” He never went to church when she was in Los Angeles. She took Sydney when she was little on occasion, but could not bring herself to joining one.
“I’d like to go to St Basil’s tonight. It’s supposed to be a beautiful service.”
Irina gaped somewhat in shock. She had gone many times she was a girl growing up in Moscow. Her mother and her grandmother took her, Katya and Yelena. When she joined the KGB, it definitely was not the thing to do or admit to doing. Still the service at Christmas was wonderful. “Do you know what the Russian service is like?”
“A little, but we could stay for awhile and then leave. It’s just that my life could use some enrichment.” He finished the eggs and toast.
Irina stared; then smiled. “Very well. We will go to church. Did you bring the right clothes? It is freezing.”
“Of course, sweetheart. Go get dressed.”
She returned minutes later wearing fur-lined boots, wool slacks over silk underwear—both pants and blouse. There was a red wool turtleneck over that, another jacket and over that heavy wool full-length overcoat with a fur-lined collar. On her head, she wore a lamb’s wool hat. Jack was similarly dressed, but wore a shapkas, which tended to make him look even taller.
Grigor drove them. He left them at the entrance and disappeared. Jack, holding Irina’s arm, led her into the cathedral. He was surprised to see nearly five hundred, perhaps even a thousand people packed inside. Jack held her back. He saw no reason to penetrate the mob.
Moments later, Grigor stepped up behind them. The service was ongoing and the priest was going on about the birth of the Christ child. It sounded so different in Russian that Jack closed his eyes. He put his hands on Irina’s shoulders, letting his thumbs move over her shoulder blades. As he worked, his thoughts ran away from the present to the past.
Did he ever go to church with Laura and Sydney? Trying hard to remember, he could not think of one time he went with them. He sighed.
Grigor moved up next to him. He parked the car and was inside where it was much warmer. Looking over the heads of most of the worshippers, he began to survey the backs of the men and women. He thought his wife told him she was coming earlier. Jack’s hands never stopped rubbing Irina’s shoulders and upper back as he watched Grigor.
“What?”
Grigor leaned over and whispered. “My wife...I think she is here.”
“Why didn’t you go with her instead of us?”
“She came with Petr’s wife and came much earlier.”
The priest droned on and on. People were restless, but it was warm in the cathedral and many decided it was better here than outside. Irina seemed rapt as she listened to what the priest was saying.
“We can go anytime,” Jack whispered. It had been over an hour since they arrived.
Irina moved, turning to face him. “Spasibo, Jack.”
Jack took her by the elbow. Grigor left as soon as he heard Jack. The pair walked slowly out into the front of the magnificent cathedral. Moments later, the car stopped at the bottom of the steps. They entered and were driven to the apartment house. There, Jack helped Irina out of the car and up the steps. Grigor parked the car inside the quadrangle.
As they went up the stairs, Jack steered Irina to her door. “I thought you wanted to stay at Sydney’s.”
“I do, but your gifts are in your apartment.”
“Wait, in my apartment? Why didn’t you…” Jack had opened the door with her code. Irina turned and gaped.
The interior was lighted with what looked to be a hundred candles. An eight foot fully decorated tree stood in the corner, blazing with multicolored faceted blinking lights. There were packages under the tree. The table was covered with a new bright red tablecloth and a spray of poinsettia’s and pine boughs decorated the middle. Christmas music played softly.
“Jack!” Irina’s eyes glowed. “When…when did you…”
The door to her master bedroom opened. Nadia, followed by Sydney carrying Isabelle entered the room grinning. The little girl was wide-eyed staring at the tree, the candles and finally at her grandparents. Irina stood still in shock.
“Merry Christmas, Mom,” said the two younger women.
Irina was shaking. “Jack, I could…” She turned and kissed him. She strode forward and hugged Nadia. It took doctors almost a year to find the antidote that brought Nadia back into the world.
She looked at her eldest daughter whom she had not seen since Sovogda. “Moya Boje, Sydushka. I am so sorry about Vaughn. He loved you so much.” She kissed her on both cheeks, reaching over the young child. She then looked down. “May I?” Irina held out her arms. Isabelle reached out at her.
“Of course, Mom!” Sydney grinned. She gave Irina the child. Irina wore long diamond earrings, which seemed to fascinate Isabelle, who was smiling up at her Grandmother.
Irina stared at her granddaughter adoringly. Sydney and Nadia grinned at each other. Both were right when they discussed what their mother’s reaction would be. Irina paid no attention to anyone, cooing at Isabelle in Russian. She sat on the sofa, joined immediately by Jack who put his arm around Irina as she put Isabelle on her knees. They stared at each other, Isabelle cooing and laughing.
“Isn’t she beautiful,” asked Jack.
“She’s glorious.” Irina was ecstatic. Isabelle stared up at her grandparents, gripping Irina’s right index finger. “And strong,” she added.
