Page 22 of Voracious

“PAPA!”

It ends in a giggle when the office door abruptly opens behind us and his steps thunder in our direction. Vlad doesn’t calm down and his hand is tucked in his waistband until he seesthat his daughter is safe. She jumps up, stamping on my thighs while stretching out for him.

He’s a dick and purposefully swings her body so her foot flies out towards my face as he lifts her. Verena has more care than he does as she winces, “Ooof, hit Uncy Dima.”

“Good. Do it again,” he praises her and rubs her back.

Tali stands in front of me and leans over the sofa so he’s eye level with our niece to repeat my question. “Your papa isn’t your uncle, who’s your favorite, Vero?”

Val rests his head on the back of the sofa, looking up at her and attempting to bribe a toddler. “You like sleeping on our floor, don’t you? With Viktor and Dani?” She nods and he’s fucking pathetic adding, “And me?”

Tali taps her chest with his finger and gets offended at being left out. “I drink your teas every morning, don’t I?”

She nods and kicks her legs to walks up her dad’s body. The dickhead lowers her, so she’s stood on my head and looks around the house. “Where’s Inessa?”

“She left with the others to get their hair done or some shit,” I say without any emotion in my voice.

The small feet stamping on my head are taken away as he throws his daughter in the air. While the overgrown man-children pout and Valentin throws one of his tantrums.

“Stop distracting her, she needs to answer the question.”

Vlad continues throwing her in the air as he rounds the sofa. “She doesn’tneedto do shit.” He catches her against his chest, and ushers us to stand with his hand. “Verena, put them in order.”

Her lips twist as he sits her on his shoulders. Laying one hand over the other and her dad’s hair, she hums like a tiny villain while Vlad straightens her dress around his ears.

“Tali, there.” She points to center of the coffee table.

“What the fuck? I’m in the middle?” he mutters but he stands exactly where she pointed.

She cups her face with both hands and her dad unhelpfully offers, “You can tell them they’re all shit.”

The little princess shakes her head then straightens her spine to point at me. “Dima, there.” She points directly at Tali, and I resist the urge to put my middle finger in his face as I move him out of the way.

“Wait, I’m last?” Val pouts.

“No. Done wrong.” Verena shakes her head and covers her mouth to give her dad her orders. He nods once she’s done and has less tact than a toddler.

“Stand in a line, you’re all competing for last place.”

She tries to cross her arms over her chest, but it only results in her elbowing her dad in the head and he ducks, attempting to escape it while she snaps, “No, Papa!” She raises a finger and holds it in front of her face. “All one.”

“Yeah, one out of ten,” Vlad mumbles.

“Not nice.” she shakes her head, correcting him when grown men would be afraid to do it.

Val scrubs a hand down his t-shirt, straightening it out and presenting himself to be inspected again as he steps forward. “You can tell them the truth,” he nods, “that I’m your favorite.”

The toddler is more diplomatic than anyone else in her family as she rests her cheek on her dad’s hair, pointing behind us. “Viktor.”

We all turn to see him walking through the house with his school bag dragging behind him and Tali snaps his head back to Verena. “He’s not your uncle.”

“Mama?” she offers, straight faced when she’s aware of how much it’s pissing everyone off.

“Dima?” Viktor asks, and I turn. “I bet you don’t know how to count.”

“Do your homework yourself,” I fire back, refusing to let him goad me into that shit again. The first time I let him was a mistake on my part, the second was a testament to my goodwill, now it will just be embarrassing if I keep falling for it.

Verena kicks her dad in the chest as she says, “I help.”

---