Friends. Pretty girl. Night night. Tillie’s hungry. I love baseball—Jay taught her that. She knows some curse words but since we bring her out to the kids so often, we’ve tried to discourage it.
Irina says something to my father-in-law and he immediately starts taking pictures of her and Tillie with his phone.
“You think they want to see Empress?” Jay calls out to me.
“How do you feel about falcons?” I ask Mr. Maslak.
He puts his hand over his heart dramatically. “I will be your friend forever.”
I laugh and call to Jay. “Bring her out. Let’s take her outside and see if she’ll demo her flying skills for us.”
“Thank you for this,” Mr. Maslak says under his breath as we walk outside. “Today is very special.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I know,” he says under his breath.
“You know?” I ask in confusion.
“That you rush to marry because Viktor does not want his mother to interfere. I understand.”
Oh, fuck. I had no idea Viktor told him but I still feel like I need to be cautious.
“My son, he is good man.” He continues without waiting for me to respond.
I nod slowly. “I think so too.”
“You are…new. Be gentle together. Marriage is difficult. You must talk, discuss everything. And this is cliché, but you must never go to bed angry. I am married thirty years—trust me for this. You can have good life together if you work hard. Make him fall in love, Holly. Will be worth it.”
With that, he turns to Jay just as Empress comes flying over to us.
But I’m not focused on the majestic bird.
Make him fall in love.
Is that even possible?
His father seems to think so, and he’s probably the only person in the world who could say those words and make me think I could do it.
Maybe I can.
Maybe I should.
Because I really, really want to.
Chapter Twenty
Viktor
My father and Aunt Irina talk of nothing but the birds at dinner. I honestly haven’t given much thought to the sanctuary beyond the fact that it’s important to Holly, but after looking at the pictures and videos, and listening to my father and aunt waxing poetic about the time they spent there, I have to admit I’m curious.
“I have new pet,” my father says with a laugh, showing my mother yet another photograph of him and a bird named Priscilla. I can see my mother and Olga are getting annoyed, but Papa and Aunt Irina don’t seem to care.
“This is the best day of trip,” my father announces proudly. “I will love this memory forever.”
“We can go back before you leave,” Holly says to him, smiling.
“You will go again?” he asks her.
