Chapter Text
November 1997
“I am not sick.”
“Is that so,” Yuna replied to her very stubborn son.
“Yes,” Shane stated, irrationally confident for a child with a fever of 39.5 degree celsius.
“Well in that case today is ‘movies on the couch’ day for no particular reason,” Yuna replied. “And I’m just going to put this bucket here because it goes with the furniture.”
Shane crossed his arms over his chest looking seriously annoyed. “But I wanna go to school.”
“No, you want to go to hockey practice after school,” Yuna corrected him. “Which is not happening when you are sick.”
At her words, the six and a half year old in front of her completely fell apart, crying, tears, snot. The whole package.
Yuna got down on her knees and put her arms around her son. She rubbed his back to sooth him. “It’s okay, baby. Shhh. Missing one hockey practice isn’t the end of the world.”
“Yes! Yes it is!” he wailed.
“But won’t it be fun to spend the day watching movies with Ilya?”
Shane sniffed. He turned his big brown watery eyes on her and almost smiled. “Ilya is coming over?”
Yuna nodded. “I just got off the phone with his mom. He is sick too so he’s going to come here and you two can be sick together.”
Shane sniffed again, trying to recover from his big feeling. He nodded a little and then let Yuna pick him up. She placed her feverish child on the pull out bed in the living room and put a tape in the VCR.
Yuna placed the puke bucket next to the bed and then went to refill Shane’s water bottle to try and keep him hydrated.
About ten minutes later there was a knock at the door. Yuna opened it to see Irina and Ilya, who looked about as green as Shane.
“Thank you so much, Yuna!” Irina was saying. “I have appointments and errands all day. I planned when I thought he’d be in school.”
“It’s no problem at all,” Yuna smiled. “Shane could use the company. He does not like getting sick.”
“What is it with men and sick?” Irina laughed. “They are so bad at it. Even as boys.”
Yuna laughed. “I do not know but I couldn’t agree more.”
Irina spoke to Ilya in Russian for a moment and then gently encouraged him to walk towards Yuna.
Yuna bent down to talk to Ilya face to face. “Shane is sitting on the bed in the living room watching Little Bear.”
Ilya rolled his eyes. “Is baby show.”
Yuna smiled. “Shane likes that show.”
Ilya pulled two VHS tapes out of the bag he was holding. The titles were Rugrats and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. “Is better.”
“Shane won’t agree,” Yuna reminds him.
Ilya shrugs, as if confidence alone could change this. He walked past Yuna in the direction of the living room, presumably to argue with Shane about what show they should watch.
“Thank you again,” Irina said. She seems a bit frazzled today.
“Really it’s no problem. Ilya is always welcome here. He can stay as long as he likes. The boys can sleep on the couch tonight if they want.”
Irina smiled, with a warmth of appreciation in her eyes. “You are treasure,” she said.
Once she’d closed the door behind Irina’s retreating back, Yuna went to check on the kids. As she had guessed, they were in a heated debate about television shows.
“Madeline is also baby show,” Ilya argued. “We are watching Ninja Turtles.”
“This is my house!” Shane shot back. “We are watching my show.”
“We are always at your house,” Ilya grumbled. “Is unfair.”
With forced calm, Yuna picked up all four of the VHS tapes. She hid them behind her back. “You boys are gonna be sitting around all day being ill. There is more than enough time to watch all four shows.”
“Ilya’s are scary.”
“Shane’s are boring.”
“I am going to pick the order the shows play on the tv,” Yuna continued.
They both started protesting with very little logical reasoning, but Ilya held up a hand. “End of story.”
“But Mom!” Shane whined.
“Drink your water,” Yuna told him.
“You are biased,” Ilya told her. “You will pick Shane’s show.”
Yuna did not appreciate the comment. She was also impressed that he knew the word biased and had used it correctly in a sentence.
Yuna hid all four tapes behind her back. “Pick a hand,” she told Ilya. He narrowed those intelligent eyes at her and pointed to her left hand. She revealed the Ninja turtles and Madeline tapes. Setting the others down she hid the two Ilya had picked behind her back again.
She turned to Shane and asked him to pick. Shane pointed at her right arm. Yuna revealed the Ninja Turtles tape.
“Yes!” Ilya punched the air. “I win.”
