Page 148 of Emerald Vices

“I’m glad.” Arina pulls her hand from Natalia’s and looks up at the sky. “It’s getting dark.”

Natalia rises to her feet and offers Arina a hand. “Let me take you back to your room.”

My wife helps my mother to her feet, and the two of them turn towards the manor as I step onto the path. Arina stiffens, but Natalia winks.

“Hello, Andrey.” She leads Arina over to me. Without letting go of my mother’s hand, she stretches on her tiptoes and kisses me on the lips. “Arina and I were just going back inside, weren’t we, Arina?”

My mother simply nods, but she doesn’t make eye contact with me. “It’s getting dark,” is all she says.

We walk her to her room together. When I look back, the birds are gone.

“I can’t believe our teenager is in bed before the babies,” I sigh as we finally close the door to the nursery.

It was an hour of soothing one twin only for the other to start wailing, setting off the first. I know they’re only seven months old, but I’m convinced they were doing it on purpose.

Natalia walks into my arms and rests her cheek on my chest. “Our teenager had a full day of school and then football practice. The twins spent most of the day in the same four square feet of blanket.”

“If Katya and Mila have their way, the twins will be running track and field before too long.”

As the twins’ self-described “favorite aunts,” Katya and Mila have taken it upon themselves to get the twins crawling as soon as possible. But I’m fine letting them be adorable potato sacks for another few weeks. Once they’re mobile, life is going to get crazy.

“It was a great idea to make Misha join a team,” Natalia says. “I think he’s actually making friends.”

“I’m surprised he gave in so easily.”

She rolls her eyes. “He’ll do anything you suggest. He worships the ground you walk on.”

I walk her into our bedroom, pressing fluttering kisses along her neck. “You’re the one he worships. The kid is taking guitar lessons. That has ‘Natalia Kuznetsov’ written all over it.”

“Guilty as charged. But he enjoys them! I checked.”

She squeals as I push her onto the mattress and climb on top of her. “I know. I heard him playing for Kat yesterday.”

“Oh! That reminds me: Kat and Shura can’t watch the twins Saturday evening like normal. They’re going on a babymoon.”

I arch a brow. “What in the hell is a babymoon?”

“It’s like a honeymoon before you have a baby. One last trip before they’re drowning in the newborn stage.”

“Forget them. What about us?” I taste the soft skin behind her ear, pressing my lips to her thundering pulse. “We have three kids. We need alone time more than they do.”

Her cheeks turn a rosy pink. “I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“Ordinarily, I wouldn’t,” I admit, ghosting my lips over hers. “But I had plans this weekend.”

“Oh?”

I pull at the shoulder ties of her dress. “It was going to be a magical weekend, but I guess I’ll have to cancel the three-night stay I booked at Chateaux Arnaud.”

She gasps. “You didn’t!”

“We didn’t have a proper honeymoon after the wedding. And I was thinking, since you’re done breastfeeding, it was time we had a real honeymoon—no friends, no kids, no dog.”

Her eyes shine brightly, but she bites her bottom lip all the same. “But what about the twins?”

“Luckily, we don’t need Kat and Shura. Annie and Mila have already agreed to take them.”

“Really?” There’s still a shadow of doubt. “They’re ready for that for three whole days?”

---