Doing her best to pretend that nothing was wrong, Christina spent most of Friday helping Misha and Nina with household chores. Her attempts to savor her time with Misha and Nina were crushed by their concerned looks. When she looked into their faces, all she saw was worry. The women carried on all day, making small talk and doing chores. None of them dared to address the complications that that were tearing Christina in two.

        Christina felt utterly lost. Had she ever felt so disconnected? Perhaps, when Amy had dumped her, but this was far worse. There was no way she could hold on to her family, and she doubted that even her gift, if Andrei could pull it off, would mend the rift that had formed between her and Alek.

        When Alek returned from the store that night, Christina retreated to her room, using an upset stomach as an excuse. With all of her worries, her stomach had been churning all day, but the truth was, she didn't want to give her uncle another opportunity to attack her. Though it was only six-thirty, Christina removed all her clothes and changed into to a pair of cotton panties and her pink and blue cotton sleepshirt that bore a sleeping kitty. She crawled into bed and made her best effort to sleep, knowing that Nina would come for her when they were ready.

        Christina tossed and turned through a fitful sleep. Her mind filled with disjointed images of her family, her apartment, and her old job. It was all slipping away and there was nothing she could do.

        "Christina," came a far away voice. "Christina, it's time," the voice insisted.

        Christina opened her eyes and saw that Nina was standing over her. "What time is it?" Christina yawned.

        "A little before two," Nina replied groggily.

        "Two!" Christina squeaked. Knocking off her covers, she sat straight up and grabbed the clock off her nightstand.

        "We couldn't start any earlier. Mom and Dad were up late."

        "Why were they up late?" Christina complained. "They're never up late!"

        "I don't know," Nina frowned, "They were arguing about something."

        Christina looked at her cousin standing before her in her long cotton night gown and worried expression. Hugging Nina, Christina consoled, "It's okay, Nina. I think I know what they were fighting about. It's going to be okay."

        "Let's go," said Nina.

        As Christina stepped quietly down the hallway behind Nina, she felt the cool air caress her long bare legs and the base of her pantied bottom that just barely peeked out from underneath the short nightshirt.

        Andrei didn't even budge when the two girls entered his room.

        Walking up beside her older cousin, Christina placed her hand on his shoulder and asked, "How much time did we lose tonight?"

        "More than I would have liked." he responded. He looked over his shoulder at her and assured, "I don't think we're in trouble yet." Andrei saw what his cousin was wearing and did an involuntary double-take.

        Noticing Andrei's response, Christina smiled a little. She wasn't at all attracted to Andrei, and she certainly did not enjoy his crush on her, but it was reassuring that she could still turn his head, even with Steph's competition. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Christina asked.

        "Not right now," Andrei said, focusing on the interplay of the mainspring with the weights.

        Christina nodded and joined Nina on Andrei's bed. She surveyed Andrei's room and was shocked to see that it had not yet reverted to its formerly disheveled state. The only mess she found was a pile of scrap paper on Andrei's nightstand. She examined the pages and found fevered drawings of gears and spokes and parts. Had Andrei bothered to sleep? She was beginning to understand how he could spend all his time in the barn.

        Noticing the goose bumps on her cousin's slender legs, Nina pulled Andrei's blankets over herself and Christina

        The girls snuggled tightly together in Andrei's bed while he worked tirelessly on the clock. Christina held Nina against her chest, something both girls found comforting.

 

        Andrei was still hard at work when the first rays of sunlight invaded through the window blinds.

        Christina, the first to wake up, surveyed Andrei's work then gave Nina a gentle nudge.

        The younger girl wiped her eyes and looked at Andrei's alarm clock. Hopping out of bed, Nina yawned, "We have to get Dad's clock downstairs."

        Christina said, "Why don't you take it, Nina?"

        Nina took the clock under her arm and hurried downstairs.

        "You look so tired," Christina said as she pulled back the covers of Andrei's bed.

        "I'm fine," Andrei said as he gritted his teeth in a feeble attempt to capture his long yawn. Without bothering to change his clothes, he climbed into bed next to his cousin. As soon as his head hit the pillow, his eyes shut.

        Brushing Andrei's short brown hair with her fingers, Christina whispered, "Thank you, Andrei, for everything."

        Andrei gave a small nod in response.

