“You’re my second.”
Dima’s blond brows shot up in surprise. “Just for tonight?”
With a firm shake of my head, I replied, “Always.”
“What about Aleksandr?”
“D-Do you question your leader?” I countered.
The corners of Dima’s lips quirked. “No, sir. I don’t.”
“One d-day Aleks will have his p-place at my t-table.” With a smile, I patted his shoulder. “B-But he will never b-be my second.”
As his tears spilled over his cheeks, Dima quickly swiped them away. With a chuckle, he replied, “Mudak.”
“Z-Zhopo.”
Dima snickered. “If anyone is an ass, it’s you.”
I smacked his face playfully before turning to slip on my pants. I’d just slid my tux jacket on when Dima’s phone went off with a FaceTime. After digging it out of his pocket, he smiled as he put the call on the speaker. “Hey, Mom.”
“Look at you, my handsome,solnyshko.”
When Dima’s cheeks flushed at his mother using his childhood nickname of “little sun”, I clapped him on the back and waggled my brows. His elbow flew out to jab me in the ribs.
“Oomph,” I grunted.
“Is that Maksim?” Irina questioned.
“Yes, m’am,” I replied while rubbing my side.
As Dima turned the screen to face me, Irina’s face lit up. “You look so handsome as well.”
“T-Thank you.”
“You’ve grown into such a fine young man.”
Heat warmed my cheeks at her compliment. To lighten the moment, Dima teased, “What about me,Mamouska? Am I a fine young man?”
She laughed. “You are a menace is what you are.”
“I’m a man,” Dima protested.
“You’re a b-baby,” I joked.
As Dima playfully shoved me, Irina held up her hands. “All right, boys. Although I wanted to tell you good luck and I’m proud of you, there’s some others here who want to talk to you.”
Irina shifted the phone over to where my younger sisters and brother stood. At the sight of me, they waved and smiled. My almost thirteen-year-old half sister, Mila, was Dima’s twin with her blonde hair and blue eyes while eight-year-old, Lev, and six-year-old, Kira, favored me and our father with dark hair and dark eyes.
“Good luck tonight, Maks,” Mila said, with a genuine smile.
Just like with Dima, I’d always been closer to Mila than Annika. Whenever I’d remove myself from situations with heavy conversations, she would come sit in the quiet with me. I’d often go outside so we could stare up at the night sky since Mila loved astronomy just like Irina did.
As I nodded my thanks, Kira stomped her tiny foot and pouted at the screen. “I wanted to come to your party!” she whined.
“Kira,” Irina admonished.
I chuckled. “I’m sorry,p-pchelka.”Since she was little, Irina had called Kira her little bee, and it had bled over to me andAleks. It matched her personality so well since she could be sweet but have a sting with her temper.
