"She tried to kill you and Stella, so she got what she deserved. I wanted to just kill her, but madness will make her suffer more. Death's too easy."
His darkness surprised me, but it didn't scare me. I hugged him tighter.
At dinner, the three of us gathered around the table. It was my rule—no matter how busy, we ate together.
Igor sliced his steak while Stella chattered about kindergarten.
"Today, Luca said his dad bought him a huge dollhouse," Stella said. "But I told him my daddy's better! My daddy's a superhero!"
Igor laughed. "Oh yeah? How's Daddy a superhero?"
"Because you saved me and Mommy!" Stella said seriously. "Like Superman in the movies!"
"What about Mommy?" I asked. "What's Mommy?"
"Mommy's a queen!" Stella said without missing a beat. "The prettiest queen!"
"And you?" Igor asked.
"I'm the little princess!" Stella declared proudly. "When I grow up, I'll be pretty like Mommy and brave like Daddy!"
Seeing her innocent smile, Igor and I exchanged a glance and laughed. This was what we protected—this purity, this joy.
"Who's Luca?" Igor asked, as if it had just occurred to him.
"My desk buddy," Stella said. "He always brings me yummy candy."
Igor paused mid-cut, then kept going.
"You ate it?"
"Yeah, it was super sweet!"
Igor set down his knife and fork, looking at me.
"Does the kindergarten let kids eat random food from outside?" His tone was calm, but I caught the edge.
"Igor," I said softly. "It's just candy. Kids share snacks all the time."
"I know," he nodded. "But I think we should check with the teacher about food safety. Stella's allergic to some things."
That was true. Nuts set her off; we were always careful.
"You're right," I said. "I'll mention it tomorrow."
"I'll swing by the kindergarten sometime," Igor said. "Talk to the teacher about Stella. See how she's doing."
"Yay!" Stella cheered. "Daddy, you can meet Luca! He's so smart; the teacher always praises him."
"Uh-huh," Igor said, digging back into his steak.
He looked calm, but I noticed he cut harder.
After dinner, it was Igor's time with Stella. They built blocks in the living room, her bossing him around, him following along. I sketched designs nearby and heard her mention Luca again.
"Daddy, Luca said he has tons of toys and invited me over. Can I go?"
"If you go, Mommy and Daddy will go with you," Igor said. "You can't go to strangers' houses alone."