        "We're not going to make it, are we." Christina stated.

        "Maybe we will."

        Christina continued stroking his head gently and whispered, "Be honest."

        Andrei cracked his eyes and said, "No."

        Christina nodded, though she didn't look very upset. "Get some sleep Andrei. I don't want you to kill yourself."

        "I'm not going to let you down," Andrei yawned, half asleep.

        "You didn't," she whispered.

        Pulling up the covers on her side of the bed, Christina slid out as gently as she could as to not disturb her exhausted cousin. She pulled her nightshirt back down around her bottom and tiptoed out of her Andrei's bedroom. Christina ran into a tired Nina coming up the stairs.

        "Okay," Nina said, "It's back on the wall. Nobody saw me. I think we should get some sleep, and maybe we can get to work earlier, tonight."

        "Nina," Christina began slowly, "I don't think we're going to work on the clock tonight."

        Nina stared at her cousin, trying to make sense of what she had just said. "What are you saying? We've got to finish it."

        "That's just it," Christina explained, "We don't have time. One more night is just not long enough."

        "But it's Christmas Eve!" she insisted. "We have to try at least!"

        "Nina ... Andrei's exhausted. We've worn him out. And even if he was wide awake, there just aren't enough hours."

        Nina frowned and remarked, "Well that's just stupid!" folding her hands and grimacing stubbornly. She held that pose for a moment, then her face changed. She was pondering something, but just what it was, wasn't betrayed by her eyes. "Okay," she started logically, "So what we really need is more hours. Let's go get them." She turned around and walked determinedly back down the stairs.

        Christina stepped after her, calling, "What do you mean, get more hours?"

        Nina didn't answer. She continued down the stairs and into the kitchen as though she couldn't hear her cousin.

        Christina stopped short at the kitchen doorway and peeked in to see if her uncle was there. She saw a used plate on the table and decided that he must have already left for work.

        "Mom!" Nina called insistently to her mother. "You have to see something."

        "In a moment dear," Misha said from behind her stack of pans and dishes soaking in the kitchen sink.

        "No Nina, don't-" Christina stammered.

        Nina shouted, "Mom, you have to come right now!"

        Misha put down the plate she was scrubbing and turned around to face her daughter. "Just what is so important that you need to yell?" she asked incredulously.

        "Just come on!" Nina commanded as she stormed into the living room.

        Misha entered the living room, still wearing her apron, just as Nina removed the antique clock from the wall. "Nina!" Misha gasped, "What are you doing? You should not do that!" Misha held her hands in front of her as though she were about to snatch the clock from her daughter's hands from the other side of the room.

        Nina hoisted the clock up under her thin arm and insisted, "Just come with me, and look for yourself," she said as she defiantly took the clock back upstairs.

        Misha lifted up the skirt of her house dress and scampered up the stairs after her daughter as she warned, "Be careful with that!"

        Nina burst open the door to Andrei's room, causing Andrei to jump up in his bed in startled annoyance. She stormed over to the table and placed the clock down amongst the loose gears and partially assembled mechanism.

        Following close behind, Misha gasped when she saw the dissected clock. "What have you done!" she exclaimed.

        "We're fixing Dad's clock," Nina explained calmly. "Christina brought the parts from her father's clock, and Andrei is putting them in Dad's."

        Wondering what had come over Nina, Andrei shot Christina a half-shocked, half-exhausted glance.

        Christina shrugged in response.

        Misha's surprised expression melted into curiosity as she surveyed her son's progress.

        "It's Christina's Christmas present for Dad," Nina added. "We've been working on it at night."

        Misha reached her hand out to the assembled mechanism, but did not dare touch it. "This is what you have been up to," she said in astonished realization.

        "You knew?" Nina asked.

        "No, I did not know, but I am not blind, Nina. I knew the three of you were up to something."

        "There's isn't enough time to finish tonight. We need to work on it all day .... so ... we need you to keep our secret, okay?"

        "Can this be done, Andrei?" Misha asked her half-asleep son.

        "No," Andrei yawned, "But ask me again in a few hours." He pulled his covers over his head and went to sleep.

        "Alright, Nina," Misha said wearily, "But you must not do any damage."

        "Andrei can do it, Aunt Misha," Christina assured. "I know he can."