Sydney walked to the sofa, sitting next to Irina. Nadia took a small space next to Jack. Both girls were smiling.
Just then, Katya stepped out from the kitchen, a digital camera pointed at the family. “I can’t wait to show my co-workers this!” She pushed the button and the flash went off. “I don’t think anyone will believe it.”
Irina didn’t care. She held Isabelle up, staring at her lovingly. “Oh Sydney, she looks just like you when you were a baby.” She looked at Jack for confirmation and he nodded. She put Isabelle into her arms. Looking at her sister, said, “Now take a picture again with my family.”
Katya smiled and took the picture. She pulled up a chair. “Schaslivovo Rozhdestva, Rishka!”
“Merry Christmas to you too, Katya,” said Irina softly and smiling at her. She turned to Jack. “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had.” She kissed him. “Thank you…thank you all.
FINI
SUMMARY: It’s Christmas 2006. Sydney has had the baby who is now a year and a month old. Isabelle Anna Bristow-Vaughn is bright, sweet and very much in demand by her grandfather, Jack, who absolutely dotes on her. This will be the first Christmas she will enjoy.
DISCLAIMER: Alias and its characters belong to JJ and ABC-TV. Characters I have developed are mine.
RATED: PG-13
A VERY BRISTOW CHRISTMAS
By Lenafan
It was snowing in Moscow, two days before Christmas, and Irina Derevko stood at her window sipping tea. She was working on her accounts. Money was again flowing into her various banks located in Switzerland and the Bahamas. She was The Man once more and by using contacts in capitols of countries both east and west, began seeing a return to the power she once had before seeing Sydney, giving herself up to the CIA, and the nearly eighteen months she was a prisoner of her sister, Yelena.
She resurrected most of her team and they were again in place. However, as she had before, she gave her men and women the week off before Christmas to be with their families. As she looked down into the street, she saw a man and his little boy pulling a Christmas tree off the top of their small car. Irina had not celebrated the holidays for years. A tear escaped her right eye, as she thought of the last time.
Sydney was five years and eight months’ old. Jack had found a tall tree. It almost touched the ceiling of their home. Together, they had trimmed it the next night, allowing Sydney to help put colored balls around as far as she could reach. Jack had a bright star for the top and he held Sydney so she could put it on. She was thrilled. They sat on the sofa afterward—Sydney with cocoa, Jack with his scotch, and she with iced vodka. They stared at the tree and the varied blinking lights.
“Daddy, when will Santa come?” Sydney asked formally.
“When you are asleep, but not until the night before Christmas.” He smiled at her, kissing the top of her head.
“Does he bring presents for everybody?” She asked.
“Hummm, well he comes to visit children. Your mother and I are adults. So we buy gifts for each other. Santa would not have room in his sleigh if he had to bring gifts for the adults.”
“Oh! Then I’m glad I’m just a little girl.” She sipped her cocoa and stared at the tree.
Jack stared at his wife grinning, “What would you like Santa to bring you?”
“Nothing, as long as I have you and Sydney, I have everything I need.” She pulled his head around and kissed him with feeling. She pulled away slightly so she could see his eyes.
“I love you,” he whispered. “Later…”
Her cell phone rang and Irina picked it up from her desk. “Da?” She frowned. “Helmut is missing?” She put down her teacup. “Did you check with Maria...She hasn’t seen him either...How much...?” Suddenly she straightened. Three hundred thousand... Do you suspect foul play...?” She sat down at the computer and checked her account at the bank where the funds would have been transferred. “They aren’t there. I can be in Berlin in three hours. Pick me up at the airport…you know where.”
Three hours later, August Mueller watched the private jet pull onto the tarmac before the private hanger. Moments later, Irina Derevko, dressed for intense cold, disembarked. She hurried over to the black Mercedes. August pulled open the rear door and she sat down holding a purse and briefcase.
“Where to,” asked August as he belted himself up.
“The office first.” She buckled up also. It was the last thing she remembered.
“Is Sydney asleep?” Jack looked up from the mail. He was in his office paying their bills.
“Yes,” Laura sat on the arm of his chair. “Are you almost finished? We need to get those toys out for her. You know I have the feeling she’s going to be up long before we want.”
He chuckled, “Yes. I’ve wrote a check for the last one.” He closed the checkbook, reached in his desk for stamps. After stamping the envelopes, he stood handing them to her. “Put these in the mail the day after tomorrow.”
“Of course,” she stood and followed him out of the room. “The toys are in the closet. I think you’ll have to put a couple of them together.”
He groaned. “If they’d give better directions, it wouldn’t be…” He opened the door to the closet and began pulling out the dollhouse, the dolls, the pre-tend oven and other smaller items. There was a pair of roller skates among them. “I do hope she won’t break another leg.”
