18. Maxim
Chapter 18
Maxim
I hold Talia as she sleeps, never wanting to let her go. Her small body fits on top of mine like we were carved from the same block of marble, always meant to be together, never quite fitting with anyone else. It would be like trying to force a puzzle piece that didn’t belong. No matter how hard you try, you’ll never get the damn thing to fit right. That’s how it would be with anyone else. You could pretend as much as you want, but you’d always know that something wasn’t quite right, that something was missing and not as it should be. I shove the thought aside, because even the idea of being with anyone else is making my cock start to soften.
Talia is the only woman I will ever want, and she’s the only woman I’ll ever have. It’s really as simple as that.
While she sleeps, I grow fully hard inside her. I can’t help it. My body’s reaction to her is beyond my control. The soft whimper she gives when I start to stretch her sore pussy is beautiful music in my ear. The sounds she makes drive me crazy, and the symphony she created when I took her virginity is permanently engraved in my mind. She doesn’t think she has any musical talent, but she’s wrong. She might not be able to play an instrument, but the sounds of her orgasm were nothing short of perfection. I wonder if she realizes she hit a perfect A when she moaned my name and clenched that tight little pussy around my cock.
She’s my muse, constantly inspiring music that I’m currently unable to play. I hear it in my head, though, and that’s enough for now. Dragging my fingers down her spine, I marvel at the feel of her body. Her skin is like silk, and I never want to stop touching her.
Using her vertebrae as keys, I practice a few bars of music, fingering the notes and committing them to memory while she continues to sleep. I could happily stay like this for hours, but it’s not long before I feel her start to wake up. She lets out a soft sigh against my neck and then a quiet moan before I feel her body stiffen. I wrap my arms around her before she can bolt upright.
“Easy, baby. It’s okay,” I tell her while stroking her back and kissing her forehead.
“Your hand,” she says, proving yet again that she’s the sweetest person I’ve ever met. Her body is worn out, her pussy sore and still stuffed full with my cock, and her first waking thought is about my injured hand.
“How long have I been asleep? We need to do your exercises.”
“Shh, it’s all right,” I say, trying to calm her. “You haven’t been asleep long at all, and my hand is fine.”
She lets out a frustrated huff of air and braces her hands against my chest so she can sit up. I let her because the movement feels fucking amazing. My hips rock, the sensation pulling a groan from both of us, but she refuses to be deterred.
“You should’ve woken me.”
I smile up at her pouty, pissed-off face. “God, you’re fucking adorable,” I say, rocking my hips again.
“I’m being serious,” she insists.
I laugh. “I know, that’s why it’s so cute.”
I can tell she really wants to stay pissed at me, but she’s also eye-fucking me like she’s more than ready for round two. Running my fingers along her stomach, I reach up and cup her breast, running my thumb over her nipple and then giving it a hard enough pinch to make her suck in a breath and rock her hips.
“You can yell at me later, sweetheart. First, let me watch you ride me.”
I give her another pinch before she can even think about arguing with me about it, and when she rocks her hips again and lets out a breathy whimper, I know I’ve won.
“Stop gloating,” she growls, but there’s a smile playing at her pretty mouth, and soon she’s rising and falling on my thick cock, finding the perfect rhythm like we’ve been doing this all our lives.
I watch her take her pleasure, completely enthralled by the sight of her, and when she starts to come, I grit my teeth to stop myself from joining her. I’m not ready for this to be over. Instead of giving into my own release, I watch her savor hers. A blush spreads across her chest as she closes her eyes, tilting her head back while she rides me, greedy for every last second of pleasure she can wring from my cock. I love seeing her like this, completely uninhibited and wild. No one else will ever see her like this, and that thought alone nearly has me shooting my seed inside her pretty little cunt.
