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She dips her head sheepishly. “It was only a little tiny bit. Auntie Nat cleaned it up for me.”
No sense crying over spilled yogurt, I guess. Especially given the day I've had. In terms of things to worry about, it doesn't even make the top fifty.
“Thanks for telling me the truth.” I kiss her cheek. “Did you have a good day?”
I had my phone in my pocket all day, and I reached for it more times than I could count. As the minutes and hours ticked on, I was anticipating the call that Yuliana had another meltdown. But it never came.
“It was fine.” She shrugs dismissively and reaches for the burgundy dress hanging over the back of the couch. It drags on the floor when she picks it up, but she strains to hold it up as high as she can. “Look at this, Mama! It’s a princess dress.”
“It is.” I muster up a smile. “Mama hasn’t worn this princess dress since before you were born. It might not even fit anymore.”
Even if it does fit, it will not be a size or two too big, per Kirill’s rules. I’ll be lucky if I can tuck my girls into the top.
Yuliana doesn’t hear the uncertainty in my voice. She thrusts the dress into my hands and runs to the counter. “I found this in the closet, too!”
She pinches something between her little fingers and comes back holding a gold locket necklace. My mother’s necklace.
“You’ll be beautiful,” Yuliana proclaims. Her green eyes are wide with wonder. It’s the childish innocence that always melts my heart. The innocence I hope she clings to as long as she possibly can.
I take the necklace from her and stare at it sitting in my palm. “I haven’t worn this regularly since before you were born, either,” I murmur.
“Why? I’d wear it every day. It’s a princess necklace.”
I smile at her and bat down the emotion rising inside of me. “I guess… because sometimes it makes me remember sad things.”
My mom cheated on my dad with the man who gave her this necklace. Then she lied about it to me my entire life. Now, I know that the same man is very likely my father.
For so long, it felt like wearing the necklace would be condoning everything my mom did. It would be condoning her lies and deceit.
Then again, my entire world was flipped on its head an hour ago.
Kirill loves me.
Something I never thought was possible happened. Maybe I’m wrong about other things, too.
Maybe there’s a good reason Mom cheated on Dad. Maybe there’s a good reason she didn’t tell me who my real father was.
I’m not sure I’ll ever have the answers to these questions, but if I’ve learned anything today, it’s that life can surprise you.
“Does it make you sad now?” Yuliana asks, her little voice full of concern.
I take her hand and smile. “No, honey. It doesn’t.”
“So you’ll wear it?”
I hold up the dress and cringe at the thought of how angry Kirill will be about me breaking two of his three rules. There will be no way to go unnoticed in this get-up.
But the world has already gone topsy-turvy. I might as well join it.
“You picked it out for me, didn’t you?” I reach out and chuff her round cheek. “Of course I’m wearing it.”
49
RAYNE
I can’t decide if this dress was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my life or just a normal-sized mistake.
Either way, the dress itself is neither big nor normal-sized. It's small. Teeny. Tight. Everything Kirill swore he didn’t want.
