It hits my shoulder with a satisfying thud.
Elijah cheers like it’s the winning move in a championship game, and Clara shrugs, her lips curving into a sly smile.
“Not bad,” I say, brushing the snow off my coat. “But you’re out of practice.”
“Oh, really?” she quips, bending down to gather more snow. “Let’s see you say that after this.”
What follows is pure chaos. Snow flies in every direction—Elijah giggles uncontrollably as he tries to dodge and throw at the same time. Clara targets me with military precision, her throws fast and unrelenting, while I split my efforts between dodging her and giving Elijah a fighting chance.
At some point, I decide to shift tactics. “Elijah!” I call out, pointing toward Clara. “New target.”
He stops mid-throw, his face lighting up with mischief. “Mommy?”
Clara freezes, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t even think about it, Leonid.”
I smirk. “Think fast,Mommy.”
Before she can react, Elijah hurls his snowball at her. It hits her coat with a soft splat, and her mouth falls open in mock outrage.
“Oh, you’re both dead,” she declares, grabbing two handfuls of snow. She’s laughing now, a sound I haven’t heard from her in… forever, it feels like. The kind of laugh that makes me forget everything else for a moment.
From the corner of my eye, I catch movement near the far end of the balcony. Anya stands there, her mouth slightly open, her eyes wide as if she’s just walked into an alternate reality. She looks between me, Clara, and Elijah, clutching her clipboard like it might anchor her to sanity. I ignore her, focusing instead on the snowball Clara just launched at my chest.
The war escalates quickly, with Elijah switching sides every thirty seconds and Clara surprising me with how ruthless shecan be. My coat is soaked by the time I finally manage to dodge one of her throws and retaliate with a perfect hit to her arm.
“Truce!” she calls out, laughing as she raises her hands in mock surrender.
Elijah, however, is not finished. He runs toward her, throwing another handful of snow at her legs. She scoops him up mid-charge, tickling his sides until he’s shrieking with laughter.
And for a moment, just a moment, it feels… real. Like this is normal. Like this ismine.
That thought hits me harder than any snowball. I freeze, watching them, my chest tightening in a way that’s both unfamiliar and uncomfortable.Blyat.What the hell is happening to me?
Before I can dwell on it, a voice cuts through the air, dripping with sarcasm.
“Well, well, well… what a lovely happy family.”
I turn sharply to see Maksim strolling up the path, his usual shit-eating grin plastered across his face. He’s holding a white envelope in one hand, spinning it casually between his fingers. “Didn’t know you were the snowball fight type, boss,” he adds, his tone practically oozing smugness.
Maksim waves the envelope like it’s a trophy. “Just thought you’d want to see this. But hey, don’t let me interrupt your family fun.”
“What’s in it?”
He shrugs, his grin widening. “Oh, just a little something I thought might brighten your day. Or ruin it.” His eyes flick to Clara, his expression turning almost gleeful. “Depends on your perspective, boss.”
52
Clara
Take a deep breath, Clara, this is nothing. It’s nothing.
Fuck, I haven’t done this since… Jake died.
The gondola creaks higher, swaying in the wind. “Shit.” A nervous laugh escapes my lips. My stomach’s doing that thing where it can’t decide if this is excitement or pure stupidity.
I tighten my gloved hands on the safety bar. Below, Elijah’s tiny red jacket bobs on the bunny slopes like a bright speck against the snow. He wobbles, catches himself, then throws his arms up like he just won Olympic gold. His instructor claps, and I can picture his gap-toothed grin from here.
That’s my boy.