When she lets out a breathy moan, gripping me and circling her hips in a rhythm that nearly has my eyes rolling back in my head, I lose what little restraint I have left. With a growl, I grip her waist and rock my hips, thrusting into her as deeply as I can get, knowing it will never be deep enough. She screams my name, a perfectly pitched mezzo-soprano cry that pushes me over the edge. I come hard, my deep groans mixing with her higher-pitched sounds, and it’s the sweetest fucking music I’ve ever heard.
Cupping the back of her neck, I pull her onto me, needing to feel her mouth on mine as my cock pulses and I fill her again. She kisses me hard, just as hungry for me as I am for her. Our tongues fight for dominance, but my girl knows when to submit, and when I feel her soften, letting me take the lead, I give one more groan and shoot the last of my seed into her.
“My god, woman, you’re going to be the end of me,” I say with a soft laugh.
“You started this,” she says, her voice slow and lazy, body worn out and limp against me. “I’m the one who woke up with you hard inside me. This is entirely your fault.”
“I may be temporarily exhausted,” I tell her, “but it was worth it. You can wear me out anytime you want.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She kisses my chest and then forces herself to sit with a tired sigh. When she starts to lift up, separating our bodies, she whispers a quick, “Ow,” and then hisses out a breath when I finally slide free of her. I miss her instantly. If I could stay inside her permanently, I would. The cool air on my dick isn’t nearly as pleasant as the soft, warm heat of her pussy.
Before I can even suggest a soak in the tub, she says, “We need to do your hand exercises.”
I laugh at the bossy tone of her voice and scoot back so I can sit against the headboard while she props a pillow under my forearm. Thankfully, she stays naked while quickly relieving me of the hand splint. I watch her, impressed by her in so many different ways. Her movements are sure and gentle, intent on following every instruction the doctor gave her while also not causing me any pain. The latter is impossible to avoid, but I keep my face as calm as possible, not wanting her to feel bad for the sharp stabs of pain every movement causes me. It’s not beyond what was described as normal, so I ignore it as best I can and put my focus on the way her tits softly bounce with her movements.
“Does this hurt too much?” she asks, working on the finger that suffered the worst damage.
“You make the pain bearable, svetik moy ,” I tell her, making her cheeks turn a pretty shade of pink. It matches her areolae and pussy, and when I tell her that, she blushes even harder. “So beautiful,” I murmur, watching her and ignoring the pain that radiates throughout my hand.
When she’s finished, she carefully puts my finger back in the splint. She’s already taped the other fingers together, and the only thing left is the hand splint that I can’t wait to be rid of. Satisfied with her work, she leans down to kiss my hand, and I swear my heart fucking melts at the sight of her doing it.
She lifts up, and I hook a finger under her chin before pressing my mouth to hers. It’s a slow kiss, just me wanting to taste and feel her, but it still gets me hard with a quickness, and when I pull back and she sees the full effect of what she does to me, she laughs and pats me on the shoulder.
“I’m impressed, I really am, but I need a breather,” she says, unable to take her eyes off the thick cock between us. She hesitates like she’s having an internal debate before giving a firm shake of her head and saying, “No, I do need a break and a soak in what I’m assuming is a massive tub and maybe some food.”
I smile and lean in to kiss her again. “Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who needs some calories.” Giving her a wink, I add, “You wore me out, sweetheart.”
She laughs and takes the hand I offer her, pulling her up and against me as I lead her to the attached bathroom. When she sees the huge tub, she sighs and claps her hands.
“Big enough?” I ask.
“Yes, and I can’t wait to try it out. First, we soak, and then we eat.”
I laugh, already reaching down to turn the hot water on, and say, “Yes, ma’am.”
I spend the rest of the night taking care of her and loving every second of it. The time alone is exactly what we needed. I show her the rest of the house and the property outside, and she seems to love it all as much as I do. We laugh and eat and talk about the future, and then we go to bed and lose ourselves in each other until neither one of us can move. She falls asleep in my arms and I wake to the feel of her mouth on my cock, and I have to remind myself that this isn’t a dream, that this is actually my life now.
