25. Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Five
Daniel
The laughter on the television startles Daniel upright. He instinctively reaches for his gun, but it isn’t at his side.
Right, he remembers now. He placed it in the safe, knowing that alcohol and a weapon are a dangerous combination.
On the screen, a woman giggles as she runs through a field of daisies, her partner chasing her while a golden retriever outpaces them both, romantic music playing softly in the background.
Her laughter pierces through Daniel’s haze of inebriation, stirring memories of Alessia’s own unmistakable joy.
The woman laughs again, and Daniel nearly throws the remote at the television. He freezes, gripping it so tightly that his knuckles lose color, recalling the last time he heard Alessia laugh. A tear slips free from the dam of emotion he has built inside himself.
“Up!” Misha shrieked as Daniel pushed him on the swing, the creaking sound drowned out by the boy’s voice. It wasn’t that he was really screaming—at two and a half, his default volume was much higher than most adults found appropriate. Luckily, being outside made it more tolerable.
“Yes, Misha, you go up!” Daniel replied, his voice soft with pride.
“Not so fast!” Alessia called from the bench.
Daniel tapped his ear a couple of times, even though he clearly heard her, continuing to push Misha faster.
“Daniel!” Alessia approached quickly. “Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me!” She gently pushed his shoulder.
“Mama ush Ankedun!” Misha screamed, giggling. “Bad Mama!” He let go of one of the swing’s chains, nearly falling off.
Daniel spotted this before Alessia did and quickly yanked the swing to a stop.
“All dun,” Misha exclaimed, jumping off the swing and running to the picnic blanket.
Daniel grinned at his sister, who looked less than amused. “Yes, Mama. It’s not nice to push people.”
“Oh, shut up,” she mouthed at him, wrinkling her nose as they followed Misha.
Daniel and Alessia had always shared a close bond.
No matter what he was doing—whether playing music, watching TV, or hanging out with friends—if Alessia asked for him, Daniel always said yes.
It wasn’t unusual to find him wearing heavy blue eyeshadow, red lipstick, or pink nail polish, all because Alessia wanted him to join her little world.
Whatever she wanted, he gave her. He loved her that much.
Their bond further deepened after their father skipped town when Daniel was seventeen.
All of a sudden, Daniel found himself as the sole guardian for his little sister.
Despite being a teenager herself, Alessia was careful not to give him the usual adolescent trouble, understanding the weight of his responsibilities and wanting to make his life easier.
Daniel always suspected that one of the reasons Alessia married so young was to help alleviate some of the financial burden on him.
Daniel took a hearty bite of the turkey and ham sandwich Alessia had packed for their picnic, savoring the blend of flavors.
On the blanket, Misha was lost in his own world, roaring and battling his toy dinosaurs.
Alessia, seated beside him, nibbled at a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, occasionally sneaking bites to Misha.
She wiped her sticky fingers on a paper towel, her gaze shifting as two girls ran past, giggling.
Daniel sensed something was bothering her.
He knew her well enough to notice the subtle signs—the way she averted her eyes, the way she fidgeted with her wedding ring.
He’d always thought that ring was too much but never mentioned it.
He didn’t want to rock the boat when she was in such a mood.
“What’s wrong?” Daniel asked as Misha roared, plopping a dinosaur onto Daniel’s knee.
“Nothing’s wrong,” Alessia said, shoving a cracker into Misha’s mouth. The roar that followed was muffled by chewing.
“And I wasn’t born yesterday,” Daniel replied with a wry smile. “What did Sergei do?” He drew out her husband’s name in his familiar way.
Alessia flicked a quick glance at him, and he caught the flash of apprehension in her eyes.
Daniel’s feelings about Sergei were… complicated.
On one hand, Sergei was undeniably smart, a solid provider for his family, and an astute businessman.
On the other hand, he was much older than Alessia, came from a culture Daniel often struggled to understand, and there was always something subtly unsettling about him that set off Daniel’s detective instincts.
Alessia had never been a fan of Daniel’s thoughts on Sergei. If she was about to admit there were issues, they must be serious—serious enough for Daniel to be concerned.
“Bambi…” Daniel gently cupped her cheek. “What’s wrong?”
