With a Little Help From My Friends

Ausra's hazy green focused on the picture sitting in its blue frame on her desk. Why couldn't it have been that drunk fuck of a driver instead of John?, she thought angrily as fresh tears stung her eyes.

She reached for the bottle of vodka and hurriedly twisted off the cap, greedily swallowing the clear liquid. The familiar warmth filled her belly as her limbs felt relaxed and her mind at ease. I'm Russian, we do this better than anyone, she thought with a dry bitter chuckle.

Sergei opened the door and frowned when he saw her slumped in her chair and the bottle of vodka on the desk. "You can't keep doing that, lyubya. You have the children to take care of", he chided.

"I wish it was that drunk idiot driver, not John. Lyosha and have no father and I have no husband", she cried.

"John wouldn't want you to be like this, he'd want you to carry on. Lyosha and Zasha need you", he said.

"We can stay here in Moscow with you, Mom loves the kids", said Ausra with a little smile.

"Da, moy tsareavna. But you need to carry on", he said.

"Give me time", she whispered.

Ausra opened the curtains and sunlight filled the room. The windows looked out onto the yard of the family's spacious home outside the city, the green grass and leaves on the birches announcing the early summer. Sergei walked behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, seeing the sunlight shine on her red hair partially covered by her black widow's headscarf. "Ausra, I have arranged a job interview with you for Real Madrid. They need someone to handle the foreign PR and I got in contact with Senor Perez, you are going to do a FaceTime interview in an hour", he said.

Ausra's green eyes widened in shock. "How could you? How did you do it?", she demanded.

"I am part owner of CSKA, remember? You know all these languages and you need a change of scenery, so do the children. John wouldn't want you being depressed and drinking so much", said Sergei.

"But you won't be able to see them", she protested.

"That's why FaceTime was invented, lyubya. I can call you and talk to the kids whenever, like you do with Laima and Danny and Nicky when he talks to Lyosha. Just do your best and make us proud", replied Sergei.

"Da, Papa", she said.

Ausra took a shower and changed into a long black pencil skirt and a white blouse, her red hair neatly brushed and hidden under her kerchief. She bowed her head and said a silent prayer to Dazbog as she turned on her phone and hit the FaceTime app, seeing a number with a Spanish area code added to her contact as the phone rang and she answered it.

A dignified middle aged man in a suit seated at a desk appeared onscreen, a large Real Madrid crest on the wall behind him. "Buenas tardes, Senora Moore", he said.

"Buenas tardes, Senor Perez. Mi papa dice que ustedes quieren hablar con migo para posiccion", she said.

"Senora Moore, habla Espanol muy bueno, a una Castillana", he said.

"Gracias, senor. Me puede hablar Espanol, Frances, Aleman, Ingles, Checo, Ruso, Lituano, Portugues, Sueco, y Serbio", she said.

"Que bueno. Puede hablar todos esos lenguos buenos?", he asked.

"Si, senor. Tengo un PhD en Ruso y ese muy primer lenguo", she said.

"Muy bueno. Senora Moore, quiere trabajar con Real Madrid? Vamos a encontrar una casa para su familia, tiene dos ninos, verdad?", he asked.

"Si, senor", she replied.

"Que bueno. Senora Moore, va a trabajar con todo la media que cubierto equipo, tenemos media de muchos paises. Quiere trabajar con nosotros?", he asked.

Ausra closed her eyes and thought for a moment. Dad is right, John wouldn't want me being depressed and this is a great opportunity for us, she mused.

"Si senor, voy a trabajar con tigos", she replied.

"Si, que bueno. Te necesitamos en Madrid el 21 de junio, Senora Moore. Vamos encontrar una casa para su familia, son bueno?", he asked.

"Si, senor", she said.

"Hasta luego, Senora Moore", he said.

Ausra plugged in her phone as she felt lighter than she had been in months, a sense of anticipation going through her. "Mom, are you all right?", asked Alexey, seeing the smile on his mother's face.

"Da, Lyosha. Bring Zasha here, I have news", she said.

Alexey nodded as he went to fetch his sister, returning with the red-haired toddler who looked at her with her father's blue eyes. "Children, we are going to Spain. I am going to be working for Real Madrid and we are leaving in June", she said.

"Wow, really? The soccer team?", asked Alexey in awe.

"Da, but call it football, Lyosha. You are going to live in Spain and learn Spanish, think of it as an adventure", she said.

"Where Spain?", asked Zaria.

"It is far away, but you can still talk to Babka and Baba on the phone, Zasha. It is hot and sunny and I will work for a football team", she replied.

"Okay, Mama", she said.

"I have to tell Dad, I like it you're happy, Mom", said Alexey.

"Go ahead, Dad had the right idea", she said dryly.

Alexey took out his phone and dialed his father's number in Sweden, hearing him answer and a TV in the background. "Hallo, Lyosha", replied Nicky.

"Mom's got a new job in Spain and I wanted to tell you, she's going to work for Real Madrid", he said excitedly.

"Wow, put your mother on the phone, that is great news", he said as Alexey handed her the phone.

"Hallo, Nicky. Alexey is thrilled", she chuckled.

"My Rod Drottning is really going places, ja? You are going to be good at this, you speak excellent Spanish. And maybe I can visit before training camp", said Nicky.

"Sure, and bring along Anna and Lisa with you, Lyosha would love to see his sister", she said.

"Tak, Ausra. Talk to you later", he said.