By the time her family is due to show up, I’ve tasted every inch of her and filled her with so much cum that I have no doubt she’ll soon be pregnant with our baby, and I couldn’t be happier. The huge smile she’s giving me makes it clear she feels the same way.
When I get the security alert on my phone I’ve been waiting for, I cup Talia’s face and give her a kiss. “They’re here,” I tell her.
“Do we need to let them in?” she asks, already turning her head to try and see out the window.
“No, Niki has everyone’s face in the system, including your family, so the gate will open for them.”
She gives me a surprised look. “When did he do that?”
“I asked him to do it a few days ago,” I tell her, grabbing her hand and leading her to the door.
“Thanks, Max. That was really sweet of you.”
I lean down and kiss her head. “I would do anything for you. Your family needs to know they can come and see you anytime they want. I don’t want them to feel like I’m keeping you prisoner.” I laugh and add, “Something tells me that wouldn’t go over so well. Bran would be on the roof of some building, already putting me in his sights.”
“They are pretty protective,” she admits. “But they know how much I love you, so they would never hurt you.”
I resist the urge to enlighten her that they would most definitely give me a slow and painful death if they thought I’d hurt her in any way, regardless of how much she loves me. I’d feel the same way if I were them, so I don’t take offense to it.
We open the door in time to see them all getting out of the SUVs. The men in my family should be arriving in about an hour. It’s time we had a discussion about how the joining of our families is going to work. I’m tired of it hanging over my head, and I know Talia worries about it as well, and I don’t want her worrying about anything.
“Hey, honey,” her dad says, and Talia immediately goes over and gives him a big hug before wrapping her arms around her mom and brothers. Her uncles and cousins pile out of the other SUV, and she hugs all of them, already getting emotional at the thought of them flying back home tomorrow. Her parents and brothers were going to stay longer, but they’ve decided to head back tomorrow with the others. I know how antsy they must feel at leaving their territory exposed. Even with the rest of their men there, it’s still a risk to be gone for so long.
Her dad squeezes my shoulder as he walks by, and her mom gives me a big hug and asks about my hand. Nina reminds me of my aunts, and I thank whatever deity is listening for saving me from a mother-in-law from hell.
Dima lets out a low whistle and points at the house behind me. “Nice place, Max.”
“Thanks, you’re welcome to visit anytime you want,” I tell him while wrapping my arm around Talia and pulling her against me so her back is to my front. My thumb caresses her collarbone while her uncles walk past and her cousins give me a friendly nod before following the others into the house. Bran hangs back and signs something to Talia that makes her laugh.
“Do I want to know?” I ask when he walks into the house.
She tilts her head back and looks up at me. “He said he doesn’t ever want to know any details but he’s glad we both look so happy.”
I laugh and kiss the top of her head. “Yeah, he definitely doesn’t want the details.”
“God no,” she says in agreement.
Threading her fingers through mine, we step into the house. Talia and I placed a huge order at the deli on the corner, so the kitchen counter is piled high with enough food to feed a small army. I’m hoping it’s enough to appease my Uncle Vitaly, but if it’s not, he’ll be sure and let me know.
Telling everyone to help themselves, I put out a stack of plates while Talia grabs a bunch of drinks from the fridge and starts putting them on the counter. I have to bite my lip to hide the goofy grin that’s dying to break free, because this feels every bit like we’re a married couple welcoming her family over for lunch. Talia in my kitchen is the most natural thing in the world, and I have to remind myself that it’s her first time being here.
As if she can sense my very unmanly giddiness, she looks over and gives me a big smile that I easily return. God, this woman is completely demolishing my tough guy image. I’m going to need to find a balance between work me and the me that Talia sees, because I can’t show up for a killing with a lovey-dovey grin on my face. Everyone else in my family has found that balance, so I’m sure I will too, but for the first time since my hand was hurt, I’m actually a little grateful for it. It’s giving me a chance to spend time with Talia and find my own balance in our life together. She will always be at the center of my world and the most important person in it, but I won’t turn my back on the Bratva. I could never do that to my family.
