Page 39 of Beneath the Flames
“What are you talking about?” Brie laughed. “You helped Celestia take care of Kaylee for months.”
Mary pinched her nose. “Doesn’t mean I liked it!”
“Antony, pay her no attention,” Brie told him, rolling her eyes as she laid him down on the changing table. She handed him one of Nadia’s alphabet blocks to play with while she quickly changed him.
Hovering near the door, Mary murmured, “I’ve been thinking about that little boy again…”
Brie turned her head. “The one from the compound?”
“Yeah. I read recently that he’s still struggling to take a bottle and isn’t gaining enough weight to leave the hospital yet.”
“Poor little thing!” Brie cried, buttoning up Antony’s sleeper before picking him up. Turning to face Mary, she asked, “Are you still thinking about adopting the baby?”
She snorted. “I’m too fucked up to ever be a mom, Stinks.”
When Brie started to protest, Mary met her gaze evenly. Brie’s words dried up in her mouth when she saw the torment brewing behind Mary’s eyes.
“All I’ve ever known was abuse as a child, Brie. I don’t have a fucking clue how to give the kind of love that little boy needs. But I can’t stop hearing that tiny infant crying for his mother who would never come.”
Brie hoisted Antony to her hip to give Mary a hug. “I know this may seem out of left field, but I wonder if you should try to find your real father.”
“Are you fucking out of your mind?” Mary snapped, scaring Antony with the intensity of her outburst.
Brie bounced her son to calm him while murmuring to Mary, “Maybe if you connect with him, you can reclaim some of what was stolen from you.”
“I know you can’t be serious. Not after everything that happened,” she growled.
Brie looked down at Antony. “I just know how I feel about this child. He is a part of me. Nothing could ever change that. Nothing!”
Looking tenderly at Mary, she added, “I can’t help wondering if your father longs for that connection too.”
“Don’t you get it? My mother, my birth father, and that fucking bastard I thought was my father—not one of them wanted me.”
The Letter
In serious need of a pick-me-up, Brie searched for the envelope that Rytsar had given her. Sitting at the edge of her bed, she took a deep breath before opening it.
Brie pulled out a photo of Wildflower and smiled, remembering the inspiring horse who was the embodiment of sacrificial love. She also found a certificate of adoption inside the envelope, as well as a title naming Brie as the horse’s owner.
As per the adoption arrangement, Rosita would continue to care for Wildflower, but Brie was welcome to visit, love on, and ride Wildflower anytime she wanted. It warmed Brie’s heart to know that Wildflower would remain with her herd under the loving care of Rosita and her staff.
Brie stared at the photo of the majestic animal and smiled. That day would be forever etched in her memory. Turing the photo over, she was touched to find a personal note from Rytsar.
Radost moya, the horseback ride is something I will always look back on with great fondness. To commemorate the day, and the beautiful horse who shares your fighting spirit, I have adopted Wildflower. She is your horse now.
~Anton
Reading his note brought happy tears to Brie’s eyes. She kissed the photo before propping it up against the lamp on her nightstand. His gift was just what she needed to lighten her heart.
Brie pulled out her phone and texted him.
Thank you for my beautiful horse and the note.
She was surprised when he did not text her back right away, then glanced at the time and laughed at herself, realizing how late it was in Moscow. Brie wasn’t sure she would ever get used to the time difference between them, but she took solace in knowing that her text would be the first thing Rytsar saw when he woke up.
With her spirits lifted, Brie decided to focus on something she was deeply passionate about.
Hitting dial, Brie waited patiently for him to answer.
