Cries of the Children(31)

“What is it, child?”

“I . . . I guess I fell asleep.”

“So early in the day?” Bettina asked worriedly. “I hope you aren’t ill.”

“I’m fine,” Lorraine said, forcing a smile.

“Well, all right . . .”

Bettina returned to her knitting. Lorraine tried to call Marty back to her, but he was gone again.

Who was he? the little girl wondered. And who was that terrible man?





14


EVERYTHING SEEMED to be back to normal when Tati woke up the next morning. She could hear Helga singing in the kitchen, and the house was full of wonderful breakfast smells. While Olivia went on sleeping, Tatiana crept quietly from the room and downstairs. She hoped she had beat Steven awake, so she could have a few minutes with her parents. When she entered the kitchen and saw no sign of Steven, she began to believe this was going to be an okay day.

“Good morning, Tati,” her father said. “Did you sleep okay last night?”

“I guess so,” Tatiana said.

She sat down and Helga put a plate of blintzes in front of her. They were Tatiana’s favorite kind, made with bits of fruit. She smiled at Helga, and the German woman stroked her cheek for just a moment before returning to work.

Tatiana looked around.

“Did Steven go home this morning?” she asked. “Did you find his family?”

“It’s a little early in the morning for that,” Eric said. “Steven is asleep upstairs.”

Tatiana tried to be annoyed about this, but everything was going so well that she couldn’t.

“Well, I decided something,” she announced. “It’s okay for Steven to have my bed. I know it’s only for a few days.”

Rachel put her coffee cup down and turned to look at her daughter.

“You don’t understand, do you?” she said. “Steven may be here much longer than a few days. It could take months to find his family.”

“Months?” There was worry in Tatiana’s voice. It wasn’t that she didn’t like Steven—he’d been nice to help her with her homework—it was just that she wanted things to be the way they’d always been.

Her father sensed her bewilderment. He poured a glass of milk for her and said, “We’re doing the best we can to find his family. They must be looking for him too. Between all of us I’m sure we’ll have this . . . this situation resolved shortly enough.”

Rachel slammed her coffee cup down into its saucer. She pushed her chair back and left the room. Tatiana stared at her retreating figure.

“Why is Mommy so mad?” she asked.

“I don’t know, honey,” Eric said. “Don’t you worry about it. Finish your breakfast so you can get ready for Mass.”

He left the kitchen, passing Olivia on his way to the master bedroom. She was already dressed, and she gave him a good-morning kiss. Upstairs, Eric found Rachel sitting at her vanity, putting on makeup with short, angry gestures.

“Why did you say that?” she demanded.

“What?” Eric asked, opening the closet to find a suit. “I don’t understand what made you angry, Rachel.”

“You called Steven a ‘situation’!”

Eric carried his suit to the bed.

“Don’t twist my words,” he said. “Having Steven here as a guest is a ‘situation.’ I certainly didn’t mean to insult the child. He’s a nice kid. But it bothers me that you seem to think you’ll have him indefinitely. He isn’t our child, Rachel. You can’t let yourself become too attached to him.”

Rachel turned on him, a tube of mascara held like a weapon.

“Someone has to care for him!” she cried. “At least I have feelings. The poor child is all alone!”

Eric was silent for a moment. His voice was soft when he spoke again.

“Yes, I suppose he is,” he said. “Especially now that Nina Blair is dead.”

“She didn’t mean anything to him,” Rachel said. “She wasn’t his mother.”

Eric was about to say “neither are you.” But he thought better of it and concentrated on dressing. When he finished, he said, “I’ll go down and get the car ready.”

Neither of the adults realized their voices had carried out the vent in their wall and into Tatiana’s room. Steven lay awake on the bed, listening to them. They were fighting about him, and he was worried. Even though he had been here only a day, it seemed he was already causing trouble for this family. But how could that be? He just knew that somehow he belonged to these people! He only wished he could remember more.

The door opened just then, and Tatiana came in. Steven quickly blinked away the tears that were rising in his brown eyes. Tati looked at him.