Talia comes back to stand in front of me again, smiling when I wrap my arm back around her chest and pull her closer. We wait for everyone to fix a plate and sit down and then fix our own and join them.
“Your dad and uncles showed us around today,” Vasily says, signing the words as he speaks them so Bran can know what’s going on. “We saw the clubs and a few of the warehouses. It’s a pretty nice setup you all have here.”
“It is,” Volodya agrees, taking a quick bite so his hands are free to sign. “We own several clubs in Oregon. The nightclubs always bring in a ton of money.”
“They do,” I agree. I’m not able to sign yet, but Bran’s sitting across from me and can easily read my lips. I know Talia will sign anything he doesn’t catch. “The one we own near the university is one of our biggest moneymakers, and, of course, Pink has been nothing but profit since before I was born.”
“Pink?” Talia asks, turning her head to look at me.
“It’s a strip club my dad and uncles bought long before I was born. They were trying to find my Aunt Alina, and buying it was part of their plan to get in close to the sex traffickers who took her.” I lean in close and kiss her ear, whispering, “Don’t worry, sweetheart, it’s not a place I ever go to.”
She looks relieved when I straighten back up, and if she thinks there’s any chance in hell that I could possibly want to hang out at a strip club, then I’m already failing as her boyfriend, soon-to-be fiancé, soon-to-be husband.
Misha, Volodya’s oldest son, says, “Sasha told us you all have a house about an hour away that has a lot of land with dirt bike trails.”
“Yeah, we all call it the farmhouse, but it’s not really a farm. We use it when we need to get away. When we were all little, we went there all the time,” I tell them. “We’ve had a few weddings there, too. It’s beautiful out there. You’ll have to come see it.”
“They love riding dirt bikes and four-wheelers,” Talia says. “We have trails through our woods, and they ride along the beach.”
“That sounds fun,” I say, already looking forward to trying that out with her. I give her a quick wink and add, “We’ll have to add that to our list of things to do.”
“Well, if you’re making a list,” her dad says, nearly making Talia choke on the bite she just took, “then you need to add going out on the boat or taking the jet skis out for a ride.”
I smile and lightly tap my temple. “Already added.” I can’t resist looking down at my blushing girl. “Don’t you think we should add those to the list?”
She forces an easy smile, but I can see the warning in her eyes, and it’s fucking cute as hell. “Definitely,” she says, unable to hide the blush that comes to her cheeks.
“Perfect,” I tell her, turning back to the others as if her dad didn’t just unknowingly add to our sex to-do list.
We keep the conversation light while we finish lunch. Nina asks me about the city and about my music, and by the time we’re done eating, I get another security alert on my phone.
“My family’s here,” I tell them right before we all hear the unmistakeable sound of my Uncle Matvey’s ’67 Camaro. It’s a beautiful day, so I opened the windows earlier, and the purr of his engine filters into the room, making Volodya give an appreciative sigh.
He looks at me and says, “I have a ’69 Camaro at home. Your uncle showed me his the other night. It’s a beautiful car.”
“It is,” I agree. “He’s kept it in pristine condition.”
Valeri laughs and looks at his brother. “I’m gonna tell your wife you miss the car more than her.”
Volodya frowns at him. “Don’t even fucking joke about that. Maddie would never believe you, anyway. She knows I’m going crazy without her.” He turns back to me while he points a finger at his younger brother. “He’s always trying to stir shit up. He can’t help it. He’s a bit of an attention whore.”
Valeri laughs while I nod and say, “We have one of those in our family.” When the door opens, I turn and see my Uncle Vitaly walk in. “Speak of the devil,” I mutter, making Talia laugh. He’s carrying another large box from Get the Scoop, and evidently he’s just always going to arrive everywhere with an ice cream cake from now on.
They walk into the kitchen while I give Talia a kiss and then go to meet them. “Another cake?” I ask, unable to hide my laugh.
