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“Where is Taylor?” Mila asks. “The two of you are usually joined at the hip.”
I roll my eyes. “We are not.”
We’re sitting in the garden, sharing a pitcher of margaritas. It’s a bit early in the day for alcohol, but Mila has been in an unusually good mood lately, so when she suggested it, I couldn’t turn her down.
“No? When was the last time you spent a day apart?”
“We spent five years apart. Anyway, you’re one to talk. You and Dima take turns guarding the door when one of you has to go to the bathroom.”
“Kiss my ass, Ilarion. He’s just grateful that I saved his life.”
“And he’s repaying you by following you around like a lovesick puppy?”
She gives me the middle finger. Her nails are manicured—that’s strange. She’s wearing a dress today. Also strange. But you don’t have to look far to find the reason.
Then she drops her hand back into her lap and sighs. “Not that it’s any of your business, but…I told Dima.”
My eyes feel like they’re about to pop out of their sockets. “You told him. As in, you told him everything?”
She nods. “A couple of weeks ago. Nearly had a nervous breakdown halfway through, but I threw back some vodka and that gave me the push I needed. I told him that I would need to take things slow. Like, glacially slow. He seemed open to it.”
“He’s nuts about you. He’ll wait for as long as it takes.”
A faint flush blooms over her skin. It makes me grin—I haven’t seen my sister blush in a very long time. I’ll take it, as long as she keeps smiling the way she’s been doing, too.
She smiles fondly and props her feet up onto the table. “Where’s my little nephew, by the way? I haven’t seen him all day.”
“That’s because he’s over at Celine and Ashton’s new place with Taylor. He’s helping her settle in.”
“Good. I’m happy for her. Next steps are hard.”
Just then, we hear the sound of running footsteps. “Daddy!” Adam yells from the doorframe. “Auntie Cee has a room in her house just for me!”
“Guess he’s here after all,” I mutter with a cheesy grin as I try to pretend like the sound of his voice calling me “Daddy” doesn’t make my heart explode with joy every time.
I turn and swoop him up. “A whole room all for you? Sounds cool, buddy.”
“I took some pictures for you,” he yells. “I’ll go get Mom! They’re on her phone.” Then he wiggles out of my arms and runs right back into the house.
The moment he’s gone, Mila looks at me and sighs. “He seems like he’s adjusting well.”
“More or less,” I agree. “He knows that his mom is with me and his auntie is with ‘Uncle’ Ashton. Everything else will come in time.”
“Okay,” Mila says. “That’s that, then, huh?”
I smirk. “That’s that.”
Taylor appears at the porch with Adam in tow. “Mama, show Daddy and Auntie Mila the pictures!” Adam says excitedly. “I want them to see the swing and everything.”
“Swing?” Mila says with her nose scrunched up. “Geez, someone’s really working for the title of Favorite Aunt. I’m gonna have to up my game.”
“You two are both his favorite aunts,” Taylor insists diplomatically.
“But today, Auntie Cee is my favorite,” Adam adds with a cheeky grin.
“You little punk!” Mila cries as she launches herself at Adam and starts tickling him. He starts screaming with laughter as he tries to wriggle out of her grip. When he breaks free, he streaks off across the lawn. Mila goes racing after him.
When they’re gone, I reach for Taylor. “You were gone a long time,” I complain as she slips onto my lap.
