Winter came. The Ugly Duckling had no home. A farmer found him freezing in the cold. Poor thing! So the farmer carried the Ugly Duckling into his house.

The Ugly Duckling was glad for the warm fire. But the farmer’s children were loud and noisy. Look, a duckling! Let’s play with it! Let’s chase it around! The poor Ugly Duckling was scared. He ran away from the house into the cold.

The Ugly Duckling was alone again. He wobbled on a frozen lake to a cave. It was a place for him to hide, and it would not be as cold inside there.

For the rest of the cold winter, the Ugly Duckling stayed there. Oh, how he missed his mother! He hoped she would find him one day.

13 February 2017. Afternoon.

No one knew where Gavrill Vorobyev went. All his children knew was that he was called to work. He packed his bags, changed into his uniform, and hugged the children farewell. Ten minutes later, he was gone.

That was nineteen hours ago. Silence followed his departure among his children. And silence continues to follow twelve-year-old Hygd into her school day. She didn’t talk to her classmates. She didn’t sit with her friends during lunch and recess. She stayed in her homeroom to sit in a corner and draw instead. This is what her homeroom teacher tells Hrodwyn, who dropped their work shift to pick up their younger siblings from school.

“Hygd is, you know, a very bright girl,” her homeroom teacher says, clutching her arms against the frigid cold. “She’s very cheerful, she gets along with her classmates very well, and is very talkative. But today… I know she has bad days, but it doesn’t make her withdrawn for the entire day.”

Despite the effort to keep the conversation out of earshot, Hygd hears it all, even through her earmuffs. She hears Hrodwyn mumble something about adjusting to family matters, then hears her homeroom teacher ask if her father will come to school events and meetings. Hrodwyn says he will, and that they’ll translate for him.

Hygd can hear her homeroom teacher force a smile. “I look forward to seeing him.”

The walk from school to home takes a bit over the usual twenty minutes, thanks to unshovelled snow and frozen pavements. Hrodwyn breaks the silence in Ingush. “Hygd, how are you feeling?”

Hygd kicks blue road salt. “I’m fine…”

Hrodwyn takes her gloved hand and squeezes it. “Don’t worry about daa. He’ll be fine.”

Merethel, who has been walking with his hands in his pockets, plucks his earphone out of his ear. “Yeah, he’ll be fine. It’s not the first time he has done something like this.”

“It’s not?” Hygd looks up.

“Mmhm,” Hrodwyn nods. “He used to be in a rebel army in Ingushetia. I think that’s why he was hired in the first place.”

“Really?”

“Mmhm,” Hrodwyn nods again. “I don’t remember a lot of it, but I remember that when we were still living there, he sometimes left home to fight. That’s what naana said, at least. So I’m sure daa will be safe.”

A dry scoff from Merethel. “I wasn’t thinking about that, but okay.”

Hrodwyn tilts their head. “Then what were you thinking of?”

“Daa leaving,” Merethel’s hands slip back into his pockets. “It used to happen all the time when we first moved to Canada. We barely saw him. He’d be gone before we went to bed. He’d tell you to put us into bed.”

“That’s because he had to work, Merethel. He had two jobs.”

“I know! I’m just saying,” Merethel smiles, his tone light and innocent.

Hygd’s gaze lowers. “I don’t remember that.”

“Of course you don’t,” Merethel says. “You were, like, three. That’s why I’m telling you now. He’d leave at night and come back when we were asleep. Then we’d have to wake up super early because he had to wake up super early for his job, too. He’d drop us off at school, pick us up later, stay for a while, and then disappear at night again.”

Hygd straightens up. “What’s wrong with that? Daa was just working really hard.”

“I never said there was anything wrong with that. The real problem isn’t him leaving or him dying. The real problem is when he comes home. Don’t tell me you forgot what he was like, jisha-vosha,” he looks at Hrodwyn. “If he came home from a regular job like that, what will he be like when he comes home from this job?”

Hygd furrows her brows. “What are you talking about?”

Merethel looks down at her. “Daa was scary, Hygd.”

“No he wasn’t. He was never scary!”

“Oh, yeah? What do you remember about him before he came back from prison, huh?”

Hygd presses her lips tight together. She thinks about the photographs in the album. “He was nice…”

“Ha! You don’t remember what he was really like! That’s fine, obviously. You were too young — lucky for you. Frankly, I’m surprised that he came back from prison all fine and friendly, but let’s give him a few months on this job and see how he turns out, shall we?”

“Merethel!” Hrodwyn glares at him. “If you’re as smart as your mouth, you know you’re being unfair to daa right now.”

“I’m not making up anything, am I?” Merethel raises his hands. “I’m just pointing out what has happened before. It’s for Hygd’s sake, so she won’t be so disappointed.”

Hygd’s nose scrunches. “Well, I don’t believe you. Daa is a good person! He even got you eyeliner! You’re just stupid!”

“No, you’re stupid! You’re the one believing things without any facts-OW! What the hell?!”

Hygd punches Merethel’s arm. Before Hrodwyn can say anything, she grabs her backpack’s straps and races down the street, clambering through snow.