“That was just luck,” Shane grumbled.
Yuna sighed as she changed the show. She stacked the remaining three. Her plan was to alternate between them. Turtles, Madeline, Rugrats, Little Bear.
Her hope was that by then the boys would be feeling a bit better, but just in case she set a bucket on Ilya’s side of the bed as well. She got him a water bottle and asked if they needed anything else.
“I’m hungry,” Ilya said. “Mom wouldn’t let me eat.”
“How can you eat right now,” Shane whined. “Isn’t your tummy all funny too?”
Ilya shrugged. Yuna studied the sneaky child. “You can have some dry crackers if you want.”
About ten minutes after she brought Ilya the soda crackers, he was throwing them up. Shane was completely unphased by this and merely said, “I told you so.”
“Mom, can I have ginger ale?” Shane asked, when Yuna came back from emptying the bucket. “The special kind for when I’m sick?”
“Of course sweetie,” Yuna smiled at him. What he meant by special kind was flat ginger ale. Yuna had some in the fridge she’d let go flat. She brought it to Shane who took a few cautious sips.
Ilya looked over at Shane’s drink curiously.
“Would you like some too?” Yuna asked. He nodded.
When she handed the cup to Ilya she reminded him to drink it slowly. To her surprise he actually listened.
Yuna went back to the kitchen to fix herself some lunch. She had just sat down at the dining room table to eat when the landline phone rang. With a sigh, Yuna got up to answer it, standing at the counter to keep the cord from over stretching.
“How are the boys?” David asked.
Yuna smiled. “Shouldn’t you be working?”
“I’m on my lunch break.”
“They are fine,” she answered. “Just a bit sick and grumpy. Shane is very upset about missing hockey tonight.”
David laughed. “He is your son all right. Obsessed with hockey.”
“I take offense to that,” Yuna laughed, not meaning it in the slightest. “How is work?”
David sighed. “Fine. I got stuck in a meeting that lasted well over an hour and could have been summed up in five minutes. Such a waste of time.”
“I’m sorry,” Yuna said. “I can’t make Chicken Parmesan like you can, but maybe pasta to cheer you up?”
David laughed. “We both know you were going to make pasta anyway, because Ilya is there.”
Yuna was glad her husband couldn’t see her awkward reaction over the phone. “I don’t make it every time he comes over.”
David made a noise of disbelief but also endearment and Yuna decided to just embrace the embarrassing.
“Okay fine maybe I do,” she said. “You should get back to work and I have lunch to finish.”
“You know I was talking to some of my coworkers and we should really look into one of those new cordless phones,” David added. “Then you could sit, eat, and talk to me.”
“I’ll check out the flyers,” Yuna promised. “See you after work. Love you.”
“After work. Love you too.” And he hung up.
Yuna sat back down and had just started eating when she heard the boys calling for her. With a sigh she put down her food and walked into the living room.
“Your movie can’t have ended yet,” Yuna said as she approached. She was trying and almost succeeding at not being annoyed that she still hadn’t been able to finish eating her lunch.
“Shane threw up,” Ilya said, turning to look at her. There was a deep concern etched across Ilya’s face as he turned from Yuna back to Shane.
“I made a mess,” Shane whined because he had indeed missed the bucket. No more ginger ale.
“It’s okay,” Yuna told him softly as she moved forward to assess the situation. “It’s just a mess. Easy to clear up. Nothing to worry about.”
Quickly and efficiently, Yuna stripped the affected bedding and put it on the floor. Then she pulled Shane’s shirt off over his head and added it to the pile.
She went to get Shane a clean shirt and a warm cloth. She wiped his face first and then put his shirt on over his head. “There,” she said. “Feel better?” Shane nodded. “I’m going to go get your guys another blanket. Be right back.”
First Yuna put the soiled bedding and Shane’s shirt in the washing machine and then she grabbed a fresh blanket from the linen cupboard.
When she returned to the living room, Shane had moved closer to Ilya for comfort and Ilya had his arm wrapped around Shane’s shoulders. Yuna put the blanket over both of them and put their water bottles close by.
“Remember to drink if you are thirsty,” Yuna said. Shane mumbled something in the affirmative, but didn’t lift his head from Ilya’s shoulder.
