Nikolai stood by the window of his living room, staring out at the grey sky. It had been several days since he had heard from his wife and son. Usually, Viktoria would call every single day, and Mateo would babble into the phone about the toys he was playing with. But now, there was nothing but silence.
His mother and his cousins were sitting in the room with him. The house felt heavy with worry. No one was talking; they were all just waiting for the phone to ring.
"I can't just sit here," Nikolai said, turning around. He looked at his mother. "Something feels wrong. Why isn't she picking up her phone? Why hasn't Nathan sent a message?"
"Maybe they are just busy, Nikolai," his mother said, though her voice was shaking. "They are in a big city. There is a lot to see."
"No," Nikolai said. "She wouldn't go this long without calling. I'm going to call the Keith office."
