ISABELLA
I pulled out a notebook and started writing:
THINGS I NEED: 1. Job (something that pays cash and doesn't ask questions) 2. Better apartment (this one is too small for a baby) 3. Prenatal care (doctor? midwife? how do I do this without ID?) 4. Baby supplies (crib, clothes, diapers...how much does this stuff cost?) 5. New identity documents (Elena Petrov needs to be more real)
The list feels overwhelming and impossible. But I forced myself to keep writing, to break the enormous problem of "pregnant and alone in Montenegro" into smaller, manageable pieces.
6. Learn Montenegrin (enough to get by, at least) 7. Stay off the radar (no social media, no contact with anyone from Moscow or NYC) 8. Figure out how to be a mother
That last one made me laugh in a short, bitter sound. As if
