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“Was he just talking?” I turn in my seat and see Dimitri entering. He wears a stunned expression as he approaches.“What did he say?”
“This and that,” I reply vaguely. “Something about how he wanted to move to America.”
Lev is suddenly quiet again, staring off into the distance without focus. Very carefully, I take Simon back. The child’s fallen asleep, no doubt lulled by his grandfather’s presence.
Dimitri presses his lips into a thin line as he observes me with his son. “That was all?”
“Yes. Just asked about your brothers and said you all needed to move to America. Oh, and he thinks I’m Catherina.”
I don’t miss the way his face pinches. “My mother.”
“Oh. Not a fan, I take it.”
“She’s fine in short bursts.”
“How short of a burst are we talking?”
Dimitri chuckles. “Thirty seconds and under. Any more and you’ll need several stress balls to get you through the encounter.”
“How lovely,” I say with a dry smile.
A silence falls over the room, but it’s by no means uncomfortable. If anything, it’s peaceful. I can’t help but feel welcomed into this little family. Getting to know Lev and Simon, and now Dimitri… A part of me feels honored to be allowed into their home.
“Would you like to hold him?” I ask Dimitri. “I notice you don’t hold him very often.”
Dimitri clears his throat. “Well, I…”
“You’re not scared, are you?”
“What? Of course not.”
“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but I noticed it at the playground, too. How you’re kind of… distant.”
Dimitri sighs, his nods almost imperceptible. “His mother dropped him off barely over a week ago. I’m… struggling to adjust. Everything’s been a huge adjustment, actually.”
“Dropped him off?” I echo with a frown. “You mean ditched him?”
He grimaces. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Wow.” I chew on the inside of my cheek. “You’re not bad at it, you know. If that’s what you’re afraid of.”
Dimitri sighs. “I’m… I don’t know. It’s stupid.”
I chuckle. “What is?”
“He’s just sosmall. I’m scared I’m going to hurt him.”
I smile sympathetically. How can this man be so charming and vulnerable and yet strong and commanding all at the same time? He’s so complicated it makes my brain hurt, but I don’t mind the pain of it.
“You’re not going to hurt him, Dimitri.”
“I may not, but what if…” His eyes grow stormy. “What if the people in my lifedo?”
My heart stutters. For a moment, I think he’s calling me out. I’ve thought about it time and time again. If I eventually figure out how to kill Dimitri, what will happen to Simon? Lev? The rest of the household?
“What if the people who attacked me come back?” he mumbles bitterly to himself. “There’s much cruelty in the world, Nat. I want to protect my son from all of it, but I’m only one man. Sometimes, especially now that he’s a part of my life, I’m scared of what could happen. Maybe I shouldn’t have come back to Russia. Maybe…”
I listen intently, silently drawing comparisons between Dimitri and his father. Their conversations practically echo one another to a tea.
