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“Your name is Juniper. I love that name.” She ran her hand over the girl’s long blonde hair.
“It’s long. I have to write it all the time.”
“I have a long name too, so I understand.” Tess thought she had the kids beat for long name with Terezilya Aleksandrov.
“Tess isn’t long,” Juniper insisted.
She winked. “Tess is not my real name.”
“What is your real name?” The girl’s familiar blue eyes were wide with wonder.
Glancing at Mathias, who was watching her closely, she whispered in the girl’s ear, “Terezilya.”
“I have never heard that name before,” the little girl whispered.
“Do not tell anyone. I do not want them to know. I like being called Tess, but if you want, my niece calls me Tessy,” Tess replied, knowing the little girl would never get her tongue around the Russian name.
“Can I call you Tessy too?” Juniper asked.
“Only if I can sometimes call you Junebug,” Tess answered with a smile.
“Only once in a while. Tessy,” she tried out the name.
“Okay, Junebug,” she said, making the little girl giggled.
After talking to the kids, she felt better, less like she was falling. Less like her life was suddenly out of control. Without thinking, she hugged the little girl who might look exactly like the daughter she would have one day. Juniper hugged her back, and Tess felt even better about the future.
“Where is Mila?” Juniper asked when Tess let her go.
“At the end of the driveway, getting Tess’s car,” Math said.
The girl looked excited. “Can I go see?”
“Sure, just watch out for the car on the way and stay off the road,” Math called out as the girl headed across the yard like the older two had a few minutes before.
“You have good kids, Mathias.” She sat down against the door when her knees wouldn’t just push her back to her feet anymore. The joys of getting old.
“They are, but you’re great with kids.” He walked up to her and held out his hand to help her up.
“I should be. I have been around them my entire life. Kids, kids, kids … they are everywhere.” He pulled her to her feet and into his arms again. He was pretty good at getting her back into his arms.
With his arms around her, he held her close and said, “So the oldest is forty-three. How old is the youngest?” he asked about her nieces and nephews she assumed.
Closing her eyes and letting herself just let go, she said, “Six.”
“I mean your nieces and nephews, nottheirkids.” He ran his fingers through her hair.
“Ilya’s youngest is six. Her name is Zsophia, and she will only answer to that. Not Zsophie, Just Zsophia,” she said quietly, thinking about the little girl.
“You say it different. Does it start with a Z or an S?” he asked while rocking her again gently.
Sighing, she rested her head on his shoulder, “Yes, both.”
He must have let it go because he didn’t say anything, just held her. This was the most hugging she had done in years. It was a day she needed them the most, though. Could Mathias feel it? She was starting to think he could read her thoughts, even if he couldn’t speak the language that usually bounced around in her mind.
CHAPTER21
Burgers were eaten,and dishes had been done, and Tess was still quiet. Not that she hadn’t interacted with his kids like she had known them her entire life and knew just what to say to them. Because she had, but it seemed her mind had been elsewhere most of the evening.
