God, this woman has the patience of a saint.
I’ve never been around kids. I was barely a kid myself. Something about his innocence, his pursed lips, the seriousness on his face… it makes a dormant part of me stir. I shake it off and leave them behind.
Stella is waiting in the entryway. “Mr. Novikov.” Fifteen years of service to our family and Stella still bows deeply when she greets me. I asked her once why she always bows and she said that every time she sees me, she realizes she could be looking at Trofim instead. It leaves her overflowing with gratitude.
“I’m leaving them to you, Stella. Get them settled and give them whatever they need.”
“We weren’t expecting guests, so the guest wing hasn’t been aired out yet. I can have the maids speed up the process if you—”
“They’ll stay in t
