What Could've Been

It was winter, but it was hot as balls.

How does it get to be this hot anyways?

Russia trekked down the streets, hands in his pockets, just about ready to cancel everything and call it a day.

He and Japan had made plans to check out this new little place in California, America; a new restaurant in West Hollywood.

"Well it says we passed it," Japan said, looking down at her phone.

"Okay, well, I'm not seeing shit. What's it called again?"

"The Turn.  Oh, right there, I think that's it!"

They crossed the street for the third time to a place they hadn't noticed the other two times. How could they not have seen it? A rather large place, with intricately engraved wood and elegant looking glass doors, it should have been hard to miss. And yet.

Japan excitedly rushed ahead to pull open the door for them, letting Russia go first before entering herself. Russia found himself greatly relived by the cold rush of A/C that hit his face as soon as he walked in.

"Welcome to The Turn. How many?" A lady behind a counter greeted them with smile.

"Two. Under Russia."

"Okay, so that'll be a fifteen minutes wait. Is that alright?"

He nodded. He wouldn't mind waiting as long as he didn't have to go out into the heat again. It made him more uncomfortable than he already was.

So he and Japan sat on some plush cushioned seats. Japan swung her legs back and forth, humming some song to herself, taking pictures, and occasionally showing Russia something she saw or found on her phone.
Russia sat quietly, taking in his surroundings, and scrolling through a need app on his own phone, with the occasional indulgence of whatever Japan wanted to show him.

He looked up and around the restaurant again, and spotted someone he knew through the potted plants. His breath caught in his throat and his heart rate picked up with dread and anxiety.

There was America, sitting and smiling, eating and laughing. He was sat with two people.
One was an older girl, although definitely younger than America, with a mostly white face, a red chin, and red star in one eye. It looked like there was a bear on her face also. Russia recalled her name to be California.
The second was way younger than either America or California, also a girl. She couldn't have been more than five, and she had a mainly red face, with white and gold stars freckling her nose. When she turned her face to look up at America, he saw she had a gold star in her right eye, like California.

America has a new kid? Since...since when?

He stared a little too long, and was alerted to this fact when he saw they were all getting up. At that moment, Japan tugged on his sleeve. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he turned his attention to the small Asian country.

"д-да, япония(Da, Yaponiya)?"

"I wanted to show you something. What are you looking at?"

"It's nothing, I just. Thought I saw..." the words died on his tongue when Japan's gaze left him and drifted over to the right.

"America?"

"Japan? Russia?"

America was standing there, but Russia had to force himself to look at them. California stood to America's left with the smaller girl in her arms, sat on her hip. America was holding a bag with take-out boxes inside. Their leftover food, no doubt.