        "Nina," Misha said, looking at Christina rather than her daughter, "Get ready for the day. I need your help downstairs."

        Nina rushed out the bedroom door and into the bathroom.

        Misha walked over to the table and picked up one of the loose gears and held it in her hand. She asked, "This is all that is left of your father's clock, is it not?"

        Christina answered, "Yes."

        "Are you sure you want to give this away Tina? You are not doing this because Alek is cross with you?"

        "No," Christina said, shaking her head, "I decided before I came home."

        "Then why, dear?"

        "I just wanted to give him something that would let him know how much ..." Christina bit her lower lip and tried to put her feelings into words. "Uncle Alek is very important to me."

        Misha put down the gear, went over to Christina, and held her hand. "Alright dear," she smiled. "Get some rest. You look very tired."

        "Okay."

        Christina left the room, and Misha walked back to the table. Running her hands over the face of the clock, she wondered, just for a moment, if her son actually could repair such a complex thing. She didn't think it was possible, but she was so proud of her children for trying.

 

        Misha woke Christina up at eleven forty-five in the morning. She told Christina to wear something nice, as she was expected to join the family for Christmas Eve dinner.

        Christina did not want to go, but she was not going to argue with her aunt.

        It took her an hour to shower, dress, and complete her hair and make up. She wore a simple polka-dotted navy dress with short sleeves. It wasn't overly dressy, but it wasn't something she was likely to wear to church. As Christina appraised herself in the mirror, she wondered why she even went through the trouble of getting dressed up. Usually she dressed well to please her uncle, but she certainly didn't want to be noticed tonight. Taking her necklace off her nightstand, Christina clasped it around her neck and gave the gear a squeeze before letting it drop.

        Ready for the day, Christina went across the hallway into Andrei's bedroom. As expected, her older cousin was hunched over his makeshift workbench, trying to complete his task. "Hey," Christina called from behind him, "Level with me- where do we stand?"

        Andrei put down his tiny screwdriver and pliers and answered, "It's going to be tight, but I think we're might just make it. Assuming anything I'm doing makes sense, that is..."

        "Great," Christina beamed, "You know, Nina is smarter than the both of us put together."

        "Yes, it is a surprise to all of us." he joked, as he resumed his work.

        Sitting on the edge of Andrei's bed, Christina crossed her legs and imagined tomorrow morning in her mind. She could hear the clock chime, and see the look of astonished joy on her uncle's face. Wrapping her arms around herself, she pictured him holding her. Christina spent the entire afternoon in Andrei's bedroom. When she wasn't fantasizing about tomorrow morning, she passed the time fetching Andrei drinks, and watching him work.

        Andrei worked right up until the moment his father pulled into the driveway. Christina had the clock back on the wall well before her Alek had entered the house. With her aunt now a member of the conspiracy, she was not afraid of being caught with her uncle's clock. She was, however, afraid of eating in her uncle's presence. His cruel words from the previous morning still stung.

        Christina again spent dinner avoiding her uncle's eyes, though she was sure that they were upon her the entire time. Andrei and Nina, much to their mother's annoyance, ate quickly so that they could return to the work upstairs. Misha, however, studied her husband throughout the meal, looking for any indication that he'd come to his senses. It wasn't exactly the sort of Christmas Eve that Misha had hoped for.

        Misha, now a full-fledged conspirator, cleverly coaxed her husband to bed earlier than normal, affording Andrei an early start on the clock that night. Christina and Nina sat around Andrei's bedroom, watching him work for the third night. This was the final attempt; either the clock would be restored, or Christina would have nothing to give to her uncle. Andrei again worked late into the night. Unlike previous nights, the girls did not even bother to change into their bedclothes. They hovered over Andrei, still in their dresses from the previous day. Andrei was now beyond assembling the device; he'd moved on to installing the reconstituted mechanism to the body of the clock.

        "It is past four! Are you still not finished?" came Misha's tired voice from the doorway.

        "Come in, Mom!" Nina whispered.

        Misha hurried over to her son's side to examine his work. An astonished look crossed her face when she saw his progress. She had not thought Andrei was capable of repairing the clock, but the evidence in front of her was irrefutable. She was invigorated, as were her girls, in that Andrei appeared to be on track to complete the clock by morning. She squeezed in between Nina and Christina on the edge of Andrei's bed and watched him work.

