10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Talia

"Oooooh, not again…." I make it to the bathroom in the nick of time to deal with another bout of morning sickness. The sun is barely up, and I want to crawl back into bed. Pulling myself off the floor, I examine my reflection in the mirror. I'm not winning any beauty contests today. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, I splash cool water on my face and then search the cabinets for a toothbrush and toothpaste. Hitting the jackpot, I brush the sour taste out of my mouth and return to the bedroom.

Spotting a note on the nightstand next to the bed, I pick it up, admiring the neat handwriting. It reads, ‘The closet has been filled with clothes in your size. Please feel free to freshen up.' Thank goodness! I can't imagine walking around smelling like vomit all day. It's difficult enough trying to hide my pregnancy.

The walk-in closet is bigger than Sandy's entire apartment. I'm in awe of all the beautiful clothing. Evening gowns and dresses hang on the left side. Blouses, tops, and slacks hang on the right. Straight ahead are rows and rows of gorgeous shoes. I pick up a pair of black strappy heels and turn them over to marvel at the red bottoms. Holy shit. These heels cost more than the monthly rent on the apartment. Carefully placing them back on the shelf, I browse the clothing options, selecting a cotton pink v-neck top and a pair of casual cream slacks. Everything fits perfectly except for one teeny tiny problem. I can't button the slacks. My little baby bump is preventing me from closing them, no matter how much I try to suck in my belly. Putting the slacks back, I opt for cream stretch leggings. Cute cream ballet flats finish the ensemble.

As I leave the closet, I hear knocking on the bedroom door. A muscular man with a scar on his right cheek unlocks the door and opens it slightly. "Miss, are you decent?" he calls out in a thick Russian accent.

"Yes, please come in. Hi, I'm Talia." I hold my hand out for him to shake, but he just stares at it.

"I am Nikolai. You come, I take you to breakfast." He gestures toward the door, and I obey.

He leads me down the long hallway to the grand staircase and into the kitchen. Abram is speaking with the chef, and I see an older woman and two young children sitting at the table. The little girl has long blonde hair and green eyes, and the boy has raven-colored hair and the same ice-blue eyes as Aleksandr.

"You're pretty," the little girl says, jumping up from her seat to greet me. "What's your name?" she asks, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

Before I can answer, the older woman scolds the girl. "Sasha, where are your manners? Sit down and finish your breakfast." She guides the girl back to the table and then faces me. "I am Olga Popov, the children's nanny. This is Sasha and Maxim. Will you join us for breakfast?" She motions to an empty chair at the table.

"Thank you." I sit in the empty chair across from the boy, Maxim. "Hello," I greet.

Narrowing his eyes, he looks me over before deciding to reply. "Hi. Are you a friend of Uncle's?" he asks while scooping scrambled eggs into his mouth?

"Oh, um…yes, I am." I give him a tight smile, wondering if these children belong to Aleksandr's brother, Mikhail. "Are you visiting your uncle today?"

"No, silly!" Sasha giggles. "We live here."

"Oh, how nice. Do your parents live here too?"

"Mama died," Maxim replied. "And Otets lives in a different house." He scoops another forkful of eggs into his mouth, washing it down with a gulp of juice.

"Mama was sick. I don't remember much about her because I was too little when it happened." Sasha pushes eggs around her plate while munching on a strawberry.

"The children have lived here for two years," Olga chimes in. "Mr. Avilov is a very generous man."

Giving her a small smile, I turn to look at Sasha. "I'm so sorry about your mother. I lost my mother when I was little, too." Without realizing it, I begin rubbing circles around my wrist tattoo, thinking about my parents. The only thing I have left of them is an old photo. "You know, Maxim, you have the same color eyes as your uncle," I remark.

"I know," he smiles. "Otets has the same color eyes, too." He hands his empty plate to Abram, who puts another scoop of eggs on it. His eyes light up with excitement when Abram returns the plate with more eggs and potatoes. "Thanks, Abram!"

Directing my attention to Nikolai, I see him standing in the kitchen corner, drinking coffee, but his eyes are glued to me. Clearing my throat nervously, I glance out the window, admiring the meticulously manicured garden.

"For you, Miss Talia," Abram says, sliding a plate of scrambled eggs and potatoes before me. Without warning, my stomach flips, making me feel like I'm going to be sick. "Are you alright?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine. My stomach still feels a little off, though." I push the plate to the side to avoid throwing up on it. "Do you have any ginger ale?" I ask hopefully.

"Of course, I'll bring it right away." Abram disappears into a walk-in pantry, allowing me to ask the children more about their father.

"Is your father's name Maxim, too?" I look directly at Maxim, hoping their father isn't Mikhail. It would be terrible to be orphaned at such a young age. I know all about that kind of life.

"No, his name is Mikhail. And Mama's name was Anya." Finishing the last forkful of eggs, he pushes his plate aside and picks up his electronic game.

My heart sinks thinking about Mikhail. It's clear they don't know their father is dead, and I'm not about to tell them. I gaze out the window, listening to Olga and Sasha talk about swimming in the pool today.

