Swan Lake was finally over. It was a brilliant ballet and I had the part of Odette. The main part. I had been so excited I worked for what seemed like forever. Alisa was a very good student. Always listening and turned out to be an excellent dancer.
It was summer now. Katya had decided to have her wedding in June instead so that Igorek could do something or another I never got the whole story all I knew is we were all very excited but sad. The day Katya got married would be the day she left the ballet. She wanted to come back and teach ballet but her house was too far away.
"Oh I will miss you!" I said trying not to cry as I watched Katya pack her things. Tomorrow was her wedding.
"I will miss you too Annika and yes you too Alisa." Katya said with a smile before the little girl could open her mouth.
"Do you have to leave?" Alisa asked swinging her legs over the side of the bed.
"Da. I do." I knew tomorrow would be one of the happiest yet saddest days of her life. I knew she was upset also because Papa couldn't even be at the wedding. Neither could our brothers.
"Well think of it this way you will finally be Igorek's wife! We can still visit sometimes right?" I asked slipping in the question I had been holding back until now.
"Yes of course! I wouldn't leave you two forever!" She hugged both Alisa and I and snapped her bag shut.
"There! That's the last of it!" On the bed lay all of Katya's old ballet things besides her shoes and two leotards which she kept. She said just because she was Igorek's wife didn't mean she had to give up ballet.
"Here Annika you can keep these things." Katya said handing over a pile of leotards,jackets,two ballet skirts,and to my delight two ribbons. One a wintery blue and one a soft pink color.
"Oh thank you Katya." I said quietly.
"Now Annika don't be sad. You will have a bigger room now." She teased. I laughed. She was right. Alisa didn't take up much space at all.
"Oh I almost forgot!" She went to her old trunk that was now Alisa's and pulled out two beautiful pairs of soft green satin slippers. They matched our dresses for the wedding perfectly. Our dresses were simple yet beautiful. They were long and were satin as well. A soft green color that was just lovely. We would each have a ribbon as well and would get ready at Igorek and Katya's new mansion as Jane called it. She said they had houses as large as that all over England but I told her she was lying. That Russia had just as many lovely and large houses as England.
"Thank you!" I said smiling.
"Now off to your classes both of you! Madame Markova will throw me out if you miss one more class!" Katya said laughing.
I helped Alisa with her jacket which she had somehow managed to get all tangled up around her and we headed off to class. We were always wearing our ballet shoes so we didn't have to spend any time putting those on. We raced to class not wanting to have to miss tomorrow's wedding.
"Are you ready yet?" I heard Andrey's impatient voice say from behind the door.
"Oh men! Just give me a second! You know I have Alisa and Katya to help too!" I heard his deep chuckle from behind the door. It was a happy day for all of us. Andrey had helped Igorek get ready but now both men were ready and expected us to be too. I wanted Katya to look perfect though.
"Come along Annika! Do you want this poor man to have to wait forever for his bride?" It was Andrey again. I went over the the door and poked my head through.
