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Charlotte cackles as she throws an arm over his shoulder. “Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you.”
I laugh softly as I flip through the taxi depot’s ledger, making sure to carry all my ones and double check that each decimal is in the correct place. I never knew what a natural I was when it came to accounting.
There’s obviously a lot to learn, but when I happened to overhear Samuil struggling to keep things in order in Leo’s absence, I couldn’t help but offer a hand. And since we’ve moved Leo to a facility in Moscow to continue his recovery, it’s been easy enough to do. Turns out, I’m a natural at it. I made it perfectly clear I want nothing to do withcooking the books, but I’m perfectly happy to handle the legitimate side of the taxi company’s operations. Keeping track of expenses and income isn’t too difficult.
Naturally, there was some hesitation from Andrei and Sandra. They don’t know me as well as Roman or Charlotte, but when I discovered an inputting error that saved them thousands, their reservations about bringing me onto the team quickly dwindled.
“You’ll still need to get your certifications,” Andrei told me, “But I suppose it’s fine as a temporary measure. Just until Leo wakes up.”
It’s a small blessing, I suppose, that they’re all incredibly hopeful about Leo’s recovery. They talk like he’s going to wake up tomorrow morning, making plans like he’ll be there without fail. It’s certainly better than the alternative doom and gloom, though sometimes I wonder…
I tell myself it’s because it’s Christmas Eve. While everyone is preparing to celebrate Christmas morning surrounded by family, plenty of food, and a mountain of gifts, I remain adamant about staying by Leo’s side even as he sleeps. The nurses have assured me over and over again that he’ll be in good hands if I decide to go home for a bit of rest, but it wouldn’t feel right. What if he wakes up while I’m gone? I don’t want him to be alone.
My hand falls protectively to my belly. I’m not ready to lose hope. Not by a long shot.
“It’s getting late,” I murmur, smiling at Roman and Charlotte. “Why don’t you two head on back?”
“And leave you here?” Roman replies with a chuckle. “I don’t think so. Besides, we can’t give you our gifts if you send us home.”
“Gifts?”
“My sister wanted to give these to you,” Charlotte says, reaching into the tote bag resting beside her. She pulls out a stack of thick books and hands them to me. I browse through them curiously, realizing they are informational books about pregnancy.
It’s kind of weird that Leo’s entire family were the first to hear about the baby, but hey… at least I know I’m not alone. I will never be alone, no matter what happens. I just want him back, though. I need him back. Our child needs his father.
I’m moved by the thoughtful gesture. “Thank you so much.”
“I have one too,” Roman says, reaching into the inner pocket of his suit jacket. He pulls out an envelope. “This is from me and my brothers. We obviously don't know if we're getting a niece or nephew, so we figured we should steer clear from buying any clothes. But I'm sure you'll find good use of our gift.”
I rip open the envelope and pull out a check. My eyes nearly bug out of their sockets. I don't think I've ever seen that many zeros before a decimal place in my entire life. “Roman, this is too much.”
He shakes his head. “I won't hear any of it. You're one of us now. We’ll take care of you just as we care for all our family.”
“I'm pretty sure this is the GDP of a small country.”
He winks at me. “All I ask in return is that you name the kid after me if it’s a boy.”
A genuine laugh rises from my chest. It feels good. It’s the first time in a while I’ve felt relatively okay. “I'll consider it,” I say. “Although, I don't know if I'll be able to get Leo on board.”
“Roman’s a shit name,” comes a low, dry croak.
Leo.
A gasp escapes me. I turn and look down at the hospital bed. Leo stirs, his eyes opening ever so slightly. There's confusion in his gaze as he looks around at his surroundings. He attempts to sit up, but I'm quick to place a hand on his shoulder to placate him.
“Take it easy,” I say quickly. “Roman, go get the doctor. Charlotte, call your family. Tell them Leo's awake.”
They vacate their chairs, in a hurry to leave the room. I stay by Leo's side, threading my fingers through his and giving him a squeeze. Tears sting my eyes, but they are tears of pure joy.
“What happened?” he asks, his voice raspy from disuse. His brows steeple together. “Nikita, what’s going on?”
I caress his cheek, doing my best to keep it together. I sniffle, giggling with an almost manic sort of glee. “Everything's okay, just relax. Roman says you were shot.”
Leo groans. “Oh. Arman and his wife. It's coming back to me.” He reaches up slowly and combs his fingers through my hair. “How long have I been out?”
I glance at my watch. “It's Christmas,” I tell him, teary-eyed.
Leo seems confused at first, and rightly so. He's missing a few weeks of time. He's quiet for a long moment. I'm not too sure what he's thinking, but when next he opens his mouth, he surprises me. “I missed your show.”