"Miss Talia." Abram puts a crystal glass in front of me filled to the brim with ginger ale. "May I get you some toast or crackers?"

"Crackers would be wonderful. Thank you so much." I take a few sips of the bubbly soda, hoping it settles my stomach. At almost eight weeks pregnant, the morning sickness has turned into morning, afternoon, and night sickness. In between the nausea, I've been having weird cravings, like pickles and ice cream or bowls of sauerkraut. Abram places a plate of saltine crackers in front of me.

Sasha finishes her breakfast and gives me a big smile. "We're going swimming today!" she announces.

"After your lessons," Olga insists.

"Do you want to swim with us? Uncle makes the pool hot so we can swim even when it's cold outside." Clasping her hands in front of her, she sways back and forth, anxiously waiting for my response. Olga nods her head, indicating her approval of joining them.

"Thank you for inviting me," I answer, nibbling on the crackers.

"Okay!" Sasha beams. "Nanny Olga, may we show Talia the pool? And can we show her the library and the theater, too?"

" Da, " Olga agreed. "We'll give Talia a tour of the mansion. We go now."

Leaving the crackers on the table, I follow Olga, Sasha, and Maxim out of the kitchen. Nikolai trails behind, giving us some space but watching over us at the same time.

The tour of the mansion begins with the grand library, an immense chamber lined with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves filled with leather-bound books. As impressive as it is, my eyes drift to the corner of the library to what appeared to be a children's area. An alphabet-patterned rug was surrounded by brightly colored books lined up like soldiers on low shelves. Plush toys were scattered around, some sitting in children-sized chairs, some lying on the rug. An oversized bean bag chair and a low table completed the area.

Sasha led me to the children's corner, picking a book off the shelf and plopping down on the bean bag chair. "This is my favorite place in the library," she announced. "Uncle had it made just for me." She smiled proudly with her arms spread wide.

"It's lovely." I sat in one of the little chairs, feeling like a giant. "Is this also your favorite place, Maxim?"

Maxim snorted, rolling his eyes. " My favorite place is the theater room. It's awesome playing my racing games on the big screen."

Sasha jumped up from the bean bag chair, grabbing my hand, and pulling me out of the tiny chair. "Come on! Let's go see the theater!"

Olga held back a laugh at Sasha's enthusiasm. Nikolai, who was stone-faced, softened a bit when Sasha flashed him a toothy grin. Sasha led the way to the lavish theater room, where plush red velvet seats lined tiered rows facing a massive screen. A popcorn cart, slushie machine, and candy counter were just a few splendid complements to the cozy seats.

Sasha and Maxim described their favorite movie nights as we explored the theater room. Even Olga chimed in with a short narration of one of her favorite movies. At this moment, my heart felt full watching the bond between the children and Olga.

"Children, let's show Talia the gardens, and then it will be time for your studies." Olga ushered the children out of the theater, down the long hallway, and out the glass doors into the immaculately manicured gardens of the Avilov estate.

Blinking against the sun's brightness, my eyes gradually adjusted to the opulent surroundings. Sasha and Maxim walked with me, pointing to tall hedges ahead. "What is that?" I asked, squinting to see better.

"It's a maze," Maxim stated casually.

"A really cool maze!" Sasha jumped up and down in place, barely able to contain her excitement. "Nanny Olga, may we go in?"

Olga glanced at Nikolai, who nodded in approval. He took a seat in an ornate garden chair under a blue umbrella. At the same time, the children, Olga and I, embarked on our journey through the labyrinthine maze. Giant hedges loomed overhead, casting shadows on the ground below. The children guided us through the maze's twists and turns, their laughter filling the cool air.

At last, we emerged into a small clearing at the heart of the maze, where a marble fountain stood surrounded by vibrant colored flowers and lush greenery. The fragrant scent of the blossoms filled my nose as I marveled at the fountain.

"This is beautiful," I whispered.

Sasha beamed with delight. "It's our secret place. No one else knows about it."

Maxim nodded, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Except Olga, of course."

Olga chuckled softly, her gaze softening as she watched the children revel in their secret haven. "Yes, except Olga. Now it is time for your studies."

"Oh man," Sasha pouted, kicking the grass softly with her foot.

"I think today we will study outside," Olga announced.

"Yay!!" Sasha cheered.

"Cool! Let's get our books, Sasha." In a flash, they were off running.

"That was very nice of you. How long have you been their nanny?" I asked as we began winding our way through the maze.

"Mr. Avilov hired me two years ago after Anya died. Their father could not care for them, so Mr. Avilov brought them to live with him. They are wonderful children."

Olga leads me out of the maze. Nikolai stands when he sees us. "The children are getting their books."

"Yes, thank you, Nikolai." Olga sits at the table under the blue umbrella. "You are welcome to stay with us while the children work." She gestures to the empty chair next to her.

Since I don't have anywhere else to go, I accept the invitation. If I have to be a prisoner, I might as well enjoy the estate as much as I can.