Her blouse shifts as she reaches for the coffee, silk brushing against her skin like a lover’s hand. My gaze lingers longer than it should. Longer than I allow it to.
For a breath, she holds my stare. A smile starts but doesn’t quite form, then she turns away, as if caught in something private.
Lev digs into his pocket and pulls out a sad-looking fabric pouch, threads dangling like it barely survived a school assignment. He holds it up, hopeful.
“Bella, do you know how to sew?”
She blinks at the sad little pouch, threads dangling like it lost a fight.
“Sewing’s not my superpower.” But she picks it up anyway, turning it over with a critical eye. “But I’ve patched enough of Julian’s ripped jeans to qualify as a battlefield medic.”
“Who’s Julian?” Lev asks.
The room stills. Bella’s fingers tighten on the fabric, just for a second.
“My little brother,” she says, too light. “Well… he’s not that little anymore now, and Lila, she’s my little sister.”
She doesn’t look at me. I don’t react. But the omission sits between us like a loaded gun.
Alya pokes the pouch. “Is this your school project? It looks like a rat chewed it.”
Lev gasps, clutching his chest. “Betrayal! It’s awallet.”
Bella snorts. “For storing what? A single gum wrapper?”
Nikolai stands, wiping his mouth. “I’ll be late.” He nods at Bella—respectful but assessing. Always assessing.
She reaches out and adjusts his crooked tie with a quick flick of her fingers.
“Try not to terrify your teachers today.”
Nikolai freezes. No one touches him.No one. But he doesn’t step back. Just exhales through his nose. “They terrify easy.” Then he’s gone.
Alya bounces in her seat. “Bella! Papa said I can go to school!Realschool, with other kids!”
Bella’s eyebrows lift. She glances at me, but I’m busy stirring my coffee, giving nothing away.
“If she has time,” I say, cool. Testing.
Her smile sharpens. “Oh, I’llmaketime.” She taps Alya’s nose. “We’ll pick out your backpack. Something obnoxiously sparkly.”
Alya squeals.
The sound hits me like a physical blow. I’ve never seen her so happy.
Her entire face glows as she bounces in her seat, fingers clutching at Bella’s sleeve like she’s afraid this moment might vanish.
Bella doesn’t pull away. Just the opposite—she leans into Alya’s chatter, her body angled toward the girl as if they’re sharing secrets. Her fingers move swiftly as she tucks a loose thread back into Lev’s disaster of a wallet. No hesitation. Noresentment. Just… natural participation, as if she’s been part of this morning ritual for years instead of days.
Dangerous.
She picks up her fork and cuts into the protein pancake, taking a small bite. The moment it touches her tongue, her face does something complicated—nose wrinkling, eyebrows lifting, lips pressing together like she’s trying very hard not to spit it out.
Lev catches it first. “That bad?” he asks, grinning.
Bella forces a swallow, reaching for her coffee like it’s a lifeline.
“I’ve had worse,” she lies, voice strangled. “Though I think my last tetanus shot was less painful.”