My Uncle Vitaly grins and sets it on the counter. “It’s polite to bring a gift. You’re welcome, you ungrateful assholes.”
My Uncle Lev opens the box and laughs. “Did you fucking steal this from some kid?”
We all lean over to take a look. It’s a pink cake with decorative balloons lining the edges, and in pink frosting is written Happy 10th Birthday, Stephanie!
“Jesus Christ,” my dad groans. “That’s a new low even for you.”
My Uncle Vitaly shrugs off their comments and says, “They’re going to make her a new one. I didn’t just swipe it and leave Stephanie hanging. She’ll have an amazing tenth birthday, and I even had them throw in a few pints of extra ice cream and waffle cones. I’m not a complete ass.”
“Just a partial one,” my dad says with a laugh, and when I join in, my uncle points the knife that he’s about to cut the cake with at me and raises a brow.
“Be happy I didn’t do what I wanted to do,” he warns.
“Do I even want to know?” I ask.
“No, you don’t,” my dad says, and then warns his brother, “Talia’s in the dining room with her family.”
My uncle surprises the hell out of me by actually lowering his voice, but what comes out of his mouth doesn’t surprise me at all. “I wanted to have Adele, she’s my cake decorator,” he says like this is vital information we should all be aware of, “write Congratulations on becoming a man, Max! I was going to have her add little cherries all around the border for decoration. It was going to be beautiful, but your dad wouldn’t let me,” he says, making no attempt to hide the pouty tone.
I turn to my dad and say with absolute sincerity, “Thank you for stopping that.”
“Well, if Adele can’t get the new cake done in time and Stephanie has a shit birthday, it’s all your fault,” my Uncle Vitaly mutters.
“I’m willing to take that risk,” I say, confident Stephanie will get over it. Turning to my Uncle Lev, I ask, “How’s Nat and Enzo doing?”
My uncle beams at the mention of his daughter and grandson, and then immediately pulls his phone out and shows me all the photos she sent him. Nat has a huge smile on her face in every one of them, and Enzo is just as cute as the last time I saw him. Dominic looks so damn proud of his family, and I can’t wait until it’s my turn.
“He’s really beautiful,” I tell my uncle who quickly nods in agreement.
“He is. Look at this one.” He shows me a photo of Isabella holding her baby brother with the help of Dominic. Her smile is as big as her parents’, and she’s wearing a pink T-shirt that says, I’m a Big Sister!
“I’m glad she’s not feeling jealous,” I say, smiling at the image.
“No, she’s being properly spoiled and loving every second of it,” he says with a laugh while pocketing his phone.
My cousins pile into the kitchen, and I swear they’re all grinning at me. Well, all of them except Sasha. He’s too busy taking the plate of cake our uncle offers him.
“Have a good night?” Luka asks.
“I did,” I say, trying to sound like I don’t know what in the hell they’re talking about, grateful they missed the whole cherry popping celebratory cake conversation.
Before they can tease me any more, Talia peeks her head around the corner. She looks hesitant to walk in, but as soon as she sees me, she smiles and walks over to join me. When she’s by my side, I pull her closer and kiss her.
“Want some cake?” my Uncle Vitaly asks her.
“Maybe later. I’m stuffed from my sandwich,” she says with a laugh.
My uncle looks at me and shakes his head. “Sandwiches? You ate without me?”
“We did,” I admit, ignoring his wounded look, “but we ordered extra and there are plenty of leftovers. They’re in the fridge. I was going to tell you, but you immediately started cutting cake and I got distracted.”
“Perfect,” my uncle says. “I’m just gonna have a little cake appetizer, and then I’ll have some lunch.”
“Little?” my Uncle Matvey says, eyeing the slab on his brother’s plate.
“It’s rude to judge,” my Uncle Vitaly says, popping a huge bite in his mouth.
