Yes, Nikolai loved me. He called me docha all the time, but did Alexei?
Because I was pretty sure I was falling in love with him.
It was alreadydark by the time I got home. Alessia’s doctors and specialists’ appointments had taken much longer than I had thought, and the news wasn’t good. I held her hand as the doctor explained, and I didn’t let go.
I didn’t cry either. Alessia did. Not that I could blame her. We had even less time than I had thought. Alessia was only a few years older than me, and she was going to die.
Of course, they hadn’t put it in those words, but it was pretty clear that’s what they were saying. I wanted nothing more than to scream and rage at the world, but I also knew I had to hold it together for my sister.
Right now, she needs me to be strong, stronger than I have ever been before. But that didn’t mean my heart hadn’t shattered into a million pieces. I wanted my husband. Alexei would have held me and just let me cry. He would promise to make it all better, and if anyone was capable of it, it was him.
Still, it was a new feeling to want to be held by someone, especially someone like Alexei, who on the surface was so cold.
“Mrs. Petorov?” Mrs. Cole called after me as I rushed up the stairs. I was already running late, and Alexei hated that, unless, of course, he was the one being late. “May I speak to you, please?”
“Of course.” I turned. It was still weird for me to be called that, but it didn’t matter how many times I had asked to be called Amy, none of the staff would. “I’m running a little late. Can I shower first? I smell of hospital. Or is it an emergency?”
Her lined eyes filled with sympathy. “I hope your sister is doing better,” she said softly. “And yes, it can wait a few minutes.”
I misled because if she thought I could be ready in a few minutes, she was sadly mistaken.
“If it’s important.”
“It’s just about Alexei’s birthday next week.”
I did a double-take. “It’s his birthday next week?”
Suddenly, I felt like a fool. He was my husband, and earlier I had almost told him I loved him, yet I didn’t know when his birthday was. It just went to prove how little I knew about him.
“What day?” I tried to get down the stairs so quickly, I almost slipped.
She narrowed her eyes. “Wednesday. You didn’t know?”
I made a mental note of next Wednesday’s date and forced myself to smile. “He didn’t tell me.”
“He—”
At that moment, my phone buzzed, and I pulled it out of my pocket. Alexei’s name flashed up on my screen.
I’ve found a match.
My heart skipped a beat. I read the message over and over again until the words were burned into my retinas. He had found a match for my sister, just like he had promised. My heart seemed to swell in size.
God, I loved that man so much. He had given me the best gift in the world, and I would never be able to pay him back. But I will try. Every day for the rest of my life, I would try to be the best wife he could ask for. And I would start with his birthday.
“Do you think,” I eyed the housekeeper thoughtfully, “Do we have enough time to arrange a party for him?”
She stared at me cooly for a few seconds and then nodded. “I think we can arrange something special, but I may need some help.”
“I will, I mean, of course I’ll help. Every spare minute,” I promised. I had so many ideas. I already knew his favorite cake because he always went on about the German chocolate cake his mother used to make for his birthday, so I knew I would have to get one of them. And an amazing gift. Something special from me to him. My mind was going around a million miles an hour.
Mrs. Cole’s lips curled in a smile. “I’ll begin straight away, Mrs.Petrovov. You go and get ready for your date. And I’m glad the news was good.”
I looked at her in confusion.
She pointed to the phone in my hand. “Your whole face lit up. I took a wild guess that it was good news about your sister.”
“The best news.” I beamed at her.
