The Thistles of Rose

16 • Supportive

Despite the room we're staying in being decorated in a serene, sea-blue, my sleep was broken last night.

I tried not to toss and turn as much because I didn't want to disturb Luca.

Whenever I closed my eyes all I could see was my son's blood on my hand. I didn't even get to see him. I didn't get to hold him. And those thoughts keep haunting me.

"What you thinking about?" Luca hauls me out of my thoughts. I'm sitting in front of him on the bed as he braids my hair into one plait.

Quickly, my eyes search the room and I conduct a response, "the room. It's really pretty. I like the decor."

Sea-blue and grey engulf the room. Two crystal chandeliers hang from the ceiling. An abstract portrait of the sea is mounted on the wall. In front are suede couches of light grey and dusky blue lined in a circle on top of a grey rug and mahogany coffee table.

"Is it something you'd like in our house?" He queries and tugs on my hair a little.

I furrow my eyebrows in thought and admit, "I think so. I love the dark theme, but black as the main colour sometimes gets too dark. I think we need to add some white or grey. It would look nice."

He ties the end of my hair and engulfs me from behind like a giant, warm blanket. I relax back into him as he rests his chin on my shoulder and snakes his arms around my waist.

"You're right. I don't plan on killing anyone else in our house," he chuckles and I feel it reverberating against my body. I roll my eyes at him, hiding a laugh.

Slowly, the bedroom door opens. No movement follows. Confused, Luca and I glance at one another. His hold on me tightens, protectively.

He lets one hand go as it pulls open the top drawer of the bedside table. Cunningly, his eyes slide between the undisturbed door and the gun in the drawer. His hand inches towards it with each silent second that passes.

That is until Maxim's small body enters the room and Luca sags in relief. He shuts the drawer closed and I feel the rapid thumping of his heart.

He most definitively got flashbacks to when the burglars broke in and murdered his mom.

"It's just Maxim," I say aloud, running my hand over his. He exhales and buries his nose in my hair, pressing a deep kiss on the top of my head.

Maxim looks confused for a second as his eyes search the large room. They brighten when he spots me and totters over, shouting, "Roro!"

Yeah, he knows how to say my name. It's adorable.

"Hi Max," I smile vivaciously at the toddler and help him up onto the bed.

He holds up the small, cream bear to my face and waves it around, excitedly. Max jabbers half-spoken words but I manage to understand that he wants to give the toy to me.

"Is this for me?" I ask and he nods his head, handing it over, "thank you."

"Stop flirting with my girl. She's taken," Luca grumbles at him and I sigh.

Max ignores him and crawls over to me. He places his small hands around Luca's arm and tries to pry them off my waist.

"Hey, she's going to be my wife," Luca picks Max's hands off of his arm.

Max bursts into his adorable laughter again. His eyes gleam, his smile widens and my heart swoons at how loveable he is.

"I don't know why you find this funny, little Orlov. Come near her again and you watch," Luca narrows his eyes at him and Max falls back on the bed as his laughter gains.