Chapter 31 #2
With the amount of money he’s deposited into my account over the past months, I could probably buy this car five times over. And it’s easily over three hundred thousand.
I pull back into the garage. Leonid opens the door for me before I can reach for it. He offers his hand, helping me down.
“So?” he asks, eyes searching mine.
I step into him, rising on my toes to kiss him. “I love it. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Leonid’s thumb strokes slow circles over my knuckles as we stand by the car, Alexei still bouncing with barely contained excitement beside us.
“I have another surprise for you,” he says, voice low and warm.
I raise an eyebrow, laughing softly. “After this? You’re spoiling me.”
He rubs the back of his neck like he’s nervous. “Well… not exactly a surprise. More like a request.”
“A request?” I tilt my head, confused. “What is it?”
Alexei can’t hold it in anymore. He jumps up and down, grabbing Leonid’s sleeve. “Ask her already, Dad!”
I blink at him, then at Leonid. “Ask me what?”
Leonid shoots Alexei a fond, exasperated look. “Calm down, buddy.” He takes my hand and leads me out of the garage, Alexei skipping ahead.
“What’s going on?” I ask, half-laughing, half-nervous as we step into the open driveway.
That’s when I hear it, the low, rhythmic thump of rotor blades cutting through the air.
I look up.
A helicopter circles overhead, low enough that the wind tugs at my hair and dress. Painted across its belly in massive white letters against the black fuselage:
WILL YOU MARRY ME?
My breath stops.
I turn slowly, heart slamming against my ribs, and find Leonid already down on one knee in front of me, a small velvet box open in his palm. The ring inside catches the sunlight, platinum band, an emerald-cut diamond flanked by two smaller ones.
His eyes, those blue eyes that see straight through me, are little vulnerable in a way I’ve only seen a handful of times.
“Laurel,” he starts, voice rough, “I’m not good with words.
You know that. But I’m going to try… you changed everything.
You walked into my life when I didn’t think I deserved anything good, and you stayed.
You saw me, the real me and you loved me anyway.
You gave me a family when I thought I’d never have one. ”
He swallows once, thumb brushing the ring box.
“I know my world is dangerous. I know I’m not easy to love.
But I swear to you, every day for the rest of my life, I will protect you.
I will love you. I will choose you, over everything, every single time.
I want forever with you. I want mornings waking up beside you, nights holding you, years watching our children grow.
I want you to be my wife. My partner. My everything. ”
His voice cracks just slightly on the last word.
“Will you marry me?”
Tears blur my vision. My hands fly to my mouth.
“Yes,” I choke out, voice breaking into a laugh-sob. “Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes.”
Alexei whoops, jumping up and down. Leonid rises, slips the ring onto my finger; perfect fit, and pulls me into his arms.
He kisses me, deep, fierce, full of everything he just said and more. I cling to him, fingers in his hair.
When we finally break apart, Alexei tugs at my dress.
“Since you’re getting married…” he says, eyes huge and hopeful, “does that mean I can call you Mom?”
My heart shatters and rebuilds in the same second.
I crouch down, careful with my bump, and pull him into a hug. “Of course you can, sweetheart. If that’s what you want.”
He beams, wrapping his arms around my neck. “I want that.”
I kiss his cheek, tears falling freely now. “Then it’s official. Mom it is.”
Leonid watches us, eyes suspiciously shiny. When I stand again, he pulls me close, hand resting protectively over my belly.
“I know you would’ve wanted something more romantic,” he murmurs against my hair. “Candles, music, a quiet dinner… but with you just off bed rest—”
I cut him off with another kiss. “This is more romantic than I could have ever imagined,” I whisper. “Helicopter proposal? Our son jumping with joy? You, on one knee in our driveway? It’s perfect.”
He exhales a shaky laugh, forehead resting against mine. “I love you.”
I smile through tears. “I love you too. Way more than life.”
Epilogue 2
Leonid
“Kirill takes his nap by—”
“Noon,” Mom finishes for me, smiling.
I nod. “And Alexei is allergic to—”
“Peanuts,” she finishes gently. “I know all these, sweetheart. Put your mind at ease.”
I let out a long sigh, shoulders dropping a fraction. “I just want to make sure everything’s okay before leaving.”
Mom reaches over and squeezes my hand. “It’s okay to worry. But you don’t have to. We’ve got this.”
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat.
The past two years have been eventful. After Mom got out of rehab, we started meeting up. Things were rocky at first awkward silences, old hurts bubbling up. But time did what time does: it softened the sharp edges.
We worked out our issues. She started visiting. First once a month, then every other weekend. The kids took to her faster than I expected, Alexei started calling her “Grandma” without prompting, and Kirill is getting attached to her too.
