Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Harper collapses on the edge of the toddler bed. Her whole body trembles in relief. I’d join her if I wouldn’t crush the damn thing.
“My God, we need a better monitor,” she says in a shaky breath.
“Jesus. Tell me about it.” My heart’s still racing. Parenting’s gonna fucking kill me.
My phone buzzes with a text. I run a hand through my hair.
“You have to stop distracting me,” I whisper to Harper because I love to give her shit. “I missed four calls from Mikhail and two texts from Polina.”
She snorts. “Not on your life.”
Shaking my head, I walk to the other side of the room and call Mikhail while Harper listens to Ivy chatter on about what she found in her closet.
“Do you ever have your phone on anymore?”
“I called you right back. And excuse me but I believe when you first married Aria you were unreachable too. Give me a minute.”
“No. Answer your fucking phone when I call you or I’ll move her into a separate house.”
I shake my head. “You’ll stoop to that level just to keep me from winning?”
“You have no idea.”
“Did you just call to give me shit about not answering the phone?”
“No. I called to tell you that Aria had our baby early this morning.”
“Wow, you really couldn’t stand it, could you? Congrats! That’s awesome. Just one?”
He chuckles. “Just one.”
“So we’re even?”
“For now.”
We hang up and I turn to face Harper. My heart seizes in my chest at the sight of Ivy on her lap, flipping through a board book.
“We gotta get ready to go, Harper. Let’s get her dressed and go meet Polina downstairs. She said she’ll help the first week.”
“Bear,” Ivy says with wide eyes. She points to a picture of a fluffy little bear on the cover. Then she points her tiny finger at Harper. “Mama.”
Harper smiles and her eyes water. “That’s right, baby.” She looks up at me, her voice a little husky. “She’s always called me Mama. They were good about that. What was up with Mikhail?”
“Aria had her baby.”
She drops the book so quickly Ivy’s eyes widen. “What? And you didn’t tell me? Honestly, you men!”
“What? You hardly know them.”
“But they’re family now! And they had a baby!” She looks thoughtful. “No wonder you were so into me this morning.”
I roll my eyes at her. “I’ll remind you that you were the one that initiated.”
She waves me off. “Boy? Girl? How much did the baby weigh? What did they name him or her?”
Shit. I shrug. “I have no idea.”
She stares at me as if not comprehending. I guess those are things women ask when they find out there’s a new baby. “Listen, we have to go. On second thought, go get changed, Polina will come up and help me get her ready.”
She frowns.
“What is it?”
“I want to dress her. I don’t want to leave, Aleks.”
“We’ll come back soon, I promise. You can dress her if you’re quick about getting ready yourself.”
“I can skip washing my hair! I don’t need long.” She leaps out of bed and takes Ivy by the hand as if I just told her we were going to Disney World.
I don’t know if I’ll ever really understand women.
I stand with my arms crossed, just watching them. Harper opens the dresser Polina bought yesterday and picks out two little outfits. “Which one?” she says. “Pink or purple?”
Ivy points to the pink one and Harper nods. “Smart choice. Come here, and let’s get you ready to meet your auntie.”
After we’re dressed, we go downstairs to the kitchen. Polina’s practically pacing. “Oh my God, I thought you’d never come down! I’ve been dying to meet you, Ivy!”
She crouches down and waves to Ivy. “Hey there, sweetie. My name is Auntie Polina.”
“Elsa!” Ivy says, her eyes wide.
Elsa?
Harper and Polina burst out laughing.
“Someone wanna fill me in on the joke?” I mutter.
Harper grins. “Elsa’s a Disney princess with long, long blonde hair. She’s sort of iconic with her big blue eyes and blonde hair and blue dresses.”
Okay, that’s kinda cute. “Polina, Elsa, whatever, we’re starting to interview nannies today. I want them to go through a few rounds of questioning and background checks. Will you help?”
“Of course!” Polina holds out her hand and helps Ivy up to the table. “Would you like some breakfast?”
Ivy nods. Something in me loosens, but I can’t determine what it is. It’s cozy here in the little kitchen. Domestic, even. My heart surges in my chest knowing that we have the power to make this a better life.
“Do we have to leave?” Harper says, biting her lip. “She’s so sweet and I want to eat breakfast with her.”
“We do. I had everything set up for us and we have to get this done. I promise, we’ll spend plenty of time with her later. We’ll even go to one of those little stores at the mall and get a balloon or something.”