Dangerous Husbands, Broken Wives [18+]

FORTY FIVE: SAY SOMETHING

[ANASTASIA]

"Tatiana. Ivan. Come on. Time for bed."

"Nooooo." Tati whines, hugging the blonde-haired doll close to her chest. "Mommy, can't we play a little longer? Pretty please?"

I give her a gentle smile, appreciating her adorable attempt to delay bedtime. "Sweetheart, it's already late, and you need a good night's sleep. We can play more tomorrow, I promise. Now, say goodnight to your dolls and let's get you tucked in."

Tati pouts but eventually relents, placing the doll on the small table next to her bed. "Okay, Mommy. But tomorrow, we play a lot, okay?"

"Deal," I agree, ruffling her hair. I turn my attention to Junior, who has been glued to the video game he bought from the mall since the moment he got his hands on it. Boys and their games. Huh.

"Hey, same goes for you, buddy," I call, trying to get his attention away from the screen. "It's bedtime, baby. You can continue your game tomorrow."

He grumbles but saves his progress and turns off the console. "Fiiiiinnne." He rolls his eyes, before lazily pushing himself off the chair and heading for the bed. "Mom?"

"Yes," I stash the last of Tati's toys into the small storage box before turning to face him. "What... what's up?"

"Ah, nothing much. I was just..." He slips under the comforter and fluffs his hands around. "When can we go to school, Mom? You promised I wouldn't have to miss another year."

My chest tightens at the promise I made to both of my kids. I've been homeschooling them because I couldn't be sure that any place would be a safe haven for us. Sending them to regular schools would have made it way too easy for them to attract all kinds of attention, including from Ivan and his enemies. I couldn't risk that, now could I?

I remind myself that it's one of the conversations I still need to have with Ivan. I made a promise to my kids, and now that I've taken the first step to compromise with Ivan and his useless attempts to make things normal between us, I'd rather use the opportunity to secure a better future for them. I'm still not convinced that Tati and Junior could actually ever have a safe future in this world of crime, but beggars can't be choosers, can they?

At least, not until I find another way to take them away from here. Ivan has tripled the security from the last time, from as far as I can tell. It would be impossible for me to escape without getting a head start. And I need that head start to assure myself that life without Ivan's constant chase is truly possible.

I walk over to Junior's bed and sit facing him. "You think I forgot about it, don't you?"

Even though he tries to hide it, disappointment shines bright in his eyes. My heart aches because somehow I know in my heart that I have failed my kids. I want everything best for them but I can't even send them to school. I shouldn't be surprised if they hate me for this.

I move closer, wrapping my arms around him, giving him a gentle hug and a kiss on the top of his head. "Tomorrow," I assure him, wiping away the tears before pulling back. "I'll have good news for you tomorrow. I promise."

His eyes light up. "Really?"

"Absolutely."

"Cool." He grins, suddenly hugging me back. "Thanks, Mom. You're the best."

I hug him back. "No, you're the best, kiddo. Every mom wishes for a son as understanding as you, trust me."

I step out of the kids' room and head down to the kitchen. I don't even know what I could possibly do here. I already had dinner with the kids, and the maids left nothing to clean.