Summary

In Chapter 11, Vera answered when Slava knocked on the Rudinskys’ door. Vera had called and asked him to come but she handed him off to Aunt Lyuba, her mother. After Aunt Lyuba caught him up on her family’s situation, she called Vera to get dressed and sent Slava upstairs to talk to her. Upstairs she sat on her bed. Slava asked her about a binder of Halloween costumes at which she was looking. She said it was for work as they had a big event coming up on Monday. After she finished dressing they went downstairs where her father, Garik, and grandfather, Lazar, had come home. Garik exclaimed that Slava’s presence in the house was cause for celebration.

Slava’s grandfather called. Slava told him he was with a woman, Vera. His grandfather said he’d gotten bad news. A distant relative...