Page 22 of Scarred Temptation
But maybe telling.
I had just enough time to set the glass on my desk and kneel before Mina came bounding into my office. She flew into my arms, wrapping her small arms around my neck as I hugged her tightly and stood.
“Moy ideal’nyy angel, moya yarkaya raduga.”
She pulled away, pushing her hands against my chest. “Papa. How can I be your perfect angel and a colorful rainbow at the same time?”
Svetlana lingered in the doorway, her heavy expression of concern also one of condemnation. She’d been with me since soon after the accident upon Roman’s insistence. Her assistance had been tremendous even though I’d fought her arrival. Being much older, she was the kind grandmother my daughter needed since she’d never met any other blood relatives.
“Aren’t you a mermaid?” I noticed she had her sketchpad in her hand, which she almost always did. My little girl would become a famous artist one day.
Her brow wrinkled as she thought about my question. She’d certainly obtained both her high level of intelligence and her beauty from her mother and not from me.
Every question was thoroughly mulled over in her mind or presented even more very logical questions. “Mermaids don’t exist, Papa. But angels and rainbows do. I still don’t know how I can be both.”
“Well… Why don’t we just say you’re a colorful angel? Is that alright?” As I waited for her answer, I nodded to Svetlana. Not every conversation held with my daughter needed to be done with her holding my hand.
I’d worked through my extremely volatile behaviors.
“Okay. That works.”
I lowered Mina to the floor, peering down at her. “What do you have there?”
Before she answered, she moved to one of my deck chairs, climbing onto the seat all by herself. Daring to even offer to help was no longer allowed.
“A picture of my new friend and the dog I want.”
As she handed me the sketchpad, she peered at me with her intense blue eyes, one attribute she’d gotten from me, her mother’s being almost violet.
“He could keep me safe when you or Uncle Roman aren’t around.”
Safe. A dog?
She was turning into a little adult before my eyes, her vocabulary rivaling that of any adult.
I moved to the edge of the desk, sitting down. “Owning an animal is a huge responsibility. You need to walk and feed them, play with them and clean up after them. They’re not like your dolls that you can leave on a shelf.”
“I know, Papa. They’re all furry and cuddly and need lots and lots of attention.” Her eyes dropped to my arm, the intricate tattoo in full display given I was wearing a tee shirt. As she’d done hundreds of times, she traced the outside lines of the snake, her pinky always ending with circling the venomous viper’s eyes. “Fred is angry today.”
“Fred?”
She nodded profusely. My child named everything, a reminder she’d always wanted a pet.
“Yes, Fred isn’t his usual happy self,” I told her. “But he’ll be fine.”
At least I was rewarded with a giggle, which instantly warmed my heart. Unfortunately given the circumstances, I felt no relief, only anger at whoever dared interrupt her innocence. She stuck out the picture for me to critique, shoving aside the vile thoughts.
The picture she’d drawn was of a woman and she was holding the hand of a little girl, which I assumed was Mina since she’d also managed to draw a stunning picture of a puppy. Somehow, my daughter was growing up in front of my eyes. “Did one of your teachers suggest you needed a dog?”
“Nope. Izzy did.”
My nerves were suddenly on edge. “Who’s Izzy?”
“She was in the park today by the fountain. She gave me money to make a wish.”
I held my breath. The woman she was talking about must be the one who’d helped save her from being abducted. The last thing I wanted to do was to react and scare her to death. My daughter was also very perceptive to my moods. “A wish, huh?”
“Yes. But I can’t tell you or it won’t come true. That’s what Izzy told me. But it does have a furry tail.” She slapped her hand over her mouth, her little eyes opening wide.