“Thank you, Yuna,” Ilya said, looking right at her. Shane had always avoided eye contact; it still surprised her when Ilya stared right into her eyes. Sometimes she wondered if he could see into her soul his gaze was so intense.
“You are most welcome,” she replied. “Call if you need anything else, okay?”
“Yuna,” Ilya said softly. “Can you put his baby show on?”
Ilya seemed almost shy about asking but still determined. Shane’s head was resting against Ilya’s shoulder and Yuna could almost see something protective in Ilya’s face.
“Sure,” Yuna said, smiling fondly at them. She paused the Ninja Turtles, took the tape out and set it aside before putting the Little Bear tape back on.
Shane perked up a little when he heard the familiar voices. Ilya tightened his arm around Shane. They were both watching the show when Yuna left the room.
Yuna washed her hands at the kitchen sink before sitting down to her lunch again. She was surprised when she actually got to finish it.
When she checked on the boys again both of them had their eyes closed, all snuggled up together, fast asleep. Yuna pulled the blanket up higher, tucking them in and then turned the volume on the TV down. She came back ten minutes later and stopped the tape, turning off the screen.
While the boys slept, Yuna cleaned the bowls, and tidied up the kitchen while the laundry machines cycled through the puky blankets.
When she heard David get home, she quickly and quietly ran to the door to shhh him before he woke the kids.
“How long have they been asleep?” David whispered as he took off his shoes.
“Most of the afternoon,” Yuna answered. She hung up David’s coat and together they went into the kitchen. Yuna had heated up some leftovers for dinner.
“Thanks,” David said when she served him. They sat down together to eat and then he added, “How were the boys today?”
“Good,” Yuna said. “Definitely sick, but okay.” She paused with her fork half way to her mouth and added, “I’m not sure if either of them would have slept though if the other one wasn’t there. They are so close. It’s amazing to watch sometimes.”
“Yeah,” David agreed in a whisper.
“There is something protective in the way Ilya looks at Shane,” Yuna continued. “And somehow I don’t think their connection is going to weaken as they get older. With most kids you’d expect they’d grow apart but somehow I can’t imagine that with those two.”
“I think you are right about that,” David agreed.
Yuna brought her fork to her mouth and got back to eating her dinner. She asked her husband about his day and listened while he vented about one of his coworkers who was currently turning a small hiring issue into their entire personality.
They were done eating and waiting for the kettle to boil when they heard a small voice call out to them.
“Mom.” Shane was awake.
Pushing her chair back with a noticeable squeak, Yuna got up quickly to rush into the living room.
“How are you feeling, sweetie?” Yuna asked as she sat on the pull out couch beside her son.
“Like maybe I was sick,” Shane admitted.
Yuna couldn’t hold back her smile. “Did sleeping help?”
Shane nodded. “Ilya is still sleeping.”
They both turned to look. The boys had shifted in their sleep. Ilya had his head resting on Shane’s shoulder now, his eyes closed.
“I don’t want to wake him,” Shane pleaded.
“Do you want me to put your show back on?”
“Yes please and can I have some ginger ale?”
“Of course sweetheart.”
Yuna had almost finished putting Little Bear back on when Shane asked to watch Ilya’s shows instead.
“For when he wakes up,” Shane said.
Hiding her ridiculous grin, Yuna did as she was asked and put Ninja Turtles back on. She adjusted their blankets and then went to get Shane’s other water bottle and fill it with flat ginger ale.
Somehow everyone ended up sitting in the living room watching a show about mutated turtles most of the evening. When Ilya woke up he wanted a coke and some soda crackers. Both kids were looking far less green so Yuna brought them the snack. Shane had a few crackers too, while commenting on how much he didn’t like Ilya’s show.
Yuna had to hold back a laugh. Those ridiculous boys.
At least they seemed to be much better after sleeping the afternoon away. Yuna took their temperatures and sure enough their fever was gone.
“So we can go to hockey practice?” Shane asked eagerly.
“You could if it wasn’t over,” Yuna replied. “But don’t worry there is always next time.”
Shane looked sulky but he cheered up when Ilya teased him about it.
Around seven in the evening, Yuna got a call from Irina asking if Ilya could spend the night.
“Of course,” Yuna said. “I think the boys would prefer that anyway.”
