The Secrets of Darkling Manor

Eight: Alina Starkov

They had breakfast together after the doctor's office. Her head was hurting a little, but it did cease when she ate her meal. Alina shook her head, trying to clear it.

"Alina?" Aleksander asked, reaching out and squeezing her hand. "Are you alright?"

"Sorry," she said, "it's the headache. I still have one."

"Do you need to take your medication?"

She shook her head. "I'm not supposed to take it until night."

"Well, we'll finish eating and then we'll get you home. You can rest in the car, alright?"

She smiled up at him. "Alright. You know.... I could get used to this."

"Get used to what?" he asked.

"Someone taking care of me. You, taking care of me. I've never had that before. I've always been alone."

"Well, get used to it," he said, "because I'm here, Alina. And I'm not going anywhere. Are you done with your pancakes?"

"I'm done," she said, "they were lovely. Thank you."

"Good. Come on. Let's get you home."

They drove home together. Aleksander put on the radio. The oldies station. Some woman crooned to a sweepy, jazzy ballad that Alina had never heard before. It was a Spring morning, and though there was a chill in the air, it was still sunny out. As Aleksander drove, he reached out and placed his hand on her thigh.

Alina smiled over at him. "What are you doing, you devious man? You should be driving. Eyes on the road."

"I've got my eyes on the road," he said, "but I have my hand on my lovely wife's thigh."

She laughed. "Was this what caused the first car wreck?"

"Yes," he said quickly, "I was focusing on you, my lovely wife, who I cannot keep my hands off of because she's so fucking beautiful. There was a deer in the road. I swerved to try to avoid it."

"Did you?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered.

"I don't remember. I keep on seeing flashes of things that I think were real but I don't know what's real anymore."

"Honey, last night you woke up screaming because you thought that there was a ghosts finger touching you. You just had a concussion. Things are bound to be fuzzy for a while. But you've got your prescription, you'll rest up, and things will be back to normal."

Alina glanced over at him. "What's normal?" she asked. "I wasn't married to you before all of this. I don't know what normal looks like being married to you."

He took a deep breath, and squeezed her thigh making her shiver. "Normal is me loving you every day, trying to make the best life for you, me and Genya."

"And Genya----whose daughter is she, again?"

"My business partners," he explained, "Harshaw Safin. We were roommates in college. Harshaw designed all of the apps that my company sells, but he died in an accident. Him and his wife, and they left me Genya."

"There's no family left for her?"

Aleksander shook his head. "There's an uncle, but there have been some scandals involving him and it was deemed unfit for Genya to be there. He's still trying to contest the adoption though. Thought it was more dangerous for Genya to live with me."

Alina frowned. "Why?"

Aleksander coughed. "Because I'm not blood related."

"Oh," she said.

"They tried to make it into something depraved. But Genya is my daughter. I was there when she was born, I was there for most of her birthdays. I was friends with both her mother and father. When they died, it was in Harshaw's will that I take her in and it just seemed....natural. Of course, then I stupidly fell for the nanny I hired for her who was also going to tutor her too..."

Alina smiled. "Don't even think about looking for anyone else. Genya is our family. If you love her, I love her. And I'll still do my job. Although, it would be a little dirty if you paid me money now."

"Perhaps," said Aleksander, "but I can pay you in other ways that I think are going to be much more entertaining for the both of us."

"I like the sound of that," said Alina.

They stopped at a stoplight abruptly. Alina jerked back a bit, and as she did she saw flashes. A train station, her walking on a road she didn't know, a black Porsche.....

"Oh, Christ. I'm sorry honey. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she said with a smile, trying to ignore the memories that didn't make sense to her at all. "But you know, I think I'm going to rest for the rest of the drive home. Is that alright?"

"Of course," he said, "I've got the music to keep me awake on the drive. You rest."

She closed her eyes, but the images kept on flashing through her mind. It didn't make sense. She had never been hit by a car. Why was she seeing those things? Everything was cloudy. She couldn't even remember her own engagement, or her own wedding. It hurt a little, not being able to remember. Aleksander Morozova was a wonderful man, she was sure, and she wanted to remember every part of her life with him.

Perhaps, if she rested, she could bring back the memories that she had forgotten.