ANNA'S POV

It’s been five years since I came to Russia. When I first arrived, I stayed indoors for almost a whole week, maybe even longer, just trying to get used to everything. The air felt different, the way people spoke, the cold breeze that clung to my skin every morning, it was all strange to me. I planned to stay inside for a while, partly because I didn’t really know their language here. Every time someone spoke to me, I had to guess what they were saying from their expressions or gestures. It was exhausting, but I told myself I’d get better with time.

After a while, my brother...