~Even more Complicated~

Maybe Sergey lied. Maybe it wasn't the age of the shed but the number he chose for his brother.

His eyes finally landed on me. My throat constricted.

A wave of nostalgia washing over me. First there was confusion. Then as if In slow motion, I watched in detail how his one eyes widened, morphing into one of realization, surprise and even still...confusion.

"Zachariah?" He called my name in full. The Russian accent being as clear as day. It didn't help that I was being called that by someone directly related to the one person that made me get triggered by my own name.

"ya predpochitayu Valentino.(i prefer Valentino)" I quickly said. Noticing how his eyes couldn't leave my hair as he smiled.

"Valentino VanShov" he repeated as if reassuring himself. My eyes landed on his hair too. The same grey stripe except his had expanded more than I remember on his brown hair.

Old age was taking it's toll.

"my dali uyti.(we have to go)" I snapped myself out of it.

He nodded and without question, he turned to the officer,"voz'mi moi veshchi.(Get My stuff)"

"tebe eto ne ponadobitsya.(You won't need it)" I interjected.

****

Before I knew it I was in the air with my father. He kept quiet throughout the ride. I noticed how he kept looking outside seemingly in deep thoughts.

I wasn't expecting him to recognize me immediately, but I wasn't surprised he did.

With the poliosis that runs in the blood of my father's lineage. It spells I'm a VanShov.

"You know, I've tried escaping this hell-hole" I turned to my father, who yelled over the sound of the rolling blades. He laughed between the sentence,"Did not work out" his russian accent still clear.

How can he be so chill about anything?

I looked down at the ice water surrounding the building.

"How's my brother?" He asked and a wave of adrenaline courses through my body. I wanted to punch him off the plane.

Forget about me. He wasn't asking about his wife. I knew he was a bad father but a bad husband too?

I took a deep breath in to calm myself."On the brink of death" and a shaky breath out.

I wasn't expecting him to inquire more about the topic and he didn't.

We stayed silent through out the helicopter ride to the Russian mansion.

Immediately we got back to the house. I saw all the maids surprise, and the smile on my father's face.

"I never thought I'd see this house again" he muttered.

I nodded not sure how to respond to that.

We walked up the stairs and the maids immediately bowed. Everyone muttering greetings.

We entered the house and Immediately picked up the pace to get up the stairs into my room.

"Valentino?" I stopped on my tracks and turned to him. His eyes kept looking around like he was new to his own house."Where's your mother?"

His eyes held longing. "In New York"

"Oh, That's where we are going then"

"Yeah" I nodded and was about turning back to get to the room but he interrupted again.

"What about the men and...uhh little Nickolai?"

I just wanted to give a simple answer 'They're busy' but decided against it. I was surprised he remembered his name. "Most are in New York, the rest here." He nodded in understanding, "As for Nickolai..." I watched his face morph into one of nervousness but he tried his best to hide it."He's also in New York. Working under Alek"