The night was cold, the wind rattling against the thin glass of the apartment window. Ivan lay awake in his crib, staring at the ceiling, his mind racing. He knew what was coming.
For weeks, he had seen the signs—his mother growing more distant, the way she flinched whenever his father raised his voice, the silent tears she wiped away when she thought no one was looking.
Tonight was the night.
His mother had had enough.
And this time, he was fully aware of what was about to happen.
The sound of muffled footsteps filled the small room. His mother moved quickly, her breath shaky but determined. She lifted him up first, pressing him close to her chest before grabbing his younger brother, who was still asleep.
Then, she turned to the window.
No hesitation. No second-guessing.
She pushed it open, the cool night air rushing in. Ivan felt her muscles tense as she lifted them both, her body moving on pure adrenaline.
And then—
She jumped.
Landing with a soft grunt, she bolted, her arms wrapped tightly around her children as she raced down the stairs of the building.
Ivan's tiny hands clung to her, his heart hammering in his chest. Even knowing the outcome, he couldn't ignore the fear coursing through him.
Would they make it?
Would things truly go as he remembered?
At the bottom of the stairs, a car was waiting.
The engine was running, the headlights cutting through the dark street. And behind the wheel sat a woman Ivan would recognize anywhere.
His grandmother.
Not the bitter, distant grandmother from his father's side. No. This was the woman who had cared for him, protected him, raised him like he was her own. The woman he would one day live with in Germany.
She was strong, sharp-eyed, and commanded respect wherever she went. A restaurant owner, a woman with money, a woman who never let anyone step on her.
She had always been there for them.
And now, she was here again.
To save them.
His mother yanked the door open and practically threw them into the backseat before climbing in herself.
"Drive," she gasped.
His grandmother didn't say a word—she just hit the gas.
As the car sped off, Ivan watched the building shrink in the distance, the place where his father still slept, unaware that his family had just slipped through his fingers.
For the first time in his second life, Ivan felt it.
A real, undeniable sense of relief.
This was it.
This was where his new life truly began.
The drive was silent, only the hum of the engine filling the space. His mother clutched both him and his brother tightly, her hands shaking, her breaths still uneven.
"It's over," his grandmother finally said, her voice firm, steady.
His mother nodded, but she didn't look convinced.
They weren't safe yet.
But at least for now, they were free.
They arrived at a house Ivan knew well. His grandmother's home.
As the car rolled to a stop, the front door opened, and his mother's stepfather—his step-grandfather—stood waiting.
He was a serious man, not one for many words, but he had always been kind to them. He never raised his voice, never lashed out.
And right now, he was their sanctuary.
As his mother stepped out of the car, still holding both of her children, his step-grandfather took one long look at her, at the exhaustion in her face, at the bruises she thought she had hidden.
And then he spoke.
"You did the right thing."
His mother let out a breath—one of relief, exhaustion, and quiet grief.
Ivan, still cradled in her arms, felt the tension in her body loosen.
They had made it.
But what came next?
Would history play out the same way?
Or was this the moment where everything changed?
End of Chapter 4.