Damien starts unloading the fridge and putting the leftovers on the counter, and when they’ve all filled a plate, we get Talia’s family and meet outside on the patio so there will be room for everyone. We make small talk while they eat, but once they’re done, I’m more than ready to discuss what they’ve all come here to talk about.
Pulling Talia closer, I kiss her cheek and say, “Why don’t you show your mom around the house, baby?”
My suggestion earns me a soft laugh and a raised eyebrow. “If that’s not code for get your lady asses out of here so we can talk business , then I don’t know what is.”
“Sorry, svetik moy , but I need to talk to your family about a few things.” I lean closer and press my lips to her ear. “Be a good girl and maybe I’ll bury my head between your legs later and use my tongue to thank you.”
The soft sound she makes at my words has me letting out a soft laugh. I kiss the sensitive spot beneath her ear and tell her I love her before she stands and says, “Come on, Mom, I’ll show you the house while they talk man business.”
Her mom laughs, and Vasily pats her ass as she gets up to join their daughter. When they’ve shut the French doors, I turn to her dad and say, “I’m going to ask Talia to marry me tonight. I would’ve done it earlier, but I was waiting for her ring to be finished.”
He’s quiet as he watches me, no doubt noticing that I didn’t ask for his permission.
Volodya and Valeri look at their brother, each of them wearing an amused look. No one reaches for a gun, so I take that as a good sign. He already knew it was coming to this, but knowing it and then having it be a reality are two different things.
“She’s very close to her family,” he finally says, breaking the silence.
I look around at the two Bratva families sitting on my veranda. “I know, and I would never ask her to choose between us, and that’s why I’m suggesting a compromise.”
“What kind of compromise?” my dad asks.
I shrug and lean back in my seat. “That’s what we’re here to work out.” I put my focus back on Vasily. “I’m a Melnikov, and soon your daughter will be, too.”
He visibly tenses at the statement, but he doesn’t deny it. I’m guessing he will always think of his daughter as a Medvedev, no matter what her legal last name might be.
“Our children will be Melnikovs,” I continue, “but there’s no denying that our families will be joining with this marriage. You run the west coast, and we run the east coast. I think there’s an opportunity for us both to expand.”
“You want to work together?” Vasily asks, continuing to sign everything for Bran.
“Why not?” I ask.
It’s my Uncle Roman who speaks first. “It’s not a bad idea. Our family joined with the Alessi family through marriage, and there’s no denying that’s been beneficial to everyone involved. I don’t see why this couldn’t be the same.”
“I’d be leery of it if it was a forced marriage,” my dad says, “but you two are obviously marrying for love, and that changes things.”
“It does,” Vasily agrees. “But what exactly are you suggesting or offering, Max?”
“Well, me, for starters,” I say, ignoring the surprised looks from my family. I do take a second to turn to my dad, though. “I love her, Dad, and I need to do whatever needs to be done to make sure she’s happy.”
I can tell he’s not thrilled, but we both know he’d be doing the same thing for my mom, so I’m not at all surprised when he nods his agreement.
Turning back to the Medvedevs, I say, “I think it’s only fair to split the year in half. Six months in Oregon and six months here. While we’re there, I’ll learn how you do things and work with you, and then I’ll work with my family for the rest of the year.”
“You’d pledge your loyalty to us?” Volodya asks.
“As long as it doesn’t go against my family. My allegiance will always be first and foremost to them,” I say, making it clear that I am and always will be a Melnikov man.
Vasily thinks about what I’m proposing. When he leans forward, resting his forearms on his knees, he asks, “Do you have enough unmarked skin left on you to add a bear tattoo?”
I smile and shake the tattooed hand he offers me. “I do, yeah,” I tell him with a grin.
“Then welcome to the family, Max.”
We stand, and he pulls me in for a quick hug. “You didn’t ask for my blessing, but I’m giving it to you anyway. You saved my daughter’s life, Max, and I know you’ll take care of her.”
“I will,” I promise him.