She continued feeding Misha, who took another bite of his sandwich.
“We’ve been fighting,” Alessia said, her voice quiet and uncertain. “Over nothing and yet everything. It’s small stuff, but it’s becoming more frequent, and I’m starting to wonder if it’s something I’m doing—”
“You’re not doing anything wrong,” Daniel interrupted.
“I can’t do anything wrong in your eyes, Daniel.
And I don’t think that’s fair.” She took a deep breath, letting her frustration spill out.
Daniel bit his tongue, forcing himself to stay silent as she continued.
“You set these unrealistic expectations for me, like I’m never supposed to be wrong.
But I’m only human. I do dumb things. I say stupid things.
A lot of our fights are because of me. Sergei has been patient with me. Yes, he’s a bit older—”
“Nine years is not just a bit older,” Daniel interrupted again.
“Fine. He’s significantly older. But it doesn’t change the fact that sometimes, even though we’re speaking the same language, it’s like we’re speaking entirely different ones.”
“Aren’t you, though?” Daniel asked, reaching for her.
“Aren’t I what?” Alessia replied, confused.
He took her hand in his, holding it firmly.
“Speaking a different language? Bambi, Sergei isn’t only older than you, he comes from a completely different culture.
He moved to the States as a kid, right? He has deep roots in his native language and traditions.
So maybe it’s not just about generational differences. ”
“You’re making it sound like he’s ancient,” she said, raising an eyebrow.
“He is ancient,” Daniel replied with a playful shrug.
“But that’s beside the point. You’ve got age differences, cultural differences, and you got pregnant after dating for what, four or five months?
Maybe things appeared smooth because you were in a honeymoon phase, and now the real work of marriage is starting. ”
“That was... uncharacteristically profound of you,” Alessia said, squinting at him.
“I can be insightful.” Daniel raised an eyebrow as if offended.
“Ha. Ha. You can?”
Daniel nudged her shoulder gently. “Absolutely!” he said.
She giggled, and Misha joined in, his laughter uproarious and unfiltered.
“Listen,” he continued, “people can be the same age and share a cultural background and still speak a foreign language to one another.”
Alessia was silent for a moment, her eyes fixed on Misha, who now joyfully ran in circles.
“I just don’t know if we can...” She reached out, catching Misha mid-stride.
He squeaked, wrapping his arms around her.
Alessia sniffed his neck and planted a quick kiss on his head.
“I’m just tired of the fighting. I don’t want Misha to end up in a broken family like ours. ”
Daniel understood her emotions all too well. He wanted her to have a happy, lasting marriage and for Misha to grow up with parents who loved and supported him. He hoped Sergei would be that person for them.
“He won’t,” Daniel said, wrapping his arms around Alessia and Misha. “You know why?” Alessia looked up, searching his face. “Because he has you as his mother. And me as his uncle. He’ll be the most loved boy in the world, even if his parents aren’t together.”
“You know that’s not an option, though. I’m afraid to even consider it,” Alessia said, pulling away. “It’s not an option,” she repeated under her breath, and Daniel couldn’t tell if it was for his benefit or hers.
“Sergei will never divorce me. No matter how much he wants to kill me sometimes,” she added with a chuckle.
“You can be quite annoying,” Daniel said, and Alessia hit him in the shoulder. He rubbed the spot dramatically. “And violent.”
Alessia flipped him off while deftly blocking the gesture from Misha with her other hand.
“And so inappropriate,” Daniel continued. “And yet, I love you.” His tone softened. “And Misha loves you. We’ll figure it all out.”
“What if…” Alessia began but trailed off as her phone beeped. She glanced at it, a smile spreading across her face.
“Sergei?” Daniel asked, noticing the shift in her expression.
“No.” The smile vanished at the mention of his name. She quickly slipped her phone back into her pocket, her mood darkening.
A fast food commercial flashes across the screen, jarring Daniel out of the memory as a haunting unease spreads through him. That smile Alessia gave—he knew it well. It was her “boy” smile, the one she used to wear when a cute boy from school texted her, or when she talked about someone she liked.
If it wasn’t Sergei who made her smile like that…
Who was it?