Leo walked outside, the weight of the conversation with his father still pressing heavily on his shoulders. He needed to hear Emery's voice, to reassure both of them that they were moving in the right direction. He took out his phone and dialed her number, the familiar sound of the dial tone calming him slightly.
Very soon, Emery picked up the call and answered in Russian, her voice a soothing balm to his frayed nerves. "Ey sladkaya," she said, which meant 'Hey sweetheart.'
Leo smiled, replying in Russian, "YA skuchal po tebe," which meant 'I miss you.'
Emery's tensed tone came instantly, "Ya skuchal po tebe tozhe," which meant 'I miss you too.'
Hearing her tone, Leo's concern grew. He switched back to English, "What happened, baby?"
Emery replied in Russian, "Nichego, ya prosto besp
