“Yes.”
“But…how did he know you would end up with me?”
She pushes the envelope against my chest with an exaggerated sigh. “He didn’t write it to you specifically! Just to whoever I chose to marry.”
I take the letter from her, noting the rather fancy handwriting.
To whom it may concern.
“Well…read it, please?” she asks, now pacing in circles around the room.
“Well…what did it say?”
I practically tackle Blanche, the only way to get her to stand still, as she continues to wear a hole in the floor as she marches back and forth.
“He said you liked to be shared and were very into necrophilia…”
“Oh my God, I amnot into ne—”
Unable to hide my smirk, I nod toward the bed, excited to officially consummate this marriage. “On your back, Blanche.”
Epilogue 2
“Merry Christmas, l’vitsa,” Ivan purrs in my ear.
“You know what I’ve told you about whispering Russian to me, darling. It makes me want to do things that we don’t have time for.”
“I know, but I agreed to be on my best behavior before I knew what you were wearing tonight. You look delicious,Wife.”
“Want to taste and find out for yourself?” As I lift my skirt to show him my surprise, he groans and falls to his knees, muttering my favorite Russian curses that he only uses when I’ve robbed him of the ability to speak English. “You have…fifteen minutes before the horde starts arriving.”
Ivan’s head pops out from under my skirt, and his smirk is devilish as he licks his lips. “That’s long enough twice over, and you know it.”
And I do.God,do I know it. Just as I resign myself to looking a little flushed when I greet everyone, the doorbell rings. With a sigh, Ivan exits my skirt before pulling me in for a hot kiss.
“Later,” he says. “Now let’s go brush our teeth before we answer the door.”
“Merry Christmas Eve, my darlings! How on earth did you all arriveat the same time?”
And they have. Every single one of them. Henry with Katarina, Vanya toddling ahead, already tall for his age. Ledger and Sloane follow with LJ and Gisele, LJ very much the oldest grandchild and trying to herd all the little ones inside. Margot and Jack have their hands full of presents and MJ and JJ on leashes, already tangled and a tripping hazard that Jack is barely dodging. And finally, Sasha and my dear Lucy, carrying a cake and a whole sack of presents.
How did I ever get so lucky?
“There’s no way that’s supposed to be a sled, Jack! It’s shaped like a—”
“The appetizers are all ready, everyone. If you want a deviled egg, come quickly! Sasha is a fiend and—”
“I know it’s important we all match, but this tartan is really doingnothingfor my complexion—”
“When you said you were renovating to have more room for Christmas, I didn’t know you meant an entirewingforthe grandchildren, Blanche! Dad just gave us the tour. It’s the coolest house I’ve ever seen!” Katarina and Henry reappear with Ivan, who kisses me on the cheek before heading into the kitchen to fight his son for deviled eggs.
“I don’t think any of the children will ever want to go home, Mother.”
I hug Henry and squeeze him as tightly as I can. “That’s my hope, darling. Although, actually, now that you mention it, maybe the slides between floors were a bittoomuch. I want them to be comfortable here, but Ivan and I do need ouralonetime, you know.”
Both the kids wince, but I just shrug. “I’m old but not dead, darlings.”
“Youabsolutelyspiked the punch that year, bro. I was twelve, and I couldn’t walk in a straight line! I don’t know how Mom and Dad didn’t notice—”
