Daniil and Vanya
Marie-Hélène Larochelle
translated by Michelle Winters
Invisible Publishing
Halifax & Prince Edward County
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Information
Dedication
Content Notes
Part One
Part Two
Acknowledgements
About Invisible Publishing
Landmarks
Cover
Daniil et Vanya © Marie-Hélène Larochelle, 2017
Originally published in French by Éditions Québec Amérique
English translation © Michelle Winters, 2020
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any method, without the prior written consent of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may use brief excerpts in a review, or, in the case of photocopying in Canada, a licence from Access Copyright.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, business, events, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication
Title: Daniil and Vanya / Marie-Hélène Larochelle;
[translated by] Michelle Winters. Other titles: Daniil et Vanya. English
Names: Larochelle, Marie-Hélène, author.
Winters, Michelle, 1972- translator.
Description: Translation of: Daniil et Vanya.
Identifiers: Canadiana (print) 20200285033
Canadiana (ebook) 20200285084
ISBN 9781988784571 (softcover)
ISBN 9781988784618 (HTML)
Classification: LCC PS8623.A7615 D3613 2020 | DDC C843/.6—dc23
Cover design by Megan Fildes
Printed and bound in Canada
Invisible Publishing | Halifax & Prince Edward County
www.invisiblepublishing.com
Published with the generous assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Government of Canada.
To defeat
Content Notes
These content notes are made available so readers can inform themselves; some readers may also consider these notes to be spoilers. This book includes references to unsuccessful pregnancy; toxic relationships; self harm; and sadistic and sexual violence committed by major characters, which may include children.
Part One
Gisele laid out the evaluation folder next to the cup of tea I made her and took out the first of the forms.
“It says here you have a cat,” she began, checking a box.
Jules rubbed himself around her ankles, purring. He was a beautiful cat, surprisingly affectionate for a Siamese, and adored by all who met him.
“What will you do if the child is allergic?”
“Oh! We’d get rid of him, of course,” I jumped in.
Gregory shot me a brutal look. He opened his mouth, but said nothing.
“So you’d abandon the cat,” Gisele said.
I realized there was no good answer and had to backpedal a little. “Well, I mean we’d find him another family, of course. Everybody loves Jules! Us most of all!”
I saw Gregory briefly close his eyes and run a hand slowly down his beard in a gesture of restraint. It was his cat, in all honesty, but I’ve always taken good care of him. I got up to add some water to the teapot. I wore slippers and set my feet down delicately to slow my steps. I took the time to listen to the water boil, my hands flat on the counter’s cold granite.
Giselle and Gregory didn’t speak as they waited for me to return. I poured the hot water on the leaves and watched the tannins gradually disperse. The trip to the kitchen and back gave me time to calm down a little. I’d been agonizing over this home psychosocial evaluation for days. We had already met with Giselle at the agency. She had presented us the adoption country options, the documents to complete, timelines, costs. The first meetings were very technical.
I worried today might not go as smoothly.
She’d never been especially friendly and was no more so in our home. As soon as I sat down, she explained to us that the interview would be carried out in two parts: first she would ask about our motivation to adopt and personal history, then she would conduct a home inspection. She had mentioned it when we set up the appointment and we were well prepared. We had, however, neglected to discuss the cat.
“So your marriage is solid, then? You’re not trying to mend a crumbling relationship by adopting a child? Once the child arrives, will you change jobs? How does your family feel about the adoption? Your friends?”
Giselle wore a too-tight flowered top and black polyester pants that were developing pills. Jules rubbed persistently against her legs, covering her already lint-covered pants in blond fur. As she rhymed off questions, I stared at her blouse; it hung open at the neck, not quite revealing her brassiere, which I bet was beige. Gregory quickly stepped in to answer this time. With his elbows resting on his knees, he told her about his brother and his four children, his parents and mine, not mentioning that we didn’t get along with any of them.
“Your last name, is that Polish?”
“Dominik. Yes, my father’s grandparents immigrated to Quebec in the 1850s.”
Gregory made a point of not telling her that he’d never set foot in Poland and instead reminded her that we’d left everything behind to merge our company with a friend’s and were now firmly established in Toronto.
“We’ve created some work contracts at the firm that are very favourable for young families. We have an employee on maternity leave right now. Emma will be able to take advantage of the best work conditions,” he joked, winking at me.
Giselle took notes without interrupting Gregory, watching my reaction.
“What’s your reason for choosing international adoption?” She turned briskly toward me.
My voice started to quaver. I explained that I’d had a pregnancy medically terminated at twenty-eight weeks and the doctor advised against becoming pregnant again. It was almost true. I held her gaze for a moment as I listed the medical details. They had detected spina bifida in the fetus, I was supposed to have an abortion, but since the pregnancy was advanced, I gave birth to the baby, stillborn. A little boy.
In my cup, the tea leaves floated toward the surface before sinking to the bottom. The fine porcelain burned in my hands. Gregory broke the encroaching silence by talking about our beliefs,
