“Hey, are you not sad that you’re not coming with me to the cake tasting?” I poured myself a cup of coffee.
“Irina called me and said you and Kirill need to spend alone time together.” She winked at Dad. “Just like me and your papa.”
“As if you two don’t spend enough alone time already. And what happened to your advice that we didn’t need to see each other before the wedding?”
Mamma shrugged. “If Kirill makes time to see you, why not?”
“You two are not tired of me yet, are you? I’m not cramping your style?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Dad said. “There’s nothing I love more than my two favorite girls under my roof.”
Aww…
“We love that you’re here, Stellina.” Mamma extended one arm to give me a quick hug, then she stepped back and eyed my ecru pantsuit. “I love the fabric of your suit. Is that the linen-silk one?”
“Yep, this is the only fabric I wear in the summer. It can get humid in DC, and it’s very breathable.”
Mamma transferred the sausage and eggs she was cooking to a plate and put it in front of Dad. I picked up a fork, speared a few morsels into my mouth, and grabbed a croissant from the breadbasket.
“Don’t fill up,” Mamma censured.
“I haven’t eaten anything,” I protested.
My mother walked away to the corner of the kitchen.
“Aren’t you eating, cara?” Dad called after her.
“In a moment,” Mamma replied. “I need to fix Lucy’s makeup.”
My mouth fell open, indignant, while Dad shook his head in resigned amusement.
“Our daughter looks fine to me.”
“Thank you,” I muttered.
“She’s looking a bit pale, and that matte lipstick is too harsh.”
“I’m going to eat cake…I don’t like the crumbs sticking to my lips.”
Mamma stopped in front of me, and I turned wary at the sly look she cast me. “Stellina, that’s the job of Kirill…letting you know you have crumbs on your lips and then he’ll wipe them off your mouth…or do other things.”
“Mamma!”
“What?” she said. “You need to learn some seduction skills.”
“I shouldn’t be hearing this,” Dad mumbled into his coffee.
“Thank you,” I said again.
“Nonsense.” Mamma already had the lipstick out and started to retouch mine. “It’s a good thing we share the same coloring and I always carry pink-peach gloss.”
After fixing my lips, she brought out the blush.
“Not too much,” I whined as I endured the strokes of her brush.
“You have such amazing bone structure. You don’t need a lot.”
My thoughts went to Anya, and before I could make any comparison, the doorbell rang.
