Red Reaper - Soldiers of Fortune [book one]

Chapter SIXTY NINE

THE EPILOUGE

Lucky Ivanov

... a few years later ...

Crouched in the powdery ankle deep snow, I squint through the viewfinder of my vintage camera, aligning the vivid crimson splash of colour that stands out against the crystal white backdrop into balance.. Adjusting the focus to soften the landscape and bring a nearby branch into focus beneath the glowing golden hour sunset, I hold my breath to steady myself..

-CLICK-

I manage to capture a perfect shot of the tiny Northern Cardinal before he takes flight, his feathers fluffed and his wings beating fast, carrying him up into the tops of the tall pines that line the boundary of the backyard..

God, I love it out here..

The whisper of the wind as it rustles through the leavesz the scent of pine needles and freshly fallen snow, the chirp of merry songbirds and the warm sun on my skin..

It's so tranquil.. So serene..

Everything in Roan is blanketed in a pristine winter white and is as peaceful as heaven.. There is nowhere else I'd rather be, no place that has felt more like home and no matter how many years pass, I never get tired of the natural beauty that our big sky county offers..

I like that our nearest neighbours are a good ten minute drive south and that everybody knows everybody in town.. I like that the wifi is slow and spotty, allowing for more family time with fewer interruptions.. And I like that out here, the air is clear and the trees are giants.. Everything about my home is perfect.. Actually, everything about my life is perfect..

"Maaaaamaaa!" A familiar squeal of unbridled joy has me turning in my boots to see my sweet-faced son, running full speed towards me.. Waddling through the sleet in his bright yellow gumboots, he is followed by my lumbering bear of a husband who chases after him brandishing a tiny red winter coat..

Konstantin calls out to the wild child to return for his jacket, not that the kid listens.. "Anatoly! Vernis' syuda!"

Anatoly Konstantinovich Ivanov, is the spitting image of his father.. With glossy ebony hair and eyes as amber as sweet tea, he is the most beautiful child ever born.. His nature is inquisitive, playful and kind and when he smiles, it is all I can do to keep my heart from exploding in my chest.. The love I feel for him is an impossible amount, more than anything I thought possible before holding him in my arms for the first time.. And soon, I will feel that love all over again..

"Privet', my sweet little sunrise!" I croon as Anatoly reaches my feet, extending his short arms upward in desperation for my embrace.. I sling my camera over my shoulder before I lean down to scoop him up, hefting his weight to my right hip with a huff and a puff of fog rising from my lips as I speak.. "You have to wear your coat outside, Anatoly, you know that.. Daddy can't be chasing you through the snow! He's much too old!"