Laura laughed. Together they arranged the toys. Jack put the dollhouse together as Laura read him the directions. It took about a half hour. They looked about the room. It was perfect. Sydney would be so excited when she saw them. Jack was about to leave when he spied the cookies and milk Sydney left Santa. He drank the milk and shared the cookies with Laura. They kissed under the sprig of mistletoe he put up.
“I love you,” he whispered holding her slender body in his arms. “I want to make love to you tonight.”
“Me too!” Her voice was husky with emotion.
Irina’s eyes opened slowly. She was in bed. She blinked trying to clear her mind. Where was she? She remembered getting into the back of the Mercedes and then nothing. August would have some serious…she froze. There was someone in bed with her. His arm was around her waist, his body next to hers. Was she a prisoner? Her hands and feet, she moved them, so were free from rope, wire, or shackles. God in heaven, she was not wearing any clothes.
Her mind ran at full tilt trying to ascertain every scenario. She was kidnapped, but by who? She reached down and carefully found the hand of her captor. She froze; then she turned swiftly to look into the eyes of…
“Jack!”
“Good morning, sweetheart.” He pulled her head down and kissed her. “Merry Christmas!”
“What the hell do you mean Merry Christmas?” She was incensed although she was very happy to see him. It had been months. “What did you do to me?”
“Just a little scheme to get you in the holiday spirit. You’ve got to stop working so hard at being big bad Irina Derevko. Remember what I told your sister? Well, you’ve got to have a little fun in your life.”
“Where am I?” She was ready to bounce out of bed angry.
“With me, darling, where I think at this time in our lives you need to be.” Jack’s hand stroked her left thigh and his lips found her shoulder. “You need me and I certainly need you.”
Irina’s thoughts took a tumble and the anger subsided. She stared at him. Saw the look in his eyes. She knew he was being honest. His eyes held hers without guile. “Jack…I…well I suppose…it is Christmas. Wait what about Helmut and the money? I thought he was kidnapped.”
“Nope, your team helped me pull it off. Helmut is safe with Maria. August has garaged the car and gone home.” Jack pulled her over closer and looked at a woman who betrayed him, but gave him at the same time a gift…Sydney. He came to understand over the years what that gift meant to the giver. As a spy and assassin, Irina Derevko probably could not marry, let alone have a child, but she did and had. Her defiance led to her imprisonment in Kashmir.
He kissed her. “Sovogda made me realize how much I missed you. Sydney told me what you said to her that night. We both told Langley what you did. It has, I believe, eased the tension and you have,” he grinned, “been removed from the most wanted. You can’t come back to the States, but no one will come after you.”
She smiled. “Means I can’t see my granddaughter though.” She pulled back. “Jack where the hell are we?”
“Moscow! Sydney’s apartment in your building.”
Irina looked around; then glancing out the window saw that it was snowing and she barely made out the buildings across the alley, which was next to her building. “You…” She leaned down at kissed him. “We could go to my apartment.”
He shook his head. “Not now, sweetheart. I plan to have sex with the only woman I love. Your apartment has too many phones and a computer. Sydney told me this one had one phone and no computer. Now shut up and kiss me.”
They made love, slept, and then made love again. They showered together and then put on terry cloth robes Sydney had in the linen closet. In the kitchen, Irina made tea. She looked in the refrigerator and saw Jack had stocked it with eggs, her favorite dark bread, jam, some condiments, fruit juice, and meat.
Jack emerged from the bathroom to find she had scrambled eggs, buttered toast, jam and a pot of coffee and a glass of orange juice. He stood next to her at the stove, slipping his arms around her waist, and nuzzled her, whispering, “I haven’t felt this good in a long time.”
She laughed softly, “Me too!”
Glancing up at the clock, Jack saw that it was nearly eleven just an hour before midnight. “Where has the time gone?” He grinned, taking the plate of food. “How about church?”
“Church?” She filled her own plate and sat down opposite him. “You must be joking?” He never went to church when she was in Los Angeles. She took Sydney when she was little on occasion, but could not bring herself to joining one.
“I’d like to go to St Basil’s tonight. It’s supposed to be a beautiful service.”
Irina gaped somewhat in shock. She had gone many times she was a girl growing up in Moscow. Her mother and her grandmother took her, Katya and Yelena. When she joined the KGB, it definitely was not the thing to do or admit to doing. Still the service at Christmas was wonderful. “Do you know what the Russian service is like?”
“A little, but we could stay for awhile and then leave. It’s just that my life could use some enrichment.” He finished the eggs and toast.
Irina stared; then smiled. “Very well. We will go to church. Did you bring the right clothes? It is freezing.”
“Of course, sweetheart. Go get dressed.”
