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I think, deep down, my husband always wanted to be some sort of oligarch, or something. Turns out he has untold wealth amassed over years of cleverly investing the fees he’d been paid for his specialized “skills.”
Skills he’s happy to have abandoned.
“You gonna be gone for a few hours?” I ask.
Anton nods. “I’ll miss you,” he says, because we still can’t get enough of each other. “Miss me?”
“Sure,” I reply, my eyes meeting his as the corners of my mouth curve into a playful smile. “You know I’ll miss you too.”
“Of course you will. I just like to hear it.” He winks.
“You’re full of it, babe,” I tease him.
“Zayka!Have I not told you not to call me that?” he says for the thousandth time.
“When have I ever done anything you told me to?”
“Not once.” He rolls his eyes. “Except maybe that time on my birthday, when you did that thing with your—”
“Anton! Not in front of the children!” I look around at the kids, who are totally oblivious to the undercurrents.
“Fine. But I am not a ‘babe.’”
“Babooshka then?” I wink at him.
“You know that means grandmother? You would fuck your own grandmother?”
“Well, if she looked anything like you…”
His expression of horror has me snort-laughing.
Nikolai’s laughter rings out as he chases after a seagull nearby. For several long happy moments, we sit in silence. Anton watches him fondly before turning back to me, the flecks in his eyes reflecting the sunlight.
“Do you ever think about the life we left behind?” He brushes his hand through the sand, feeling its warmth. I wonder if he’s been reading my mind, because it’s been an afternoon of reflection. “Do you ever regret what we gave up?”
“Not for a moment,” I say. “I wouldn’t trade this for anything.” My gaze follows Nikolai, who has given up on the seagull and splashes happily in the shallows. “And Lila… she deserves a real childhood, away from all that shit we used to deal with.”
“Da,”Anton agrees, reaching over to squeeze my hand gently.
“Mama! Papa,” Nikolai calls out, running towards us with wet, sandy feet. “Look, I found another shell!” he exclaims, holding up a beautiful seashell.
“Wow, you’re turning into a professional treasure hunter, Niko,” I say. “Yet another career for you to think of. Maybe you won’t have to look after monkeys after all.” The joke never grows old, but how could it? Niko and I still love to climb together – although now, it’s the cliffs nearby. He’s becoming quite a little adventurer, regularly exploring the Mayan ruins there with me.
“Let’s keep it for Pinkie,” he suggests, his face lighting up with excitement. “She’ll love it when she’s big like me.”
“Absolutely,” I agree, taking the shell and placing it carefully in our beach bag. It will join the dozens of others he’s found for his baby sister. Any fears I’d had that he’d resist the news of her arrival evaporated when we told him – he was over the moon at not being an only child anymore.
Anton has settled against me, and he brushes his lips over the curve of my bare shoulder, setting off another wave of fireworks beneath my skin.
“You taste of salt,” he murmurs as I suppress a tiny shiver. His arms encircle me and I rest back against his chest, then scoop Lila up onto my lap and cradle her against me as her eyes begin to droop. Nikolai sinks into the warm sand at my feet and munches happily at his fruit stick chattering about shells and fishing and sandcastles.
As I feel the rise and fall of Anton’s chest behind me as he breathes, I can’t help but feel a deep sense of contentment. The Sun dips lower in the sky, casting warm, golden light over our little family. The smell of saltwater fills the air, mingling with the sweetness of the ripe fruit.
This is it.
It just doesn’t get better.
Even though our past was filled with danger and uncertainty, it led us here, to this moment of pure happiness.
