Sacha, who could see her through the reflection in the kitchen window, turned from where snow was pelting the glass from the force of the winds. She looked at the clock on the far wall. She’d never heard it tick, she thought with a frown as she placed the basket of bread in the center of the table and went back to finish chopping the salad.
“It’s the fumes she’s putting off,” Nika said, pointing her handful of cutlery at Eva. “They’re affecting everyone. Vincente is driving me crazy.”
“Gabriel said he was dead set against having kids until you came along.” Eva placed the last of the glasses around the table and went back to claim the chair in front of Lekzi, who was in her highchair playing more with her small squares of cheese than eating them. “Has he told you he only wants a boy?”
Nika’s brows pinched together. “No. He didn’t have to tell me that. I’ve had pregnancy nightmares where I go for an ultrasound, and the doctor tells me I’m having triplets; all girls. Can you imagine?” She sifted her fingers through Lekzi’s hair on her way by. “Are you really thinking of having another one?” she asked Sydney.
“Maksim and I haven’t talked about it yet, but I’m seriously considering bringing it up the next time he seems receptive. Or we could just find Jak a woman to knock up, and he can give me back the two children I already have.”
Eva came over and put a few pieces of banana on a plate to bring back to the baby. “Gabriel said he hasn’t seen Jak so normal since he came back from Afghanistan. He says being around the kids is doing his veteran a world of good.”
“Is there anything your husband doesn’t talk to you about?” Nika grumped as she walked by with two pitchers of ice water.
“Yes. Plenty.”
“Speaking of talking,” Sydney said as she sidled up next to Sacha and bumped hips with her. “The girls and I are dying to stick our noses into your business.” She pulled over the colorful fruit tray she was preparing and continued with her work; slicing strawberries now.
“Sydney…” Eva turned from the quiet conversation she’d been having with Lekzi.
At the same time, Nika, who’d taken up her spoons and knives again, murmured, “She’s in a good mood. I don’t think now’s the time…”
The Australian gaped at them. “Weren’t you the ones who were saying we had to get her to open up soon because the not knowing was annoying?”
Nika turned away. “Yeah, but…”
Eva blushed. “Well, yeah. But, listen, Sacha, we really are dying to know why you kept this sweet peanut a secret. But if you’re not comfortable talking to us about it, please don’t feel obligated. We’ll understand.”
Even though her tone was light, Sacha could see it was more than curiosity that had Eva asking after her cousin’s daughter. Sacha was pretty sure there was a protective element to the inquiry. As she glanced at the door, wishing Alekzander would come prowling in, Sydney surprised Sacha by sharing first.
“You probably think I’m obnoxious the way I’ve been acting so familiar with you. I’m not really. It’s just that I feel a connection because, um, our stories are so similar. You know?” She flashed her pearly smile and looked as uncomfortable as Sacha had ever seen her. “I, uh, understand what you went through better than you think.” She picked out a strip of cucumber peel that went in with the slices Sacha had just tossed in the bowl. That drew Sacha’s eye to her lovely manicure, and the even lovelier diamond on her ring finger.
As Sydney continued to talk, she used one of Sacha’s tricks and hid behind her hair as she finished preparing her fruit tray. “Andrew has never known his father. The last time I spoke to Colin, I was seventeen and standing on his front stoop, humiliated, scared, and furious because he was shoving money at me to have an abortion. Your dad tried messing with my head about that, by the way,” she said to Eva. “Used his experience with you to plant the seed that I might have made a mistake keeping Andrew away from his father. It got to me, and—Maksim would probably kill me if he knew—but I got on one of his computers just to see where Colin had ended up. I’m proud to say my instincts were dead-on. Six years ago, a thrice divorced Colin was charged with embezzlement and sentenced to four years in prison and one-year house arrest. Apparently, he didn’t understand that house arrest also meant he wasn’t allowed to leave the country, because he was caught on a fishing boat headed for Japan, carrying enough cash to solve the mystery as to where the embezzled funds had ended up. He won’t be out again for a few years.”