8. Sienna #3
Konstantin's gaze shifts to him, and I tense. But when Konstantin looks at my son, his expression softens slightly.
"How old?" he asks.
"Three," I answer, still wary.
“A difficult age, I hear,” Konstantin says with a laugh. “I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.”
There’s an awkward silence for a moment after that.
I hear a door opening behind him, and a moment later, a beautiful woman walks out from a pair of French doors.
She has long, thick, dark hair, pulled back at the front, and a beautifully lithe figure, with the slight hint of a swell to her belly, visible under the long, floral-printed maxi dress that she’s wearing.
“Konstantin?” She pauses, looking at me, and then understanding seems to dawn on her face.
“You must be Damian’s new wife.” There’s a hint of amusement in her voice, like she’s in on a joke I don’t understand. It makes me tense, prickling, especially when she looks at Adam, but she smiles a moment later, and I relax slightly.
“Sienna,” Konstantin introduces me, and I swallow hard, wishing I could say something for myself. I feel on display, like a zoo animal, faced with these people I don’t know who could ultimately decide my fate.
“I guessed as much. You told me last night,” the woman chides teasingly. She approaches, holding out a hand. “I’m Valentina. Konstantin’s wife.”
“Nice to meet you,” I manage, taking her hand briefly and shaking it. It feels soft—probably as soft as mine does now, I reflect, after that amazing lotion that I found this morning.
“And this must be Adam.” She smiles at him again. “I heard you like trains.”
Adam grins, pulling away from me to look at this new, interesting woman. “I do,” he confirms, and I give Valentina a small smile.
“Mrs. Horvat was nice enough to bring him a train set to keep him entertained this morning.”
Valentina laughs. “I know. I suggested she go upstairs and dig through Konstantin’s childhood things in the attic.
I don’t know how they got saved, it’s not like his father would have cared to, but I suppose he never went up there, so he never knew.
I’ve already gone through them once, for our little one.
I’m sure I will again, before he or she gets here. ”
Konstantin leans closer to her, murmuring something in her ear, and she turns toward him, giving him a quick, hard kiss, her hand touching the side of his face before he goes back toward the house. I almost flinch back at the display of affection, it’s something that I’m so unused to.
There’s a strange pang in my chest, too. I don’t want Damian touching me…but to have someone want me like that, to kiss me like that… it feels like something that would be nice. Something I’ve never had.
As Konstantin walks away, I start to feel as if I can breathe normally again. Valentina, who is still standing there, seems to notice my relief and gives me a sympathetic look.
“I know he can be intimidating,” she says, offering me a small smile. “But he's a good man. They both are, in their own way.”
I want to ask her how she can say that about men who live in a world of violence and danger, but I don't. I bite my lip, trying to think of what to say to this woman who is also, in and of herself, intimidating.
“How far along are you?” I blurt out, before realizing that might be too intimate of a question for someone I barely know. But Valentina just laughs.
“A few months.” She touches her stomach. “I hear it gets a bit easier from here on out.”
“It did for me. I was so sick the first few months. I felt like I could barely get out of bed. And then, month four—” I laugh, the sound surprising me a little. It sounds like my usual laugh—normal, easy. “It was like a switch flipped. I felt back to my normal self.”
“Well, I don’t know if I’m there yet. But here’s to hoping.
” Valentina smiles at me, and I feel like something has eased between us, the awkwardness broken.
We have something in common, at least, even if we’re from two very different worlds.
We can bond over motherhood, at least, and I didn’t realize until right this moment how good it would be to have someone who I can connect with here.
I’ve been on my own for a long time, but I’ve felt more lonely since getting here last night than I think I can remember feeling in years.
It’s something to do with the mansion, how large and cavernous it feels, a place that I have no real business being, among people I don’t know.
I feel adrift, and whether Valentina is a real friend or not, I find myself grasping at any connection I can.
“How long have you and Konstantin been married?” I shift Adam to my other hip, and he reaches for Valentina, waving a chubby fist at her.
“A little over a year.” Valentina smiles at Adam, tapping his waving hand with one of her fingers. “Do you like it here?”
“I like the big house,” he announces, and she laughs.
“So do I. It’s very nice.” She straightens, looking at me. “I can give you a tour, if you like.”
“Oh, you don’t have to?—”
Valentina waves a hand. “Oh, it’s no trouble. Really. I’m antsy and I need to walk around. Plus, I can see this little guy is getting fidgety, too. The mansion is huge, you might as well know what there is do to here.”
I feel guilty taking up her time, but she’s right.
I should know where in the mansion I can go, and where Adam and I can find things to do to occupy our time.
So I smile, graciously accepting her offer, and set Adam down to toddle along with us as I follow her into the mansion. Our new home… at least for now.
And then, after the threat is gone and Damian no longer needs to protect us? I have no idea.