Page 58 of Mafia Christmas Vows

Bleh.

I lean up. I should go look for him, but I am kind of hurt.

Alexei knows how important Christmas is to me. The fact that he’s not here right now, and he didn’t leave a note?

It kind of sucks.

This is why it’s too soon to say you love each other, dummy. You don’t even really know him.

That thought settles like lead in my chest.

It’s true, though. The past couple of weeks have been great, but they don’t really mean anything. You don’t know someone until you see them live their life, after all. And, even then, sometimes you can never really know someone.

And that makes me feel suddenly, and intensely, lonely.

I resolve to make the best of this situation. It’s Christmas, and no matter what Alexei is doing, I’m going to have a good day.

Elena is off today. She told me that she’s spending the day with a niece in Moscow. The other staff are not necessarily required to attend.

So it’s just me.

Alone.

In Orlov House.

The loneliness is back, punching me down like bread dough.

I swallow back my disappointment, and instead decide to take a shower.

I do my best to keep my mind in the present and try to enjoy the hot shower spray against my skin, but I can’t help it. My mind wanders a little, because every shower I’ve had for the past few weeks has either been with Alexei, or in view of him.

Or because of him, in a couple of remarkably sticky situations.

He’s coming back. It’s okay, you just don’t know him very well. He’s probably been called away to work or something.

It doesn’t matter how often I tell myself the words, I’m still trying to say them to cover up the anxiety that’s coursing through me.

Breakfast is lonely. The house creaks and groans, but other than that, the silence feels deafening.

I kind of feel like I’m hearing things. Voices. Sounds.

So when the front door opens— a creaking, shattering sound— for a minute I’m not certain that it’s real.

Until I hear voices, actual human voices, as well.

I nearly stumble over my feet as I run down to the main entryway.

Breathless, I slide around the corner. “Alexei?” I pant.

There are three people in the doorway.

Alexei.

A shape that it takes a second for me to register as my father.

And…

My mother.

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