Now she’s here almost every week. She’s teaching me how to cook. We talk. Really talk. About the men she brought into our lives, who hurt us. About forgiveness. She says life gave her a second chance at being a mother, and she’s not going to waste it. I believe her.
Alexei looks up from where he’s helping Kirill push his wooden train across the rug. “Don’t worry, Mom. We’ll be fine.”
I smile despite myself. “Yeah. Of course you will.”
The front door bursts open.
“Aunt Tasha is here!” Tasha announces, arms loaded with grocery bags.
The boys explode off the floor, Alexei sprinting, Kirill toddling behind with his arms outstretched. Tasha drops the bags just in time to scoop Kirill up, smothering his chubby cheeks with kisses.
“There’s my favorite little man!” She swings him onto her hip, then reaches down to ruffle Alexei’s hair. “And my favorite big man. How you doing, kiddo?”
“Good!” Alexei beams.
Mom leans close, whispering, “See, the kids are in capable hands.”
I nod. No doubt there.
The maids appear, taking the grocery bags to the kitchen. Mom gestures toward them. “I asked Tasha to pick up everything we need for the boys’ favorites.
Tasha walks over, still holding a giggling Kirill. “Hello Mama, you look gorgeous.” She kisses my cheek, then looks me up and down. “You ready for your trip?”
Mom answers for me, smiling. “She’s worrying about leaving the kids.”
Tasha shakes Kirill gently on her hip, making him squeal. “You don’t need to worry. We’re going to have the best time ever, right, little man?”
Kirill nods vigorously. “Yes!”
I exhale, tension easing just a little. “Okay. I believe you.”
Tasha gives me a gentle nudge with her elbow. “You need this vacation, babe. You really do. Stop worrying, the nanny’s here, your mom’s here, and I’m here. We’ve got this on lock.”
I sigh, long and heavy, rubbing the back of my neck. She’s right. I really do need this vacation.
Ever since Kirill was born, I haven’t left him for more than a few hours at a time.
Leonid and I didn’t even get a proper honeymoon after our Valentine’s Day wedding, which happened just three weeks after he proposed.
Because my doctor wouldn’t clear me to travel.
They were being cautious with my pregnancy.
After Kirill came, we were too busy settling into being a family, too wrapped up in the newness of everything. This is my first real getaway since then, and I’ve been counting down the days… until now.
Now that it’s actually here, the thought of leaving Kirill, my sweet, stubborn, almost-two-year-old baby, and Alexei, my quiet, wide-eyed boy, feels like someone’s squeezing my heart in a fist.
Leonid comes down the stairs then, dressed in black dress pants and a black shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. He looks unfairly good, like he just stepped out of a magazine, and my stomach does that familiar flip even after all this time.
He stops at the bottom of the stairs, eyes finding mine immediately. “Ready? The jet’s waiting.”
“Yeah.”
He crosses to me in three long strides, hand rising to cup my face. His knuckles brush gently across my cheek, thumb tracing the line of my jaw. “You don’t need to worry,” he says quietly. “The kids will be fine. We’re only gone a few days.”
I glance over his shoulder. Tasha has Kirill on her hip now, bouncing him while he giggles and grabs at her earrings. Mom is right beside them, laughing at something Alexei is saying as they head toward the kitchen.
Leonid follows my gaze. “See? They’ll be fine.”
“Yeah. I’m really looking forward to this trip.”
He smiles, that small one that still makes my knees weak. “Me too. I’ve been looking forward to having you all to myself for days.”
He leans in, nuzzling my neck, lips grazing the sensitive spot just below my ear. Heat flutters low in my belly. “We better get going,” he murmurs. “The pilot’s waiting.”
I turn my face to catch his lips in a quick kiss. “We should say goodbye to the kids first.”
As the jet lifts off, the city shrinking beneath us until it’s just lights and shadows, I turn to Leonid in the plush leather seat beside me.
“Where are we headed?” I ask, already smiling because I know he won’t tell me. I’ve been asking for days.
He leans back, one arm draped along the back of my seat, fingers brushing my shoulder. “You’ll see.”
I roll my eyes. “You know I hate surprises.”
He brings his hand to my face, thumb tracing the line of my jaw. “It’s our second anniversary,” he says softly. “And Valentine’s. I’m taking you somewhere that matters to you.”
My heart skips. “Can you give me a hint?”
He smiles. “Somewhere you’ve always wanted to go.”
I tilt my head, thinking. “Maldives?”
“Another place you want more than there.”
I gasp, bouncing a little in my seat. “The Bahamas?”
He smiles, eyes warm. “The Bahamas.”