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Mikhail regards me carefully, his jaw set tight. He is quiet for a long time, contemplating my question thoroughly, before opening his mouth to say, “I would want to know. So I could move on one way or another.”
I swallow my doubts and fears. That’s exactly what I was thinking. Slowly, I rip open the envelope and slip the brick of documents out from inside. I’m astounded at what I see.
Jonathan Richard Foster. Born April 12th in Seattle, Washington. The private investigator has apparently included sealed court documents concerning his entering the foster system at the tender age of seven. A very troubled childhood, by the looks of it. Poor grades at school, always getting involved in fights.
His tumultuous behavior was only exacerbated by his constant transfer from one foster home to the next. It doesn’t look like John had very much stability in his life, which might explain why he was sent to juvie when he was only fifteen. He reallydoeshave a rap sheet a mile long. Mostly minor offenses like shoplifting, being a public nuisance, breaking a window, and so on.
I sink into my chair, my mind blown. My father has always been a stranger to me. Even though I have a play-by-play of his life in my hands, he’sstilla stranger. A strange buzz lingers on my skin, the aftereffects of my initial adrenaline rush. As I continue to read page after page, I’m starting to realize my mother had good reason to never mention him.
Things apparently took a drastic turn for him the moment he turned eighteen and was forced out of the foster care system. Without a support net in place, he turned to harder crime. Carjacking, armed robbery, assault. The man was in and out of prison like it had a revolving front door. No matter how many times he got out, John couldn’t seem to keep a job, which only exacerbated his money problems, which led him back to his criminal ways in a desperate attempt to make a quick buck.
My stomach churns.
Thisis my father? John’s apparently been behind bars for the last twenty years on a slew of felony charges. Suddenly, everything makes sense. Some small part of my brain clicks. When I was a little girl, I always wondered why he never reached out, never tried to find me. Now I know it’s because hecouldn’t.
I set the file down, numbness washing over me. I’m… not as upset as I thought I would be. A little disappointed, maybe, but I’m not exactly heartbroken. It’s a good thing I didn’t have massive expectations, because this dossier would have broken my heart to bits otherwise.
And now I know. Now I know the truth and I feel…
“Okay,” I murmur.
“My love?”
I smile at my husband, taking in his handsome face and serious eyes. Through thick and thin, I know I can rely on Mikhail to be there. He’s my rock, my lighthouse amidst stormy seas. As long as I have him, I know everything’s going to be okay. The past can remain in the past. All that matters now is the present and what we make of the future.
I hop out of my seat and walk over to him, allowing Mikhail to wrap his arms around my waist to pull me into a tight hug. He presses his cheek to my belly and holds me as I comb my fingers through his hair.
“Thank you, darling.”
“You’re alright?”
I nod, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. “I’m perfect,” I say and mean it with complete sincerity. “I love you, Misha.”
“I love you, too, Aurora.”
Just then, one of the babies starts crying over the baby monitor. My ears prick. Some people think all crying infants sound the same, but I know in an instant it’s Charlotte who’s throwing a fuss. Not long after, she gets her sister going. Now they’re both wailing, crying for our attention.
I take Mikhail’s hand and lead him out the door. “Come on,” I say. “They need their diapers changed.”
“How can you tell?”
I shrug my shoulders. “A mother can just tell.”
“Perhaps I should—”
“Oh, no you don’t. I changed the last four. You’ve got to start pulling your weight around here, mister.”
Mikhail grimaces. “This is hardly becoming of a Bratva boss.”
I snort. “Too bad. You’re officially on diaper changing duty.”
“Alright, fine. So bossy.”
“You like it.”
He chuckles. “Yeah, I do.”
Chapter 47
