Moving from Chicago to New York as a single mother, hoping that your new business does well, is scary. But what happens when you find out your best friends new husband is the leader of something even scarier, and the only person who seems to give yo...
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My knee bounces up and down and I'm gripping Mikhail's hand tightly as we wait in the waiting room.
Asteria sits at my feet playing with her favorite doll, the one Charlie got her. She is wearing her purple headphones to block out the noise of the other children playing in the waiting area.
Mikhail places the hand I'm not squeezing to death onto my leg, attempting to stop it from shaking.
I'm about to say something to him but one of the nurses interrupts me.
"Asteria?" She calls as she walks into the room.
Asteria stands up and holds her arms out to me, her bottoms lip is shaking, telling me she is about to cry.
"o, paschalítsa." I pick her up from under the armpits and place her on my hip. "Remember we are just here to talk."
She grips my shirt in a tight fist and Mikhail intertwines his hand with mine. The three of us follow the nurse into the doctors office and she has us once again wait for the doctor.
I rock Asteria back and forth in my lap, cupping the back of her head with my hand. She sniffles and plays with my necklace.
"Krolik." Mikhail leans close to Asteria and whispers in her ear. "Can I tell you something?"
Asteria opens one eye to look at him and quickly shuts it.
"I'm going to take that as a yes." Mikhail says, "I'm going to tell you a secret okay? And you can't tell anyone, it's embarrassing." Asteria perks up at that.
"I used to be terrified of the doctors. So much so that my dad would have to drag me into the room." I smile as I hear what he is saying. Never in my life could I picture Mikhail being so scared that he has to get dragged into the room by his father.
"But when I was 17 I realized that I had nothing to be worried about, because doctors are there to help you, not hurt you. Sure some of the things they do are scary, but so many things in life are scary, and I promise you that for as long as I live I will protect you from anything scary. Even the doctors, until you realize that they just want to help you." He tucks a strand of hair behind her ear and wipes away he tears. "You hear me? I won't let anything to happen to you. As long as I'm here, you are safe."
Asteria stares at him and she hesitated before she jumps out of my arms and into his.
"You promise?" She asks him.
"I pinky promise." I watch with a smile on my face as he loops his pinky with hers.
A knock on the door causes Asteria to flinch and curl into Mikhails chest. He is quick to move his hand to her back and slowly starts to rub small circles across it.
The doctor pokes his head around the corner and smiles at the three of us.
"Hello, everybody." He pumps some hand sanitizer into his hand and rubs it in as he sits down behind his desk. "Hello, Asteria, I'm Dr. Cole." He leans forward on his desk and attempts to get eye level with her.