“But if you don’t,” Volodya adds, letting his unfinished sentence hang in the air as he gives me a wicked grin.
“I will,” I say again, not even slightly bothered by the death threat.
He laughs and pats me on the back before Valeri does the same.
“We’ve already given him the talk,” Dima says. He nudges his brother’s arm. “Bran told him what would happen if he didn’t.”
“So what about the rest of us?” Niki asks. “How will visits work? What if I want to come and see my brother?”
We all sit back down while Vasily says, “You all have a standing invitation to come and visit whenever you like.”
“Thank you,” my dad says. “The same is true for here, of course. We’ll set up a couple of apartments in one of our buildings, and you’re all welcome to use them anytime you want.”
“Thank you,” Vasily says. “My wife will appreciate that.”
“You can always choose to stay here at the house, too,” I remind him. “It’s not at all my intention to keep Talia from any of you. I know how close she is to you all.” Checking my watch, I ask, “Is everything all set up for Wallace?”
Dima grins. “Yeah, they should be landing in an hour.”
“One of our guys will pick him up and bring him here,” my dad says.
“I brought a bunch of dog supplies,” Sasha says. “I had to make another trip for Chort. He ripped his latest bed to shreds.” He laughs, not even slightly bothered by it, and I can’t help but smile at the name he chose. From the stories I’ve heard, I guess naming him after a demonic creature in Slavic folklore is fitting.
“That dog is never going near my son,” Luka says.
“Agreed,” Sasha says with another laugh. “He can’t be trusted.”
“Thanks for the supplies,” I tell him. “From what I hear Wallace is nothing like Chort, so I’m sure the stuff will last.”
“Wallace is amazing,” Dima says while Bran nods in agreement. “You’re going to love that dog.”
Bran mimes throwing a ball, and Dima laughs. “Yeah, invest in a shit ton of tennis balls, because he loves to play fetch.”
“I will,” I tell them.
“Are we allowed to come back out now?” Talia calls out from the living room. “All done with the man talk?”
“Yeah, baby, come on out. We’re all done with the man talk,” I say loud enough for her to hear me.
“Anyone want cake?” my Uncle Vitaly asks.
“There’s cake?” Valeri asks.
“Ice cream cake,” my uncle clarifies, making Valeri grin and stand up to follow him back into the kitchen.
“Oh my god there’s two of them,” Volodya says with a groan.
“They went and got waffle cones together last night,” Aleks, Valeri’s son says.
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” my Uncle Lev says with a laugh. “It’s like they went on a date.”
“Why are you all laughing?” my Uncle Vitaly yells from the kitchen.
“Just talking about your bromance,” my Uncle Matvey hollers back.
“Fuckers,” my Uncle Vitaly yells in response, but there’s no anger in it. He’s too busy slicing cake and enjoying his bromance.
By the time they all get up to leave, it’s almost time for Wallace’s flight to land. They all know what’s about to happen, so they say their goodbyes to give us privacy. When my dad pulls me in for a hug, he slips me the small, velvet box he’d picked up for me earlier and says, “Your mom and I are so happy for you, son.”
I hug him back, and then pull my brother in for one as well. He grumbles and then returns it with a laugh. The truth is I’m going to miss my family like crazy when I’m in Oregon.
“Don’t worry, little brother,” I tell him while I ruffle his hair, “wherever Talia and I end up, I’ll make sure there’s a guest room just for you.”
“You better,” he says pulling away and fixing his hair with a laugh.
I say my goodbyes to everyone else and then pull Talia in close while we stand in the driveway and watch them all leave.
She tilts her head up at me. “Are we staying here again tonight?”
“Is that okay?” I ask. “I’ll make sure you see your family again before they leave.”
“Sure. I love your house.”
I lean down and give her a kiss. “ Our house.”
She grins and then grabs her phone from her back pocket when an alarm goes off. “Time to do your hand again.”
I laugh and let her lead me into the house, already planning how I’m going to propose to her.