Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83814 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
She seems surprised. “You’re going to do late night feedings?”
“Absolutely I will. I told you, we’re going to do better.”
I stare at her and she stares back. It’s strange, standing here in the middle of our past, in this store that defined so much of what we are. The store that helped to build her family’s fortune, and the store where I learned to be the man I am today. It’s a ruin, a smoking husk. But there are also signs that it’s coming back to life.
Something old turning into something new. That’s how I feel with her.
Our relationship is ancient, but it’s also just getting started.
“We can actually do this,” she says and sounds like it’s the first time she really believes.
“Yeah, we really can,” I say, grinning at her. I laugh lightly, unable to help myself. “We really are.”
“No, but I mean—“ Her cheeks turn lightly red. God, she’s so pretty when she blushes. I can’t look away. “I want to do this with you. I want to co-parent. I mean, I want to be—“
“You want to be married,” I say for her.
But bites her lip and nods.
“I want to be married too.” I push off the pillar and walk to her. “I want to do this with you.”
“You really mean that?”
“I wouldn’t lie to you.”
“I know, but it’s a big deal. We never agreed to long term.”
“Then we can agree to it now.” I catch her and pull her into me. “Wife.”
She tilts up her chin and I kiss her.
My lips linger. Her taste is like flowers and a lazy summer afternoon. I don’t want to let her go.
But someone clears their throat and I’m forced to glance up.
Lev’s standing in the partial doorway that leads to the back door. He’s got a strange look on his face.
Natalya jumps away from me. I can tell she’s flustered, but I’m not ashamed of my relationship with her. Lev knows we’re married, and maybe he doesn’t realize the way things have progressed between us, but he’s not a stupid man. He must know how I’ve felt about her all these years.
“Hey, sorry, I didn’t know you were there,” she stammers, looking wildly uncomfortable. “We were just taking a look around.”
“No worries.” Lev’s charming smile comes back like slamming a door shut. That emotionless glare disappears as he buries the real him. “Not looking great, huh? But it’s getting there.”
“You’re doing a good job.”
“I’m mostly just getting in the way.” He laughs and gestures for his sister to follow him. They talk about the renovations and I give them a little space. It’s impersonal, but at least they’re getting along. That’s a good sign.
“I was telling Alex about Dad letting me play dress up back here,” she says.
“Do you remember the time you swallowed that diamond?”
She groans. “Not this story again.”
I’ve heard it a dozen times too, but it’s a good one.
He cackles and gestures at where she’s standing. “You were right there. I remember clear as day. You must’ve been like three or four, and Dad let you hold this huge diamond. You were looking at it and letting it sparkle in the light, then before anyone could stop you, you plopped it in your mouth like a grape. I think when Dad lunged forward to get it back, he scared you, and you just swallowed the damn thing.”
Nat rolls her eyes. “Who gives a million-dollar diamond to a toddler?”
“Dad was freaking out and cursing for hours.”
“He made me drink like a gallon of apple juice and he was digging around in my diapers for a couple days. It was so awful.”
“Got it back though, cleaned it up, and set it back into a necklace. Nobody ever knew.”
“That poor rich lady walking around with a stone that was in my small intestine.”
“Just think. Somewhere out there, that stone’s still getting passed around.” He pauses and beams. “Just like it passed through you.”
“Okay, this is gross,” Nat says, laughing despite herself. “Why can’t you tell nice stories about me?”
“Because there are none. Remember Mrs. Meyer?”
She glances at me. “My evil piano teacher.”
“Nat hated Mrs. Meyer. That poor old lady. You tortured her until she finally quit on Dad. He was livid.”
“She was the worst.” Nat’s smiling and getting into it. “But that’s not as bad as you and that math tutor.”
“Don’t you dare bring Mr. Gupta into this.”
“You stole his wallet!”
“He called me lazy and dyslexic.”
“Okay, he might’ve deserved it a little bit.”
The siblings fall into an easy rapport sharing old childhood stories and I sit back to listen. I’ve seen this a hundred times before and usually I get bored to tears, but right now it feels good. After losing Step, after eloping, after the pregnancy, after Lev hating Nat, it’s just nice to see them acting like themselves again.