“I wouldn’t be able to show him much of it,” I reply with a sad lift of my shoulders. “He’d probably be bored, confined to one house.”
Aunt Irina pretends to be offended, making a show of gasping. “This is quite a lovely house to become bored of. There are many things to do.”
Well…she isn’t wrong about that.
“And besides, you’re doing so well, mysolnyshka. You will want to venture past these walls sooner than you might think. You are braver than you give yourself credit for. I see it in you, and soon, you’ll see it too.”
My throat grows tight and thick with emotion. “Do you really think so?”
“I know so.”
Aunt Irina extends her arm out, her French-manicured fingers stopping mid-air, giving me the option to make contact.I don’t fear her touch, so no part of me protests when I allow her to grasp my hand in hers.
She squeezes me gently and smiles. “Any time you want to try and leave the house, even just to go for a walk on the beach, or for a car ride, I’m only a call away. We’ll surround you with more power than kings and queens roam around with. And if you grow to feel safer with your Matteo than any other, I will fly to that dreary city and bring him to you myself.”
A startled wet laugh leaves me, and I use my free hand to brush away tears on my cheeks that I hadn’t realized fell. “You know they live outside of the city, don’t you? Father says they live in a house bigger than our own, almost all of them together in that palace of a place. I think that it’s likely not very dreary.”
Aunt Irina makes a dismissive sound and shrugs with a sassy bop of her shoulders. “All the same, it’s no match for California beauty. And we have something they do not. Gorgeous Morozova ladies. There are only a few of us, but we’re our very own brand of goddesses, are we not?”
She certainly is.
“I’ve missed you,” I say tearfully, rather than answering her question. “I’m sorry that I haven’t asked to spend time with you sooner. I wanted to. I just didn’t know how?—”
“None of that, my lovely girl,” she hushes me, squeezing my hand once more. “You have nothing to apologize for. I understand more than you know about needing space to heal and figuring out how to operate afterward. We’re together now, and nothing else matters.”
The weight of the sincere words feels like a warm hug.
“Do you want to stay longer?”
“I’d like nothing more.” Irina grins. “Perhaps if I stay long enough, your Matteo will call and I’ll get to meet him.”
“As long as you don’t call him my Matteo to his face.”
She mimes zipping her lips and when we stand up, I wrap her into a long overdue embrace. By the time I let her go, both of our faces are wet and not from sweat.
“I think we’ve earned a snack, don’t you? What’s on the menu today?”
It’s Wednesday, so: “Apple slices with almond butter. You can have something else, though. If you want.”
“Are you kidding? Sounds delicious. Uncle Lev always steals my almond butter for his fruit bowls in the morning. We’ll have to refuse to share with him or he’ll eat it all.”
Laughing, I nod in agreement. “Deal.”
Chapter Fifteen
Anya
We’ve finished our snack and have been talking for almost an hour in the breakfast nook of the kitchen by the time Matteo texts me. Aunt Irina sees my phone light up before I even do, and I swear she looks like she’s trying to resist stealing it from me as I hesitantly pick it up.
“Well, come on,” she encourages, leaning closer on the bench. “Is it him?”
“You’re so excited,” I comment, biting my lip. “It’s just a text. He says good morning.”
“Is that all?” she probes. Peering down at my phone, she reads aloud, “‘Good morning, Anya. Do you want to call or text today?’”
“You’re nosier than I remember,” I tease, tucking the phone to my chest in mock protectiveness.
Ignoring my comment, she grins widely.“Well, isn’t that nice. He asks you what you’d rather do.”