        The time was slipping away. Four o'clock blurred into four-thirty, and then into five. Christina had taken to biting her fingernails and was sharply admonished by her aunt. With no other outlet for her nervous energy, Christina began pacing the length of her cousin's bedroom. When that was no longer enough, she took out her necklace and squeezed it tightly in her hand until the teeth of the tiny gear ate into her palm.

        Andrei put down his tools. There was nothing more than a few metal scraps and rods left on the table. Christina took notice and halted her pacing. The teeth of the gear still dug into her hand. Andrei stared at the clock but he did not speak. He studied it for several minutes with the same incisive stare that he displayed the first night. Misha watched her son with barely contained anticipation that quickly turned into frustration. She exploded, "Is it done Andrei?"

        Andrei sat up straight and let out a long, slow exhale. It was as though he'd been holding his breath all night. "No," he said decisively.

        "What do you mean, 'no?'" Nina bursted.

        With a grim look on his face, he slowly stood and faced his Mother and sister. He then turned to Christina and said, "I'm missing something."

        "What's missing?" Nina shouted, forgetting the lateness of the hour.

        Andrei went over to his cousin and took her hand in his. He opened Christina's palm, slowly displaying the gear on her necklace. "I'm missing this," he said.

        A scared look seized Christina's face. "I didn't think you would need this too," she forced through the lump in her throat.

        "I know," Andrei said as he looked compassionately into her eyes. "I tried my best to work around it."

        Misha stood up and rushed between them and yanked Christina's hand from her son's. "This is finished," she commanded. "Andrei, you have done very well, and I am proud of you." She looked around at her children and said, "I am proud of all of you, but we are finished."

        "No we're not," Christina whispered.

        Misha watched as Christina slowly unclasped the necklace from around her long, slender neck and held it out.

        "Tina," Misha implored, "Do not do this."

        Christina's bottom lip quivered slightly, and she whispered, "It's okay."

        Andrei looked at his mother cautiously, then reached out for the necklace. Scooping it up from Christina's hand, he returned to the desk and continued working.

        Misha went to hug her niece, but Christina backed away and folded her arms tightly. Taking the hint, Misha returned to her seat on the bed next to Nina.

        Andrei worked for another twenty minutes as his mother and sister watched on. Standing by herself in the middle of the room, Christina stared at the floor. She felt completely naked without her necklace hanging around her neck.

        Again putting down his tools, Andrei stood up and cradled the clock in his arm so it was perpendicular to the floor. He pulled the chains at the bottom and adjusted the weights. All eyes were on him as he slowly opened the door and swung the pendulum. He drew his hand away slowly, and the pendulum continued to swing on its own power. Andrei smiled broadly, and Nina and Misha jumped up and hugged each other. They used every ounce of their restraint not to cry out in triumph.

        Misha grabbed her son and hugged him tightly. "You did it, Andrei!" she gushed. As she held her son, Misha looked over her Andrei's shoulder and saw the forced smile on her niece's face. Misha announced, "Alright, children, the sun will be up soon, and there is no time to rejoice."

        She took the clock from Andrei's hands and gave it to Nina. "Take that downstairs Nina, then off to bed," she commanded.

        "You," she said, as she pointed a finger at Andrei, "Get into bed this very instant."

        Andrei did not need to be told twice. For the third consecutive night, he collapsed onto his bed with his clothes still on.

        Misha went to Christina, who was nervously scratching at her scalp. Taking Christina by the hand, Misha led her niece to her bedroom and closed the door behind them. Christina sat down on her bed, and Misha sat beside her.

        "It's just a stupid piece of metal," Christina mumbled. She had put up a good front in the presence of her cousins, but now, alone with her aunt, she couldn't hold back anymore. She began to breathe erratically and burst into tears. Her sobs were so powerful that they shook her entire body.

        Misha guided Christina down so that the girl was laying on her side with her head resting in Misha's lap. Misha gently stroked her niece's hair, but she knew there was nothing she could do to console her.

 

        Christina lay in bed, wide awake. Misha had stayed with her until she couldn't cry anymore. After her aunt left, Christina didn't get much sleep.

        Christina heard a loud knocking on her door. Pulling the pillow off her face, she sat up in bed and saw Nina standing in her doorway.

