Em Gessen

Priscilla had had enough.

Alan prided himself on solving complicated problems, but listening to Priscilla, I had the impression that she was the one who could be practical under stress.

She was about to have a baby with a surrogate in a strange country while her marriage was falling apart, and she seemed to just know that she could get through it.

She was stuck in Moscow, but she didn't have to be stuck with Alan.

They tried living together apart in a giant apartment.

That didn't work.

Alan started staying with Lena in what used to be our grandmother's apartment.

At the time their baby, who again I'm calling Elle, was born, in November 2018, Priscilla was dating someone new.

Eventually, Alan seemed to get used to the separation and was even starting to talk about their post-divorce, post-Russia future.

One day he suggested they could all move to the United States.

Priscilla thought that might work.

She could get an MBA, become an American entrepreneur.

And then, just a few days after this conversation, Priscilla got a text from Zimbabwe.

In terms of what happened next, she testified to much of this in court and legal filings I've reviewed.

A manager at her restaurant had quit.

She had to go home for a few days to deal with the crisis.

She flew to Zimbabwe.

The kids stayed with Alan.

Elle was five years old.

Elle was seven months.