Page 145 of Mountain Daddy

Maksim, for his part, looks completely unaffected by our scrutiny. But I notice the way his eyes soften when they land on Rosa.

Ana wriggles in Lilly's arms, reaching for Maksim. “Uncle Max! Up!”

He takes her without hesitation. This man who once broke a man's neck with his bare hands. Now letting my daughter tug at his beard and giggle.

“Hey, munchkin,” he says, voice gentler than most people would believe possible. “You gotten bigger since last week?”

“I'm this many!” She holds up three fingers proudly.

“That's a lot of many,” he agrees seriously.

“Well,” Lilly interrupts. “You'll have to stay for breakfast. Both of you.”

She shoots me another look. One that tells me she’s up to no good.

“We'd love to stay,” he says, ignoring her comment. “If it's not an imposition.”

“Not at all,” Lilly insists. “Family breakfast. It'll be nice.”

Rosa and Maksim agree. Walk past us, the kids tagging along.

“Sweetheart.” I grab Lilly before she causes a mess. “Don’t interfere.”

“Who said anything about interfering?” she gives me a grin I know all too well.

My wife? She’s up to no good. She rushes off to the kitchen, not looking back.

I hang back. Just for a moment.

Watch them go.

My family.

Extended now.

Growing in ways I never anticipated.

Lilly glances back. Catches me watching. Her smile softens, knowing.

She gets it. Gets me. Always has.

We both know what this is. What we've built here.

Something neither of us thought possible.

Peace.

Home.

Life.

I push off from the wall. Follow them into the kitchen. Into the noise and warmth and chaos of a Sunday morning with people I love.

Into the life I never thought I'd live.

But the only one that matters.

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