Page 29 of Ruthless Serenade

That’s enough, Korolev.

You can pull your shit together any moment now.

Snapping myself back into reality, I start the engine. But even as I pull out of the parking lot, I find myself glancing in the rearview mirror, searching for a glimpse of them. Just for a second, just to make sure they’re real.

They’re nowhere to be seen. Just like always, just like everything else in my fucked-up life. Here one minute, gone the next.

I grip the steering wheel tighter, my knuckles turning white. The image of Mindy and that little girl burns in my mind, refusing to fade. It’s like a splinter under my skin, irritating, and impossible to ignore.

Who is that kid?

The question echoes in my head over and over. I try to push it down, but it keeps coming back, insistent and nagging. There was something about her, something I can’t put my fingeron. The way she moved, the shape of her face… It all seemed vaguely familiar, like some half-forgotten dream.

And Mindy… Christ, seeing her like that, all natural and unguarded… it hit me harder than I expected. She looked tired, yeah, but there was something else too. A softness, a contentment I don’t remember seeing in her before. Is she happy? Does she ever think about me? About what we had? And that kid… is she hers? If so, is she raising her alone, or is there someone else in the picture?

The thought of Mindy building a family with another man, living the life we once talked about… it twists something inside me. It is a mixture of jealousy and regret that tastes bitter in my mouth.

Pizdets!

What the fuck are you doing, dickhead?

This is ancient history. Mindy and I, we’re done. Have been for years. I made my choices; she made hers. There’s no going back.

But even as I tell myself this, I know it’s bullshit. Seeing her twice within such a short period of time, it’s like someone ripped open an old wound. All those feelings I thought I’d buried, all those what-ifs and could-have-beens… they’re all rushing back, as fresh and as raw as they were seven years ago.

Blyad!

I slam my hand against the steering wheel, allowing my frustration to boil over. Fuck the past, fuck the what-ifs and the could-have-beens. I have a future to focus on, a new path to carve out for myself. I can’t let myself get caught up in some old shit from the past. I won't.

But as I drive home, glancing at the city lights blur past my windows, I can’t shake the feeling that something has shifted. That seeing Mindy and that little girl has set something in motion.

Something I might not be able to stop.

Chapter Eleven

Mindy

“Mommy, Mommy, wake up.”

I jolt awake, my head spinning as the sunlight streams in through the slotted blinds. For a few disoriented seconds, I have no clue where I am or how I got here.

I look up to see Sharon standing over me. “Mommy, I peed in the bed.”

It takes me a moment to register what she said before glancing at the time; it’s already 7:44. We’re both running late for school and work. "Oh, shit!" I blurt. "Sorry, baby. I’m not cross about the bed. Looks like I overslept." I rush to stand up but immediately fall back on my ass as my legs are completely numb from sleeping in a cramped position on the couch.

Dammit!

We’re going to be late. Again. There’s just no way we can make it on time.

Sharon is still standing next to me, looking slightly confused, lips curled down. I pull her into a bear hug. "It’s okay, baby," I console her. "It happens. I'll change the bedding for you."

As I strip the sheets and toss them into the laundry basket, Sharon's face twists in pain. "Mommy, my tummy hurts," shewhimpers clutching her belly, looking like she’s trying to hold herself together.

I quickly place my hand on her forehead, check her lymph nodes, but she seems fine. Except for the fact that her stomach hurts.

Shit.

What the hell do I do now? I can’t leave my sick daughter on her own, but I can't afford to skip work either. We’re preparing for an annual meeting with the owners and the Solomons are counting on me. And I’m counting on them to pay my bills. I can’t risk losing my job. Not when my expenses are piling up, and the rent is due next week.

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