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Authors: Tracie Peterson
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Kjell a smile. “Well, that was a surprise.”
“I’ll bet it woke folks up,” his father replied. “I guess they get these earthquakes all the time here.”
“Probably no worse than at home,” Dalton said. “So, do you have everything?”
Dalton glanced around the room to see if he’d forgotten anything. He spied the book he’d been reading on the bedside table. “Guess I can pack this. I won’t have time for reading until we’re well on our way home.”
He picked up the copy of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea . “This is intriguing; you really should read it some—”
The room began to shake again. Dalton lost his footing and fell as the ceiling rained plaster and the windows shattered not far from where he lay.
“Father?” he called against the roar of the earthquake.
“Looks bad,” Kjell called out.
Dalton eased up on all fours and crawled away from the broken glass. “We ought to get out of here.”
“I agree,” Kjell said, grabbing his bag.
Dalton reached for his suitcase as a huge piece of the ceiling separated. “Watch out!” he cried, hoping his father would somehow heed the warning fast enough. But then time ceased to matter.
Yuri sat on the Lindquist porch contemplating the future. He’d awakened early, hearing the baby cry. From the hallway, he could hear Britta singing a lullaby to soothe the infant. Her presence comforted him, but he couldn’t really say why. Perhaps because Britta, like Kjerstin and Dalton, were as much siblings to him as his own brother and sisters had been. Now, watching the morning dawn, Yuri wondered about his family in Russia. He hadn’t heard from them in years. If they were there now, he knew they would offer him help with Laura and Darya. His sister Natasha might even want to take them on to raise with her own children.
“I thought I heard you up and about,” Lydia said as she stepped onto the front porch. “How did you sleep?”
“To be honest, I was pretty restless. I couldn’t seem to sort through all my thoughts,” Yuri replied.
“I can well imagine. You’ve been given a great deal to consider.” She took the seat beside him. “I hope you know how much it pleases me to see you here. You look so much better than the last time I saw you.”
“I was in a bad way,” Yuri said, remembering when he’d left Sitka. “To be honest, I didn’t figure to live long after I left. Liquor had such a hold on me, and I couldn’t think of anything but that next drink.” He rubbed sleep from his eyes and eased back in the chair. “So much is different now.”
“Indeed, it is. However, I hope a place to stay won’t be one of your worries. You are more than welcome to remain here with us. My aunt Zee passed on about five years ago, and her cabin has been empty ever since. We could fix it up for you and the girls. It might give you a chance to get to know them and figure out what you want to do.”
“Whether I keep them or find a home for them,” Yuri began, “I have to find a job. Do you suppose Dalton would hire me again?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised, especially in light of your reformation.” Lydia smiled. “It’s really all he’s ever wanted for you. He loves you quite dearly.”
Yuri nodded. “No brother could have been closer. I miss that—I miss him.”
“He’ll soon be home,” Lydia told him. “He and Kjell were anxious to return once they sold the boat. They were planning to bring many supplies back with them. Dalton has a new order for the local cannery, and I know they wanted the boats delivered by the end of June. He has some good help with the boys he’s hired from Sheldon Jackson’s school, but I think he would always have a place for you.”
“He told me that he would, long ago when he bought the place from me—well, really, in a sense, from my father.” Yuri shook his head. “What a disappointment I have been to my folks.”
“But, Yuri, you can write your father and let him know how
“I’ll bet it woke folks up,” his father replied. “I guess they get these earthquakes all the time here.”
“Probably no worse than at home,” Dalton said. “So, do you have everything?”
Dalton glanced around the room to see if he’d forgotten anything. He spied the book he’d been reading on the bedside table. “Guess I can pack this. I won’t have time for reading until we’re well on our way home.”
He picked up the copy of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea . “This is intriguing; you really should read it some—”
The room began to shake again. Dalton lost his footing and fell as the ceiling rained plaster and the windows shattered not far from where he lay.
“Father?” he called against the roar of the earthquake.
“Looks bad,” Kjell called out.
Dalton eased up on all fours and crawled away from the broken glass. “We ought to get out of here.”
“I agree,” Kjell said, grabbing his bag.
Dalton reached for his suitcase as a huge piece of the ceiling separated. “Watch out!” he cried, hoping his father would somehow heed the warning fast enough. But then time ceased to matter.
Yuri sat on the Lindquist porch contemplating the future. He’d awakened early, hearing the baby cry. From the hallway, he could hear Britta singing a lullaby to soothe the infant. Her presence comforted him, but he couldn’t really say why. Perhaps because Britta, like Kjerstin and Dalton, were as much siblings to him as his own brother and sisters had been. Now, watching the morning dawn, Yuri wondered about his family in Russia. He hadn’t heard from them in years. If they were there now, he knew they would offer him help with Laura and Darya. His sister Natasha might even want to take them on to raise with her own children.
“I thought I heard you up and about,” Lydia said as she stepped onto the front porch. “How did you sleep?”
“To be honest, I was pretty restless. I couldn’t seem to sort through all my thoughts,” Yuri replied.
“I can well imagine. You’ve been given a great deal to consider.” She took the seat beside him. “I hope you know how much it pleases me to see you here. You look so much better than the last time I saw you.”
“I was in a bad way,” Yuri said, remembering when he’d left Sitka. “To be honest, I didn’t figure to live long after I left. Liquor had such a hold on me, and I couldn’t think of anything but that next drink.” He rubbed sleep from his eyes and eased back in the chair. “So much is different now.”
“Indeed, it is. However, I hope a place to stay won’t be one of your worries. You are more than welcome to remain here with us. My aunt Zee passed on about five years ago, and her cabin has been empty ever since. We could fix it up for you and the girls. It might give you a chance to get to know them and figure out what you want to do.”
“Whether I keep them or find a home for them,” Yuri began, “I have to find a job. Do you suppose Dalton would hire me again?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised, especially in light of your reformation.” Lydia smiled. “It’s really all he’s ever wanted for you. He loves you quite dearly.”
Yuri nodded. “No brother could have been closer. I miss that—I miss him.”
“He’ll soon be home,” Lydia told him. “He and Kjell were anxious to return once they sold the boat. They were planning to bring many supplies back with them. Dalton has a new order for the local cannery, and I know they wanted the boats delivered by the end of June. He has some good help with the boys he’s hired from Sheldon Jackson’s school, but I think he would always have a place for you.”
“He told me that he would, long ago when he bought the place from me—well, really, in a sense, from my father.” Yuri shook his head. “What a disappointment I have been to my folks.”
“But, Yuri, you can write your father and let him know how
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