My eyes track the clock as it ticks above the mantle. My grandmother is late. She should have been here ten minutes ago and we need to start heading over to the airport in fifteen. Where is she? Tic, tic, tic. Thirteen minutes until we have to leave now. Tic, tic, tic. A knock from the door pulls my attention away from the clock. There's another knock and I burst from my seat. I throw the door open a moment later to reveal my grandmother standing on the front steps, a suitcase behind her. She laughs at my expression.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Calli. There was traffic. But don't worry, we should get there in time."

I nod. "Are you ready, Babushka?"

She can see the rest of the question in my eyes. Are you ready to go home? She gives me a small, slightly sad smile, and nods.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Are you packed?"

I grin and point to the chair where I was watching the clock. "My stuff is just over there."

My grandmother smiles and calls up the stairs to my parents. Or my father, specifically. "Nikolas! How much time do we have?"

I point at the clock before he can answer. "We have to go in nine minutes."

"We'd better make that five, then. Just in case of the traffic."

I frown. "We already planned for that."

"And leaving a bit earlier won't hurt, Calli. Nikolas! Get down here!" She frowns down at me. "Is your father even awake?"

I giggle. "He was awake, but it's pretty early. Maybe he fell back asleep?"

My grandmother smiles mischievously. "So should we go wake him up?"

I grin and dart up the stairs, using the post on the landing to spin myself towards the next steps. I knock on my parents' room and my mother answers.

"What is it, Calli?"

"Did dad fall back asleep?"

She looks at me, momentarily stunned, before her attention starts to my grandmother who has just made her way up the landing. Understanding dawns over her face.

"As a matter of fact, he did."

My mother holds the door open for us to come into the room. My dad is sprawled across the bed, his feet dangling to the floor like he had just sat down to do something. I round the corner of the bed and stifle a laugh. He was in the middle of putting on shoes when he fell asleep. I poke his arm.

"Dad. Dad, we have to go."

He groans. "Whatisit?"

"It's time to wake up now, Dad."

From beside me, my grandmother says, "Up you get, Nikolas."

My dad's eyes snap open to look between the two of us. "What time is it?"

My eyes flicker over to the clock on the nightstand. "It's 6:13. We need to go if we want to be there by 6:45."

He sighs. "Give me a moment. I just need to put on my shoes."

"Don't fall asleep doing them again."

He mock glares at me and makes a shooing motion in his hand. I giggle and leave the room, going back downstairs to sit down.
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What do you think? Did you like this family interaction? What will happen at the airport? What will happen in Russia? Tell me your thoughts!

Happy reading and I'll see you next chapter!

~Goddess of Fate, signing out.