I lean back on my hands, heart warming at the sight of them—Lev practically vibrating, Nikolai explaining things with clinical pride, Julian grinning like he forgot to be the brooding older teen for a second.
The girls are curled up on the opposite side of the roof, legs tangled in a blanket, whispering in that way girls do when there are secrets involved, and giggling is mandatory.
Alya is braiding a section of Lila’s hair, twisting it into something vaguely elegant and definitely too tight.
“You have good texture,” she declares. “Do you use product?”
Lila squints. “What does that even mean?”
“She means your hair doesn’t frizz,” I call gently.
“Unlike yours that one time,” Lila says, eyes gleaming. “Remember the curling wand incident? You looked like a deranged Victorian orphan.”
“I was going for volume,” I mutter.
“You looked like you lost a fight with a haunted chandelier.”
Alya squeals. “Tell me everything.”
“I was trying to impress this guy—”
“Who hadzeroidea she existed,” Lila adds helpfully.
“Okay,” I say, sitting up. “Rude.”
I’m still smiling when the sliding glass door opens, and one of the nannies steps out, soft-footed and serene.
“Time to wind down, kids.”
Lev groans like he’s being asked to disarm a bomb. “Can I just stay and see if Orion punches the moon?”
“No,” Nikolai says, standing up and folding his star chart precisely. “Because that’s not how physics works.”
“I still want to see it.”
“Let’s go,” the nanny says with the patience of a saint.
Alya climbs to her feet and loops her pinky with Lila’s. “Will you read to me tonight? Mishka’s been waiting.”
Lila softens, brushing Alya’s hair off her forehead. “Yeah. Sure. Only if I get to do the voices.”
“Obviously.”
They trail off, Lev following behind after one last dramatic sigh. Nikolai pauses just long enough to align the telescope again before giving me a quiet nod and disappearing through the door.
And then it’s just me and Julian.
Under stars that feel too bright. With air that feels too still.
“They’re funny kids,” Julian chuckles low beside me, still watching the door where they vanished.
I let out a soft breath, the ghost of a smile tugging at my lips.
“Yeah. They are.” I glance up at the stars. “Lila’s finally found someone who can keep up with her attitude, and Lev somehow managed to get chocolate on hiselbowduring dinner. I mean, that’s talent. And Alya—she’s like a tiny general in glitter sneakers.”
Julian hums, quiet amusement flickering on his face. But when I glance back at him, he’s not looking at the sky anymore. He’s watching me.
Closely.
