Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85834 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 343(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Leaning forward, I kiss Mom’s forehead, and before I can pull back, Simi also leans in and plants a kiss on Mom’s cheek.
“Take the dish.” Mom shoves it into Dad’s hands, then she reaches for Simi, and in broken Bulgarian, she says, “El…Ela na baba.”
“Not bad, Mom.” I hand Simi to her.
Our parents learned some of the language while Raya and I were taking lessons. Mom is better than Dad, though.
I shake my father’s hand, then pull Nina closer.
“Hi, Nina,” Mom says. “How are you? Have you settled in?”
“Yes, Mrs. Torrisi,” my woman answers shyly, her tone brimming with respect.
“Please, call me Skylar.”
Dad gives Nina a fucking chin lift, and I shoot him a glare. He clears his throat, then pats her on the shoulder as he walks to the kitchen while saying, “Nice to have you and Simi in the family, Nina.”
The elevator opens again, and Augusto, Yuki, Adriano, and Raya come in.
“Aunty Ray,” Simi shrieks. “Tickles.”
Things are a bit chaotic for a while as we all greet and Raya chases Mom and Simi around.
I can feel the nervousness coming from Nina, so I stay closer to her as we walk out onto the balcony, where everything has been set up for the barbecue.
Augusto and Adriano go to the drinks table, and soon Dad joins them, and they begin to talk about work.
I make sure that when Nina sits down, she’s near Yuki.
“How old is your daughter?” Yuki asks.
“Four. She’s going through an enchanted kingdom phase. Princes, princesses, and castles, and…” Nina’s sentence dies away.
“Yuki and Augusto got married last year,” I tell Nina. “She also had to adjust to a whole new life.”
“Really?” Nina’s eyes snap to Yuki.
“Yes,” Yuki replies. “It was very overwhelming, so if you would like to talk, I’m here.”
Yuki starts telling Nina about Japan, and a little about her past, and soon the women are lost in their conversation.
I get up, and glancing into the penthouse, I see Mom looking at the drawing on the fridge.
Changing direction, I go to her. “What do you think of our family portrait?”
“It’s so cute.”
I hear Simi chuckle, then Raya says loudly, “Come out, or I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and I’ll blow your castle down.”
“You can’t,” Simi shouts. “It’s strong like Georgi.”
Mom places her hand against my jaw and looks up at me with love softening her eyes. “I’m proud of you, Georgi. I hope they make you happy.”
“They do.” I clear my throat then say, “I’m going to marry Nina and adopt Simi.”
Mom’s bottom lip begins to tremble. “I’d better brush up on my Bulgarian.”
We walk to the balcony again, and I pour myself a whiskey and grab a glass of wine for my woman.
When I sit down beside Nina, she’s listening to Yuki telling her about her pottery hobby. Mom takes a seat across from me and sips on her wine.
I hand Nina her glass, then lean back and say, “Guys, this isn’t a meeting. Come sit.”
The men grumble under their breath, but they join us.
I feel Nina relaxing, and she even laughs at something Mom says.
“Georgi,” Simi whispers next to the sofa.
I turn my head, and seeing my little girl being all shy, I set the tumbler down before lifting her onto my lap.
Near my ear, she whispers again, “Why are there so many people?”
I whisper back as if we’re sharing a secret. “They’re here because they’re family.”
“My family?” She glances at all of them, then points at Adriano. “Even the scary-looking man?”
“Yes, but don’t worry. He just looks mean, but he has a soft heart.”
“Okay.”
She leans her head against my chest and begins to rub my shirt between her fingers while she keeps looking at everyone.
Dad gets up again, and as always, he switches on the barbecue and begins to grill steaks. Mom hurries to his side to supervise, and soon they’re arguing about who’s in charge of grilling.
I glance at Nina, catching her staring at me with a soft smile on her lips, then she asks, “How am I doing?”
“You fit right in.” I lean down and give her a kiss. “Our family loves you and Simi.”
She leans into my arm and places her hand on my thigh.
Surrounded by my family, my daughter, and the love of my life, I feel complete.
This is what men like me burn the world down for.
The End.