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Which reminded me my mother called for what had to be the hundredth time this week. After all that had happened with David and then Viktor, she was the furthest thing from my mind.
Again, I would rather chop off my balls than deal with her right now.
My mood soured momentarily, but when Lottie squeezed my hand and eyed me with a question in her eyes, I took a deep breath and focused on the here and now.
Not my bitch of a mother and her husband.
We ate dinner, and I delighted in the stories of when Andrei was young that Sergei insisted on telling us.
"He seriously ran into the middle of the lake. In winter." Lottie shook her head as her whole body shook with laughter.
Sergei nodded, pointing at her with his fork. "Butt ass naked. I can't believe he thought I was telling the truth when I said it was a Bratva right of passage."
Viktor barked out a deep laugh. "Still in shock, you told him that."
"He had pneumonia and had to be in hospital for two days."Babushkanarrowed her eyes at Sergei. "I ended up making you pay for that."
"So did I," Andrei growled, but his eyes glimmered with mirth. "I took your ass to the cleaners when it came to range time. If I remember correctly, I bought my first car with your money."
"You always were a good fucking shot." Viktor got a faraway look in his dark eyes as he shook his head. "From the first moment you picked up a gun, you excelled in marksmanship."
The mood turned somber as Andrei looked away and clenched his jaw tightly.
"Dad, when are you going to let me go out to the range with you?" Maxim asked, interrupting the daunting silence.
"And me, too!" Sofia raised her hand high in the air and waved it around. She just wanted to do anything her older brother did.
Sergei held his hands in the air, his eyes going wide. "I need a few more years before I can think about that."
"Maybe you should do it before you get too much older." Andrei smirked. "I mean, you aren't a spring chicken anymore. Who knows if your heart can take it in a few years."
"Ha ha," Sergei said with nothing but laughter. "You're so funny."
The rest of the room burst into laughter, including Maxim and Sofia.
When it was time for us to head home, Sergei embraced Andrei like the long-lost family they'd been. "No disappearing on me now, cousin. My kids love you, and I'm not letting you get away again."
When Andrei pulled away from the embrace, he grasped Sergei's upper arms and nodded solemnly. "Never again, cousin. Volkovs stick together."
Volkovs stick together.I was beginning to like the mantra.
Sofia hugged Lottie tightly, their bond evident in how the girl clung to our woman. "Promise me I'll see you again?"
"Oh, sweet girl." Lottie smoothed back her curls. "I'll see you as much as you'd like. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."
At this, Sofia clutched her even tighter. "You promised, so I'm holding you to that. Papa said I shouldn't be around them if people don't keep their promises."
"Your papa is a smart man." She held the girl tightly to her chest. "Those people aren't worthy of a sweet girl like you."
There was a similar goodbye between Andrei and Maxim. The preteen hesitated to show his emotions but sniffed and cleared his throat as he released his long-lost 'uncle.'
"I'll get with your dad and arrange everything for our weekend, okay, kiddo?" Andrei saying 'kiddo' was so out of his previous character that I barely resisted the urge to gawk.
When it came time for Andrei to say goodbye to Viktor and hisbabushka, we all stepped away to give them a modicum of privacy.
Viktor hadn't been what I expected. However, I was sure that had more to do with his illness than any misrepresentation from Andrei. Going through cancer treatment had to be a life-altering experience.
I only cared about seeing my friend happy. If that meant he made amends with his family, then I was thrilled for him.