“I thought so,” Irina replied. From her tone Yuna just knew she was smiling. “Thank you for taking care of him today.”
Yuna paused for a moment thinking about the day. “I think those boys take care of each other. I am just their assistant.”
“Da,” Irina replied. “Do you want me to pick Ilya up for school tomorrow?”
“I can drop them both off if you want,” Yuna answered easily. It was the first time she’d gotten Ilya to school in the morning. “It’s no trouble unless you need him home before school.”
“No is fine,” Irina said. “I pick him up after school.”
They exchanged farewells and goodnights before hanging up the phone. Yuna put the corded phone back down on the kitchen counter and walked into the living room.
The kids were right where she’d left them, eating snacks and sitting up in bed watching television. She approached slowly, listening to them talk big about how great they were gonna play at their next hockey practice. It was so adorable, Yuna couldn’t help smiling.
“That was your Mom on the phone Ilya,” Yuna said. “You can sleep here tonight if you want and tomorrow I’m taking you both to school.”
“Hooray!” Shane exclaimed.
At the same time Ilya said, “I want.”
Yuna asked them if they were hungry for more than crackers and ended up making them chicken soup. For mess reasons, Yuna decided soup was table food and had them finally off the couch and sitting at the table to eat it.
Once the boys were finished eating and back in the living room with the TV on with their water bottles full, Yuna went in search of her husband. She found him in his office, reading a book.
Yuna approached David from behind and put her arms around his shoulders. He kissed her hand and turned to look into her eyes.
“I don’t remember the last time I saw you reading in here,” Yuna said.
“The kids have co-opted the television,” David replied.
“Oh no, deprived of your late night crime shows,” Yuna teased him. “How will you survive?”
He held up the book in his hands. “Hence the reading.”
She laughed a little and turned his office chair around to kiss him sweetly. “Well the kids appreciate your sacrifice.”
He chuckled. “I’m sure they haven’t given it a single thought.”
“No, probably not,” Yuna smiled.
“I’ve been thinking about our spare room,” David continued. “What if we put a tv in there? It’s already got a double bed. It could be their sleepover room.”
She grinned at him. “Do you miss your late night crime shows that much?”
“Maybe,” David admitted. “But also I have a feeling these sleepovers aren’t going to get less frequent.”
Yuna was already storing clothes for Ilya in case he stayed the night unplanned in the spare dresser in that room. It made sense.
“Yes, I have a feeling you are right about that,” Yuna agreed. “I’ll look into buying a second tv.”
David put a hand around her waist and pulled her in for another kiss. She asked him about the book he was reading and listened very diligently as he happily told her the plot to his crime novel. She oohed and awwed in the right places until she offered to make him a cup of tea, only partly to escape the conversation about who killed whom with a trowel in the garden.
Returning to the kitchen, Yuna put the kettle on. When the kettle started whistling, both boys called from the living room about hot chocolate. She got two more mugs down from the cupboard and went to check if they had any marshmallows.
She brought David his tea first and then went to finish the hot cocos for the kids and added an ice cube in each mug before bringing them into the living room.
“Thanks Mom,” Shane beamed at her, reaching up to take the mug.
“Thank you, Yuna,” Ilya said, doing the same.
“You have school tomorrow,” Yuna said. “No staying up too late, even if you did sleep all afternoon.”
“Yes, Mom,” Shane groaned as if she were asking him to make a significant sacrifice.
Yuna just laughed a little under her breath as she went back into the kitchen to make her own tea. Ten minutes later she was sitting at the dining room table sipping her warm drink and reading her favourite hockey book.
At nine-thirty Yuna turned off the tv and turned out the lights. Once their teeth were brushed and they were back in bed, the kids whined and complained and begged for one more episode of whatever show they’d been watching, but Yuna held firm. It was bedtime. She tucked them in and kissed Shane’s forehead and then after only a seconds hesitation did the same for Ilya.
“Goodnight,” Yuna said as she left the room.
“Goodnight,” the boys echoed back.
Yuna went to check on them in five minutes and sure enough they were whispering to each other and not sleeping. “No talking! Eyes closed.” At once they closed their eyes and pretended to be asleep but when she returned a few minutes later they were whispering again. Yuna repeated her instructions again and then sat nearby to supervisor until finally fell asleep.