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Vera pushes her way to the front of the queue The train see PartyVera Anya is crying, too, but in a silent way that is somehoorse

“Take care of each other and stay together Do not give your food to anyone else There is money sewn into your pockets if you need it, and s on their lapels

“Where are we going?” Anya asks She is trying to be grownup; it is heartbreaking in one so young At five, she should be playing with dolls, not standing in lines to leave her home

“To the country, a sua River You will be safe there, Anya And in no ti pinned to Anya’s lapel, as if touching the little piece of identification will help

“Get on board,” a co ”

Vera hugs her daughter, and then her son, and then she straightens slowly, feeling as if her bones are breaking as she does it

Other people are handling her babies now, grabbing the them to other people

They are crying and waving Anya is holding Leo’s hand; she shows her

And then they are gone

At first Vera cannotdesperate, feral curses Do they not see that she is paralyzed, that she cannot h that she falls to her knees She can feel children being handed off over her head, passed from one to another of the adults

Vera clis have ripped at the knees Sheto run from car to car until she realizes that her children are too little to be seen

So little

Has she told the?

Keep your coat; winter coh they say you’ll be back in a week

Never be apart from each other