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I nod, but then I realize she's asked me in Russian. I smile and respond in kind. She smiles brightly.
“My name is Stella,” she tells me, and then in English, “Sergey has been teaching us, but Momma got us classes too. Sergey is more fun.”
I laugh. “You are learning very well.”
“Thank you!” she beams.
The girls have finished their job of leading us over to a picnic table where a group of people have gathered. One of them I recognize as the man who was in Sergey's apartment the day I arrived, who turns out to be the girls' father.
“Okay, who is she?”
I blink at the person who asks upon realizing he's sitting next to someone who looks exactly like him. How many twins are walking around this place? The brother slaps the speaker in the back of the head.
“Don't be rude, Cal.”
“We're all wanting to know,” he says.
“Her name is Galina. That is who she is,” Sergey states with a note of finality. I wait for more questions, but not a soul asks a follow-up question.
Well, he's not saying I'm his wife, so that's good.
I'm quickly introduced to entirely too many people. Sergey then leaves me with someone named Sylvia, claiming I'm in good hands, while he supposedly runs off to grab us something to drink. Sylvia nestles a baby to her chest. She tells me his name is Seth. I nod. Everyone seems to be watching me, still. Meanwhile, I spot Sergey, off chatting away with someone.
He actually looks happy and in his element.
“You look like a fish out of water.”
“I'm sorry?” I bring my attention back to my party caretaker.
“You look very uncomfortable,” Sylvia repeats. She leans in closer. “I know who you actually are.” If possible, I stop breathing. “I'm quite fond of your husband. Almost more than anyone else on the team aside from my own husband. He's a good man and why the hell you don't want him quite frankly makes me wonder what the hell is wrong withyou. If you don't see it, then Sergey needs to ignore my advice to give it a go and run as far away as he can.”
She leaves me stunned as she leans away as if she wasn't even talking to me. Upon her dismissal, it seems as if everyone else takes her cue and realizes I'm nothing worth paying attention to after all.
This is almost as bad as being back home. Anytime I’ve decided to venture back home, it’s as if my family does a one-eighty. As if their disappointment is so great, it’s too much to interact with me. I’m largely ignored, possibly as punishment for my actions. Even here, the same thing is happening. Can I not go anywhere without my marriage and those who support it making me feel so minuscule?
I stand up to go find myself something to drink. Or, that's what I'm telling myself is the reason I'm getting up. This is too hard; I wish I never came to find Sergey. The reward was not worth it. There is no reward. There rarely is in my life.
I spot a cooler on the other side of the pool and head that way. A few people are in the pool. Someone is manning a grill. Seems like quite a few people are in town, but then I don't know how many people normally show up for these parties.
As I walk by the pool, kids run toward me. They are chasing each other and it looks like Stella might have a tight squeeze between me and a chair that wasn't pushed in. I turn sideways to give her more room, but Stella bumps into me just as I turn. It's enough that I lose my balance and fall backward into the pool with a small shriek.
Luckily, no one is behind me. I surface with a sputter to see a group of horrified little kids staring at me.
“It's fine,” I immediately tell them. No one pushed me intentionally, and the last thing I want is to be the reason these kids get in trouble. “I was planning to go for a swim anyway.”
“In your clothes?” Stella asks, not buying my story.
“Yep.”
“Galina!” Sergey skids to a stop next to the kids, looking equally horrified.
“I'm fine,” I repeat. “Decided to go for a dip.”
Parents start shouting kids' names and one by one, they disperse.
“Are you going to get out?” he asks.
I shake my head. While a complete accident, I’m embarrassed. Enough attention has been drawn to me and if I can hide in the pool for a bit, that sounds like a great idea.