        Thin strips of light from the window blinds crisscrossed the girl's feet as she walked Into the room and leaned against the foot of Christina's bed. Nina was standing in yellow cotton pajamas and grinning from ear to ear. "Come on!," she exclaimed, "It's time to open the presents!"

        Christina pulled back the covers and stepped onto the cold hardwood floor. She looked at her self in her full length mirror. She adjusted her satin pajamas and took stock of herself.

        "I'm a mess," she complained.

        "No you're not!" Nina giggled.

        Christina whined, "I need to take a shower and fix my hair."

        Grabbing Christina's hand, Nina dragged her cousin to the door over her protests.

        "Okay!" Christina laughed. "I have to brush my teeth at least!"

        Nina waited impatiently as Christina scrubbed her teeth. Christina almost spat out the toothpaste laughing at her cousin. Nina looked as though she would burst at any moment from frustration. Once Christina was finished, Nina resumed rushing her down the stairs.

        Alek, Misha, and Andrei were already waiting in the living room. The Christmas tree was lit up with the lights and decorations that Christina and Nina had arranged, and the entire room had been accented with fresh pine wreaths. A garland hung over the front door, crowned with a fresh clipping of mistletoe. It was the perfect vision of a family Christmas.

        Christina had trouble meeting her uncle's eye as she descended the stairs. He and Misha were sitting closely together on the couch.

        Resting in an armchair next to Boris, Andrei looked insanely tired as he struggled to remain conscious.

        Christina and Nina took their places on the floor in front of the smoldering fireplace.

        "What are we waiting for?" Misha beamed. She pointed towards two gifts; one addressed to Nina, and one for Christina. The girls took the brightly wrapped boxes and opened them. Each contained a pair of handmade bunny slippers. Nina's bunnies had perky upright ears while Christina's had droopy lop ears. Both of the girls were delighted.

        "Mom, these are perfect!" Nina cried.

        Christina slipped her pair on over her cold bare feet and said, "Wow, these are so fuzzy!"

        "That's because they are made from real bunnies," said Andrei seriously.

        Both the girls looked at Andrei in shock as he broke out into laughter.

        "Andrei!" Misha admonished. "They are not made from bunnies!"

        "How did you make them, Aunt Misha?" Christina asked.

        "Oh, it's not hard, child."

        Christina begged, "You have to show me how."

        "Don't you know how to sew dear?"

        Christina shook her head.

        "I will teach you later," Misha promised.

        Christina grabbed a long box and handed it to Nina. "This is for you," she announced.

        Nina ripped open the wrapping paper and pulled out two pairs of jeans. The girl's face lit up.

        Christina said, "I thought it was about time you had a pair of jeans, Nina."

        "I love them," Nina smiled. "We have to try them on later." Nina pulled a small gift out of the pile and handed it to her cousin.

        Christina carefully removed the wrapping paper and opened the box. She pulled out a light pink sleep mask that was crowned with a small bow.

        "What made you think of this?" Christina giggled as she pulled the sleep mask over her forehead.

        "You sleep with a pillow over your head every night!"

        "Yeah, I guess I do."

        The family exchanged a few more gifts as Boris sat in the corner chewing on the end of the massive bone Christina had bought for him.

        Christina could hardly wait to give out the rest of her presents. Unable to contain herself, she pulled a large box out from under the tree and placed it in Andrei's lap. She slid next to him and gushed, "I hope you like it."

        Andrei shook the box, feeling its heft. Opening the large gift, he pulled out the cordless drill and gasped at it in awe. "I can really use one of these," he said as he woke up. He looked at the drill for a moment then put it back in the box. "This is too expensive," he complained. "I can't accept it especially when-" Christina's nervous grimace made Andrei hold his tongue. He almost let out the secret that Christina had lost her job in front of his parents. "It's too expensive," he repeated firmly.

        Christina insisted, "You have to take it, and I won't take no for an answer." Leaning over her older cousin's lap, Christina grabbed at a medium sized gift with her name on it. "Is this for me, Andrei?" she grinned.

        Wincing, Andrei said, "Don't open that right now."

        "Why not?" Christina asked in disappointment.

        "Um ... it's not ... I ... I want to get you something else."

        "It doesn't matter what it is, Andrei. I will love it, I'm sure."

        "No don't," he insisted. "Your gift was too expensive... I should get something better."

