I brush my thumb over her cheek. “I only smile for you.”
She grins happily, then rolls onto her back, her fingers gripping my arm.
“I wish we could stay together all the time,” she says, her tone sad.
I reach over, tuck loose curls behind her ear, and let my hand linger against the softness of her cheek. “I’m with you even when you can’t see me.”
After a while, she looks at me with wide eyes and whispers, “Is the prince still coming?”
For one dangerous moment, Georgi’s face pushes into my thoughts, but I force the thought away and focus on my precious daughter.
“Yes,” I tell her softly. “He’s still coming.”
“When?”
I pause, hating that I have to lie to her. Forcing the smile back to my face, I reply, “Soon.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “You always say soon.”
I tap her nose playfully. “That’s because the prince will come at the exact right time and only he knows when that will be.”
Ivan lets out a snort, which I ignore.
Simi thinks for a moment, then asks, “What if he gets lost, Mama?”
“He won’t.”
“What if he forgets?” she asks another question.
I gather her closer until her head rests on my arm. “He won’t forget us.”
Forgive me for all my lies.
Satisfied, she lifts her hand to my face and traces her fingertip around my eyes, nose, and mouth.
“Mama, do you miss me when I’m gone?”
The urge to cry strikes so hard, I have to blink fast to keep the tears back, and my voice is hoarse as I reply, “Every second of every single day.”
“Even when you eat?”
Nodding, I press a kiss to her chubby cheek.
“Even when you sleep?”
A sad smile touches my mouth as I look into her innocent eyes. “Yes.”
Her fingers play with a lock of my hair while she studies my face. “You look sad, Mama.”
“I’m happy right now,” I answer honestly.
She searches my eyes as if checking whether I’m telling the truth before lifting her small hand to my cheek. Turning my head, I kiss her palm.
For a long while, we lie together, just staring at each other.
“When I grow up big, I’ll protect you,” she whispers as if she’s sharing a secret with me.
I press my mouth to her hair and wrap my arms tightly around her small body. “That’s my job,malka.”
