He nods. “I like that idea. I’m going to try it before I go to bed.”
He moves the notebooks and pens from his lap and throws himself into me for a hug. I give him a tight squeeze, sensing that it’s what he needs. His entire body relaxes into me.
“Get some sleep. We’ll have breakfast together before everyone else wakes. Sound good?”
“Yes, Mo-mo. That sounds perfect. I’ll see you in the morning.”
I kiss his forehead and ruffle his hair. He’s growing up way too fast. I wish a part of his gift was to slow down time. I can’t believe he’s eleven. What happened to my little three-year-old buddy?
“Mom?” he calls as I reach the door to exit.
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” I say as I get choked up.
I leave out of his room with a smile on my face. Other than the loss of my daughter, I wouldn’t change anything about my life. With a full heart, I move to my bedroom in search of my husband.
When I don’t find him in our room, I double back through the house in search of him. It takes a minute for me to find him in the quiet house. He’s sitting in his office staring down into a tumbler.
“Hey, you,” I say as I enter.
He looks up at me and the look on his face makes my heart sink. I go to sit on his lap and wrap my arms around his neck. Pressing my forehead to the side of his face, I breathe him in.
“What’s going on?”
He sighs. “I’d like to talk about anything but.”
“O … kay,” I drag out.
He begins to rub my back. The gesture seems to be more for him than me. He’s still deep in thought as I watch him.
“This has become more complicated than we thought. There is more to it than you and I uncovered,” he murmurs as if talking to himself.
“How so?”
“Misha has good reason for dragging his ass. If Vlad and Alexei were a shock, wait until you learn the rest of what’s really going on.”
“From the stress on your face, I don’t think I want to know tonight. Let me ask you a question.”
“Go on.”
“Can I blow someone’s head off over it tonight?”
He releases a soft chuckle. “No, not tonight.”
“Then come with me. Let me draw you a bath and take your mind off it. You can tell me everything in the morning. We’ve had enough revelations for one day, don’t you think?”
“You can say that again. I need a vacation.”
“Oh, that sounds fun. Where are we going?”
He looks me in the eyes and smiles. “You know I was kidding, don’t you?”
“But why can’t it be a reality?”
“Seven kids, including Paulie,” he chuckles.
