Page 53 of Mafia Christmas Vows

And I have not gone back to Novgorod.

How could I?

Everything that I have ever wanted, everything that I ever could want…

It is here.

I can’t believe that there was a time where I thought a wife would not add something to my life.

Clearly, I was a fool.

Because the days I have spent with Maggie, the nights we have cherished each other?

I have not felt such joy since…

Well.

Since I last spent a Christmas in Orlov House.

However, it is not just the fact that I am here for the holiday that makes it feel so.

It is the fact that I am here with her.

Everything Maggie touches turns into sunshine. Her laughter elevates the rooms, changing their fading paints and the dour faces of my ancestors into a tapestry of joy. The way she thinks of the world, the endless information she has to give me, it provides a wonderful background to whatever I do as we move around the house.

I have not taken a business meeting since I came to Orlov House. I may never take one again.

Truly, that is how marvelous my time with Maggie is.

We wake up and discover things in the home. We look behind curtains. We dig out boxes that Elena scolds us for getting into, then rolls her eyes as we look at them anyway.

I have never known more about my own home than I do right now, and I do not think that in my life, I would have ever wanted to know as much about this house as I do now.

But now, it does not just feel like my house.

It feels likeourhome.

And that makes all the difference.

Maggie has put my finances to good use. Every day, new packages and parcels appear at the front door. Some contain clothes, which I am happy to provide for her. Maggie has excellent taste, and I can already tell that she will start trends wherever she goes.

Some contain more delicate items. That I am more than happy to reveal.

Today, on the day before the holiday, I finally have a box that I am going to surprise her with.

I can’t wait to show it to her.

It does not slip my mind that I have not yet actuallyaskedher to marry me. In all of this, Maggie has had no choice but to choose me.

I think that over the past few weeks, I have done a reasonably good job of helping her to choose me.

My vision now is to ensure that she does.

And, that she feels wonderous in doing so.

I have one last surprise up my sleeve before I give her the final present. I have contacted Koslov, her father, and have arranged for him and her mother to come and spend the actual day of Christmas with us. They will remain at Orlov House through the New Year, so that we Russians can fully celebrate our favorite holiday, and then they will return to the United States.

In an effort to make her happy, I wish to do this.

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