Page 139 of Heartfelt Pain
We pile into a black SUV and eventually make it out of the city.
Roma drives with one hand on the steering wheel. The other one keeps trying to grab my hand, the clingy bastard.
He tugs my hand, eyes flashing in warning, and presses a kiss to the back of it.
My heart doubles in size. Surrounded by my little family, I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.
Work still keeps me busy, but Isolde and Ben help out a lot. Though, it took me a minute to convince Isolde to come work for me.
Ben and Abe finally got married. They were that couple that were together for so long people didn’t even realize they weren’t legally attached. It was a small affair, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen the couple smile so much.
Abe’s dad still picks out a song to play on the jukebox each day. The boys love the thing too, always crowding around it when they pop into the restaurant, where they’re normally spoiled by Jane.
We leave the city behind. The boys are way too into their tablets, but I enjoy the silence while I can, peering out at the landscape.
Everyone refers to the house in upstate New York as the Cottage. It’s a fucking mansion, but there is an air of fairy goodness. The garden surrounding the two-story, timber-made structure with green shutters isn’t overly manicured. Purple blooms stretch toward the sky. It’s tucked back into the forest and flagstaff stones create a path from the giant porch to the driveway and then beyond into the back garden.
“Who’s that?” Davis asks as he shimmies out of the car.
“Be careful with your glasses,” Roma reminds him. We’ve already gone through two pairs this school year.
They’re crooked on his nose but I doubt he’s heard his father. He’s squinting up at the house. “Oh. It’s Grandpa.”
“What’s he doing here?” Carden asks, his hands wrapping around the straps of his backpack. I can’t help the way I melt as I look at the two. They’re so freaking cute!
But they have no time for me or their grandfather who steps off the porch.
“Boys!” Lev greets, his hands out wide. He loves his grandchildren, there’s no doubt about it. It’s just he’s kind of chopped liver in comparison to. . .
“Where’s Grandma?” Davis asks, walking past Lev without a second thought to go into the garden. Carden trailsafter him, until he breaks off in a run. Then it’s a full-on sprint for the boys to find their grandmother.
“Seriously!” Lev and Roma say at the same time. Lev in disappointment and Roma because he’d like the boys to not break anything.
“It’s okay, Grandpa.” Sailor appears by his side. “I still love you.”
It’s true that the nearly ten-year-old is closest to her grandpa. I think it’s mainly to do with being his first grandchild and therefore completely spoiled by him. But also I think she’s pretty strategic. She is a Zimin after all.
“What are you doing here?” Roma frowns at his twin. Max walks out of the house, stepping down the porch stairs to join his daughter and father.
Max frowns right back. “What? You thought you’d claim the spot as Mom’s favorite?”
Roma’s got a large box in his hands, and a bag over his shoulder. I close the trunk for him. “I am the favorite son!”
Max rolls his eyes. “What’s that?” he asks of the box.
“Davis wants to bake Mom a birthday cake.”
“We’ve already got a cake,” Lev says.
“Was it lovingly baked by you or did you pick it up from somewhere?” Roma asks with an air ofthat’s why you aren’t the favorite grandparent.
Yelena’s cottage is already overtaken by lots of noise. There’s buzzing and chatter. I hear the boys racing to tell every little thing to Grandma Lana. The noise gets closer and the boys tear back through, having clearly been told to go put their stuff up.
“In your actual rooms,” I clarify as they race past. “Not just in the living room.”
Yelena, a large straw hat on her head, takes dainty steps on the stone pathway. She’s got on a large denim shirt.
She’s not a gardener like Boris Akatov, but she enjoys thepeaceful nature. She works with someone to perfectly curate the space, planting flowers to attract honey bees. It’s not uncommon to find her reading in the garden or drinking tea.