        "Don't be silly," Christina dismissed as she greedily ripped off the wrapping paper in spite of Andrei's pained look. She uncovered an intricately carved wooden jewelry box. Christina bit her lower lip as she examined it. There was a single large, velvet lined, compartment with two short sliding drawers underneath. Christina instinctively touched her chest with her palm and was reminded of the void around her neck.

        "I'm sorry," Andrei whispered. "I can make you something else."

        "I told you I would love anything you made for me, and I love this," she insisted sadly. Christina continued examining the box and asked, "You spent a lot of time on this, didn't you?"

        Andrei gave her a playful punch on the shoulder and joked, "Did you think I forgot about you?"

        Christina smiled and said, "I'd have to be crazy to think that, wouldn't I?" Sitting on the arm of Andrei's chair, Christina gave Andrei a hug as she whispered, "Thank you."

        Andrei gave Christina a squeeze then went searching in the pile of gifts. He handed Christina a long box which was addressed to her from her uncle.

        Christina opened it, revealing a large striped sweater. She held it up over her chest and noticed that it had long cuffs that covered the tops of her hands. Turning to her uncle, Christina beamed, "Thank you Uncle Alek! It's perfect!"

        Alek muttered, "Your aunt picked it out."

        Christina let the sweater drop and frowned. It wasn't open hostility, but it wasn't the sort of loving response she craved from her uncle. Folding the sweater, Christina stuffed it back into the box. She added it to the stack with Nina's jeans so she could wear when the girls would try on their presents.

        Retrieving the last present from underneath the tree, Christina took it over to her Misha. Christina sat on the floor at her aunt's feet and said, "I tried really hard to find you the perfect gift. I hope you like it."

        Stroking Christina's hair, Misha assured her niece, "You do not have to get me anything Tina. It is enough that you are here with us." Misha opened the gift deliberately, in an attempt to salvage the shiny silver wrapping paper. Once she securely removed the wrappings, she removed a leather tome from its box and placed it on her lap. Opening the book, Misha slowly flipped through the pages. "Tina," she whispered. "Did you write all of this yourself?"

        "Yes," Christina grinned. "It's absolutely every recipe you've ever taught me. You've taught me so much; I just wanted you to know how grateful I am."

        Misha was overcome with emotion. "This must have taken days, child."

        Nina jumped up and looked over her mother's shoulder at the book. "Wow!" she exclaimed.

        "Do you like it?" Christina asked.

        Standing up and handing the book to Nina, Misha said, "Yes Tina, of course! It is wonderful." She helped Christina to her feet and held her tightly.

        Alek surveyed the empty space under the tree and announced. "Ah! That is all. Finally time for breakfast!"

        "No Alek," Misha smiled. "There is one more gift. Christina has something for you."

        "Fine," he inhaled testily. "Where is this gift then?"

        Christina looked at her aunt who returned her glance with a nod. Stepping carefully through the piles of wrapping paper and gift boxes, Christina made her way to the far wall. She adjusted the weights of the clock, and opened the glass door.

        Alek stood up and looked at Christina with a mix of confusion and curiosity.

        Pulling the pendulum to one side with her slender fingers, Christina let it drop.

        Alek's watched in awe as the pendulum swung and the clock ticked to life.

        After closing the door, Christina positioned the clock at twelve o' clock.

        The entire family listened as the clock chimed twelve times. Bouncing off the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, the chime could be heard in every corner of the living room. It was a sound that Andrei and Nina had never heard before. It was a sound that was hauntingly familiar to Christina. She could remember a time when she was so small that her father's old clock appeared gargantuan on the walls of her home.

        Alek walked slowly to the clock. He opened the door and looked into the case in astonishment. "How?" was all he could manage to utter.

        Christina held her hands behind her back and stared at her feet. She said, "We used the parts from my father's clock."

        "But how is it even possible?" he continued.

        "Andrei put it together, Uncle Alek," she explained. "He just has a way with things; he's gifted."

        "Andrei?" he asked dumbfounded.

        "It's true," Misha confirmed. "I saw him with my own eyes."

        Andrei stood up and scratched the back of his head.

        Pushing past the litter on the floor to meet his son, Alek asked, "Is this true? Did you really do this Andrei?"

        "Yeah," Andrei shrugged.