She returned minutes later wearing fur-lined boots, wool slacks over silk underwear—both pants and blouse. There was a red wool turtleneck over that, another jacket and over that heavy wool full-length overcoat with a fur-lined collar. On her head, she wore a lamb’s wool hat. Jack was similarly dressed, but wore a shapkas, which tended to make him look even taller.
Grigor drove them. He left them at the entrance and disappeared. Jack, holding Irina’s arm, led her into the cathedral. He was surprised to see nearly five hundred, perhaps even a thousand people packed inside. Jack held her back. He saw no reason to penetrate the mob.
Moments later, Grigor stepped up behind them. The service was ongoing and the priest was going on about the birth of the Christ child. It sounded so different in Russian that Jack closed his eyes. He put his hands on Irina’s shoulders, letting his thumbs move over her shoulder blades. As he worked, his thoughts ran away from the present to the past.
Did he ever go to church with Laura and Sydney? Trying hard to remember, he could not think of one time he went with them. He sighed.
Grigor moved up next to him. He parked the car and was inside where it was much warmer. Looking over the heads of most of the worshippers, he began to survey the backs of the men and women. He thought his wife told him she was coming earlier. Jack’s hands never stopped rubbing Irina’s shoulders and upper back as he watched Grigor.
“What?”
Grigor leaned over and whispered. “My wife...I think she is here.”
“Why didn’t you go with her instead of us?”
“She came with Petr’s wife and came much earlier.”
The priest droned on and on. People were restless, but it was warm in the cathedral and many decided it was better here than outside. Irina seemed rapt as she listened to what the priest was saying.
“We can go anytime,” Jack whispered. It had been over an hour since they arrived.
Irina moved, turning to face him. “Spasibo, Jack.”
Jack took her by the elbow. Grigor left as soon as he heard Jack. The pair walked slowly out into the front of the magnificent cathedral. Moments later, the car stopped at the bottom of the steps. They entered and were driven to the apartment house. There, Jack helped Irina out of the car and up the steps. Grigor parked the car inside the quadrangle.
As they went up the stairs, Jack steered Irina to her door. “I thought you wanted to stay at Sydney’s.”
“I do, but your gifts are in your apartment.”
“Wait, in my apartment? Why didn’t you…” Jack had opened the door with her code. Irina turned and gaped.
The interior was lighted with what looked to be a hundred candles. An eight foot fully decorated tree stood in the corner, blazing with multicolored faceted blinking lights. There were packages under the tree. The table was covered with a new bright red tablecloth and a spray of poinsettia’s and pine boughs decorated the middle. Christmas music played softly.
“Jack!” Irina’s eyes glowed. “When…when did you…”
The door to her master bedroom opened. Nadia, followed by Sydney carrying Isabelle entered the room grinning. The little girl was wide-eyed staring at the tree, the candles and finally at her grandparents. Irina stood still in shock.
“Merry Christmas, Mom,” said the two younger women.
Irina was shaking. “Jack, I could…” She turned and kissed him. She strode forward and hugged Nadia. It took doctors almost a year to find the antidote that brought Nadia back into the world.
She looked at her eldest daughter whom she had not seen since Sovogda. “Moya Boje, Sydushka. I am so sorry about Vaughn. He loved you so much.” She kissed her on both cheeks, reaching over the young child. She then looked down. “May I?” Irina held out her arms. Isabelle reached out at her.
“Of course, Mom!” Sydney grinned. She gave Irina the child. Irina wore long diamond earrings, which seemed to fascinate Isabelle, who was smiling up at her Grandmother.
Irina stared at her granddaughter adoringly. Sydney and Nadia grinned at each other. Both were right when they discussed what their mother’s reaction would be. Irina paid no attention to anyone, cooing at Isabelle in Russian. She sat on the sofa, joined immediately by Jack who put his arm around Irina as she put Isabelle on her knees. They stared at each other, Isabelle cooing and laughing.
“Isn’t she beautiful,” asked Jack.
“She’s glorious.” Irina was ecstatic. Isabelle stared up at her grandparents, gripping Irina’s right index finger. “And strong,” she added.
Sydney walked to the sofa, sitting next to Irina. Nadia took a small space next to Jack. Both girls were smiling.
Just then, Katya stepped out from the kitchen, a digital camera pointed at the family. “I can’t wait to show my co-workers this!” She pushed the button and the flash went off. “I don’t think anyone will believe it.”
Irina didn’t care. She held Isabelle up, staring at her lovingly. “Oh Sydney, she looks just like you when you were a baby.” She looked at Jack for confirmation and he nodded. She put Isabelle into her arms. Looking at her sister, said, “Now take a picture again with my family.”
Katya smiled and took the picture. She pulled up a chair. “Schaslivovo Rozhdestva, Rishka!”
“Merry Christmas to you too, Katya,” said Irina softly and smiling at her. She turned to Jack. “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had.” She kissed him. “Thank you…thank you all.
FINI
