Adrian spots me, and his face lights up, mouth stretching into a crooked grin. “Mama,” he says again, louder this time, proud of himself.
My heart shatters in the best way.
“That’s right,” I murmur, stepping forward. “Mama’s here.”
Konstantin lowers him, letting Adrian toddle the last few steps on his own. He stumbles, catches himself, then launches forward with determined little steps. I drop to my knees just in time to catch him as he collides with me, arms wrapping clumsily around my neck.
I laugh, breathless, holding him close. He smells like soap and cold air and safety.
Konstantin crouches beside us, one large hand resting on Adrian’s back, the other brushing my hair from my face. His eyes meet mine—soft, full, devastatingly gentle.
Our son babbles happily between us, unaware that he is the center of our universe, the proof that love survived war, grief, and fire—and became something whole.
There’s a knock on the door, and the maid peeks in.
“Dinner starts in thirty minutes, ma’am,” she says politely.
I smile and nod. “Thank you.”
She closes the door behind her, and I turn to Konstantin. I hand our son back to him, and he buries his face in Konstantin’s chest, little hands clutching at his shirt.
“I’ll head downstairs to oversee the dinner arrangements,” I tell Konstantin.
He looks up at me, eyes soft and full. “Okay.”
The house is quiet except for Adrian’s happy babbling from Konstantin’s arms as I descend.
The dining room unfolds before me, warm and glowing in the chandelier light. The table is already set neatly, but I move along its length anyway—adjusting forks, straightening napkins, centering the glasses, making sure every detail is exact. The kitchen smells heavenly—roast chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables—and I make sure every platter is perfectly arranged, each garnish in place, the sauces neat.
I check the bread, shifting a sprig of rosemary for a final touch, and place a small dish of butter beside it. Even the seating chart gets a glance; I want each brother to feel comfortable, each place set with thought and care.
Every Saturday, the brothers have made it a tradition to host dinner at one another’s houses—an unspoken bond, a ritual of family, loyalty, and unity. And this week, it’s ours. I want everything to be perfect.
It is.
An hour later, Konstantin and Adrian arrive downstairs just as the doorbell rings.
Nik opens it, and all four brothers come in at once—Lev carrying a bag of toys, Dimitri holding a basket of pastries, and Roman already lecturing Mike about something ridiculous, even before he steps fully inside. Roman waves a finger, shaking his head, and Mike just shrugs, clearly enjoying the fuss.
Adrian immediately crawls toward Lev, babbling excitedly, grabbing a bright red car from the pile he dumps onto the floor. Dimitri sets the pastries on the table and picks up Adrian for a moment before handing him over to Mike.
The dining room fills instantly with movement and noise—chairs scraping, forks clinking, laughter overlapping. I help pass plates of roasted vegetables, bread, and Konstantin’s favorite lamb stew. He brushes his hand against mine under the table, eyes soft at a joke Lev makes about Dimitri being too serious to play with toys. I squeeze his hand back, smiling.
Adrian climbs into my lap for a moment, trying to grab my water glass, and I lift him, laughing. “No, little man, not yet.”
Konstantin takes him from my arms effortlessly, holding him high as Adrian squeals with delight. “Papa!” he cries. Konstantin grins at me, pride written all over his face.
Lev leans back in his chair, watching Adrian with a warm smile. “He’s growing fast. Already running circles around us.”
Dimitri chuckles. “He’s going to need a bodyguard if he keeps this energy up. Maybe a little army.”
Laughter rolls through the room, full and rich. The chaos doesn’t bother me; it’s comforting. It’s alive. Adrian grabs Lev’s hand and pulls him into the middle of the room, demanding a chase. Konstantin leans toward me, brushing a stray strand of hair from my face, and whispers, “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. If you feel overwhelmed, you can always go up. I’ll entertain them and finish up.”
“I appreciate that.” I kiss his cheek and continue eating my food.