Nicolai's Daughters by Stella Leventoyannis Harvey Read Free Book Online

pucker. He squeezed his eyes shut, swallowed once and then again to rid himself of the taste.
    She opened the oven door, draped a tea towel over her hands and removed the loaf of bread. She put it on the counter and wiped her forehead with the same cloth. “This is what you need,” she said. “Everything will be better soon.” A strand of hair escaped the combs she pushed into the waves to keep the hair off her face. It stuck to her wet cheek.
    His head drooped and he lurched up. The chair scraped against the stone floor.
    â€œMaybe you should rest, Nicky. Eat later.”
    She led him down the hall to his old room. He thought about taking a shower, but it was more effort than he could manage. The bed squeaked as he lay down, just as it had when he was a boy. She took off his shoes, put a pillow under his head and covered him with the old comforter. It smelled of mildew. As she bent down to kiss the top of his head her hair fell against his cheek.
    He wasn’t sure how long he’d slept, but did remember her coming in to see him. His father stood behind her, a hand on her shoulder, his eyes softer. They’d spoken to each other, but he couldn’t hear what was said. Nicolai couldn’t remember his father ever being tender with his mother and wondered if he had dreamt the whole thing.
    In the shower, the spray massaged his neck and shoulders and the hot water surrounded him in a mist he wished he could disappear into. As the water cooled, he turned the cold tap down gradually until there was no hot water left. He got out of the shower, changed and came into the kitchen.
    â€œWater isn’t cheap like in your country,” his father said. He put his coffee down and dropped the section of the paper he’d been reading on top of the pile on the floor.
    â€œYou must be hungry now, Nicky,” his mother said and got up. “Sit here.”
    â€œHe’s a man. Stop using his baby name.” He picked up another section of the paper and opened it in front of his face.
    She shook her head. “Your father doesn’t understand.” She pushed Nicolai onto the chair. “Your sisters are coming tonight for dinner. They came many times in the last day or so, but I told them to let you rest.”
    â€œI’ve been asleep for a day?”
    â€œMaybe more,” his father said. “The young never understand responsibility.”
    â€œYour sisters will be happy to see you.”
    â€œMaybe they will stop their phone calls. You’re back. We know.”
    Nicolai sat down across from his father, the newspaper between them. Neither said another word. His mother brought him a coffee. “Now you’ll feel better.”
    â€œI have to go.” His father got up and tossed the paper on the floor.
    â€œIs there anything I can help you with?” Nicolai asked. He stood up, leaned against the table for support, looked beyond his father to the back door.
    â€œYou can help your mother.”
    Nicolai sat down on his bed and stared at his feet. His sisters were going to be here soon. They’d want to know his plans. What was he doing here? How long was he staying? Was Alexia going to join him? It tired him to think about questions with no answers. He wasn’t going to plan anything again. That much he knew. Life interfered anyway. What was the point?
    He told himself he’d lie down for a few minutes until his sisters arrived. The sun jabbed at his eyelids, but he didn’t turn his back to the window. Alexia was probably in school right now. She loved school; she loved her godparents. He saw her eager smile. He wished he could bring it on as easily as Sara had. Alexia was fine where she was.
    Whispered voices, laughter and the scuff of pans sliding into the oven prodded him awake. Sounds from his childhood. At first, it was just noise. The sky beyond his window was now pinkish blue. He’d slept the afternoon away.
    The smell of roasting meat