        Alek slapped his son on the back and erupted, "Ha!" He took a moment and looked at his son with pride, something he had not shown his son in a long time. "They are right, you are a genius!"

        Andrei grinned uneasily, unaccustomed to such lavish praise from his father.

        "Andrei," Alek said, "I have been all wrong about you. If you can fix this clock, then perhaps you have a real future as a craftsman."

        Unable to believe what his father was saying, Andrei asked, "You think so?"

        Alek hung his large arm around his son's shoulders and walked with him into the kitchen. "Indeed I do, Andrei. You must show me what you are working on in the barn ..." Alek trailed off as he and his son disappeared into the other room.

        Christina stood alone next to the clock. Feeling a tear coming on, she pretended to scratch the side of her nose and went to stand in front of the window.

        "Tina-" Misha started.

        "No," Christina sulked. "It's fine. Andrei really did all the work. And he is a genius. It's about time Uncle Alek realized that." Christina didn't say another word as she just stared outside into the blanket of white.

        Nina went to Christina and stood beside her. She leaned against her Christina, who wrapped her slender arm around her. They stood together, watching the snow blow around in the wind.

        Respecting Christina's desire to be left alone, Misha frowned and began cleaning up the living room.

        "Hey, what's that?" Nina asked.

        Christina responded, "What's what?"

        "There's a box on the front porch."

        The girls went to the front door and opened it. A cold burst of air hit Misha, who was picking up scraps of wrapping paper. Boris ran to the front door, scattering bows and paper across the floor.

        Misha squawked, "What are you two doing?"

        "There's something on the porch Mom!" Nina called.

        Christina was grateful for the warmth provided by her new bunny slippers and she leaned forward and pulled the box out of the snow.

        "What is it Tina?" Misha asked.

        Christina closed the door and held the box out for all to see.

        Nina guessed, "It's probably a gift from Richard."

        "Don't even say that!" Christina barked. She brushed the snow off the top and read aloud, "Merry Christmas, Nina? Nina, who do you know who would leave a gift on your doorstep?"

        "Is it from David?" she asked.

        "It does not say who it is from," Misha observed.

        Christina handed the box to Nina and said, "Well, I guess you'd better open it."

        Nina opened the flaps of the box and saw that it was filled with Christmas gift bows. Reaching in, she pulled out a large, plush reindeer.

        "I don't see a card ..." Christina said with a sly grin.

        "It can't be from David," Nina guessed as she examined the reindeer, "I'm seeing him tomorrow."

        Christina shrugged, saying, "I guess someone has a secret admirer," in mock surprise. The idea that Nina might get involved with someone other than David was the first piece of good news Christina had received all week.

        "We can discuss who Nina's admirer is later," Misha interrupted. "Now we must start cooking for tonight."

        Christina nodded. Christmas dinner was an important meal and she still felt guilty that she hadn't helped with Thanksgiving.

        Nina and Christina went upstairs to shower and dress for the day, then returned to the kitchen. The women of the house kicked Andrei and Alek out of the kitchen and went to work.

        Andrei shot Christina an apologetic glance on the way out.

        Christina was devastated by her uncle's reaction to her gift, but she didn't blame Andrei. Her best defense at the moment was to throw herself into her work. She knew if she stopped for a even a moment, she would cry.

        Before leaving for Steph's parent's house, Andrei came back into the kitchen to apologize to Christina.

        Unwilling to talk about the situation, Christina shooed her older cousin away, claiming there was nothing to talk about.

        Working in the kitchen with Nina and Misha proved to be an excellent distraction. Christina knew that this was the last time that she and the other Levchenko women would prepare a large meal together, and she wasn't going to let her heartbreak with her uncle get in the way.

        Christmas dinner wasn't as awkward as the previous night's. It was, however, a very quiet meal. Usually the family would be boisterously engaged in conversation, but not tonight. Nina and Misha knew of the sacrifice that Christina had made for her uncle, and they were both filled with disappointment. Misha was especially worried; she could feel Christina slipping away. She had been so certain that Christina's gift would mend the rift between her husband and her niece, but it was not to be.

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Edited into coherence by Holly H. Hart.
Thanks to Sephrena Miller for taking an early read.
Hope you enjoyed it. If you liked it or hated it, please leave a tasty comment.
Krunch Away!