Page 56 of Bound For You

I sit down and gently rub the arms as I murmur, “I miss you, Daddy.”

Both girls sniffle before helping me up.

I look around the living area, a large corner sofa sits beneath the window. It matches Dad’s chair. Sergi’s put a large TV on the wall above an electric fireplace, and I smile at the pictures he hung on the wall. They are all of us from over the past year as well as our babies’ scans. They’re arranged beautifully with his mother’s artwork. I head toward the arch to my left which brings me into the dining room, and there’s my mums dining table, with her rug near the open fireplace to my right. I walk over and sob when I see framed pictures of my parents on their wedding day and a few with me. We’re all smiling. Then I see a few pictures of the Volkovs, and one of Juan and Phoebe, making me smile. There’s also a few of a beautiful woman with brown hair and brown eyes.

His mama.

He told me how she died of cancer. It’s how we bonded so quickly.

I turn around and head to the other archway and come into an extremely perfect chef’s dream kitchen. The walls are cream with white swirls, and the floor is tiled with a black andwhite checkered pattern. The cupboards are cream while the countertop is white marble. It’s beautiful. All the appliances are a glossy black. I see two doors to my left and I go to have a look. The first one is the pantry, which is huge, and the second heads to the basement. I head down the stairs and smile at the rainbow colors on the walls. One half of the basement is full of soft play toys, with a soft play climbing frame, and ball pit. The other half has dark hardwood flooring with fifteen comfy chairs, two comfy sofas, a large TV screen on the wall, and there’s a curtain that separates the room to provide darkness for movie enjoyment. I shake my head, fricking Sergi thinks of everything.

I turn and head back up to the kitchen. I look around again to see if I’ve missed something. I turn to the left of the kitchen and see another door and head through it. It’s a large laundry room, with a washer and dryer. There’s a cubed shelving unit on the wall for shoes, and another door that leads to a half-bath. I smile and head to the backyard through the glass sliding door. I open the door and see a playhouse, a jungle gym with a slide, a swing set, and a large pool with a rock water fall on the end. Off to the side is a Jacuzzi, and on the patio is my parents’ patio set.

Tears of happiness spill from my eyes.

I head back the way I came and find both Sofia and Phoebe sitting on the sofa. They smile and nod toward the curved staircase, and I head that way. Pictures of Sergi and I, and our families line the walls of the stairs. I reach the second floor and giggle when I see a pink door and a blue door. I head to the blue door first.

The walls are a light green at the bottom and blue at the top, with white clouds painted over them. The floor is hardwood like the rest of the house. There’s a race car bed with a matching race car rug, blue furniture, plenty of toys, and even a desk next to then open walk-in closet which is full of colorful clothes. Theattached bathroom has dark blue with green towels, and race car tiles around the bathtub.

I grin, shaking my head.

I head to the pink door next and gasp when I step inside. Its fit for a princess. The room is light purple with white clouds stenciled on the walls. There’s a princess bed with a white canopy, and white furniture. Again, the floors are hardwood, with a cloud-shaped rug. There is a desk, and an exceptionally large princess doll house. Next to that is the walk-in closet filled to overflowing with adorable little girl clothes. The attached bathroom is pinks and purples, with white unicorns on the tiles around the tub.

I wipe my tears before leaving her room and heading for the next door. It’s a guest bathroom with a shower and toilet. The walls are light gray, and the floor is heated tiles. Geez, Sergi really thought of everything. I turn and go to the last door on this floor, and take a deep breath. Sergi showed me the pictures, so I know this room is filled with my parents’ guest room furniture. I know he’s put in gray carpet and painted it light blue, just like how it was at their house.

I open the door and tears flood my cheeks. How did he manage this? I wipe my tears as I realize…he really does love me.

After leaving the guest room, I go to the stairs and climb to the third floor. Here there are three doors. I head to the one with clouds painted on it, open it, and smile. The walls are a mix of light blue and pink swirled together. There are two white changing tables and a walk-in closet—one side is blue and the other pink, and both sides are full of baby clothes. I grin through my tears; his mother’s paintings sit between a white and a gray crib. I walk out and head to the other door and open it to see a bathroom that matches the one downstairs, but this one has two baby baths nestled in the larger tub. The shelves are full of baby products and towels.

I go to the last door and open it to see a light gray walls and dark gray carpet. There’s a massive king size bed with an intricate headboard in the middle of the room. Nightstands on either side hold pictures of us and the scans of the babies. There’s a TV that rises up from the end of the bed, a chest for linens at the foot of the bed, and a fireplace on the other end of the wall with a door either side. There’s also a glass double door straight ahead of me.

I go to the first door and open, and it brings me into a beautiful his and hers bathroom. I see a walk-in shower on the left and a Jacuzzi bath on the right, and near the door is a toilet and matching sinks, with a large oval mirror over each one. All of my products from my apartment sit on the counter. I shake my head. I head back into the bedroom and through the other door, and gasp when I walk into a massive closet. It has his and her sides, and all my clothes are already hanging up. I go to the drawers and, yep, my underwear.

I shake my head and smirk. Fricking Sergi. He wasn’t going to take no for an answer, was he?

I go back into our bedroom and head to the glass door; it brings me onto a balcony, where there’s a double swing seat and a fire pit. I smile and look at the view of the woods behind the massive house. Just in the distance, you can see Sofia’s house.

I head back inside and go to the stairs again, heading to the fourth and final floor. There are only two doors up here. I go to the first one and the smell of Sergi hits me instantly.

His office.

There’s a dark wooden desk covered in paperwork and a laptop, with a comfortable chair behind it. My eyes fill brim with tears; it’s my father’s office furniture. The office walls hold shelves with books and more paperwork.

I walk over to his desk—my father’s desk—and I trace my name carved in it, and grin. I was ten when I did this.

When my dad asked why I defiled his expensive desk, I stated, “Because now you have to keep me no matter what.”

My dad just smiled at me and held me tight. I wipe my tears and see Sergi has a picture of me at the Brew Box, smiling, looking down at my bump. I smile, realizing he took it without me knowing. I notice a picture of his mother and Maria smiling together, and I smile wider.

I shake my head and go to the last room and, when I head inside, I instantly melt. Its cozy with light and dark brown decor. Books fill the walls, and a comfy, dark, leather sofa with my mother’s light brown throw sits near the fireplace. Pictures of my parent’s life and Sergi’s mother crown the mantel. I cry when I see the letter Dimitri read for me in a photo frame beside the pictures. I cry my heart out at the love Sergi has shown me, feeling grateful I decided to give him another chance. He’s my everything.

Half an hour later, I go back to the girls. Phoebe stands first and wraps me in her arms as I cry. Sofia joins, kissing my temple.

I break away and rasp, “I just need a minute.”

Phoebe smiles gently and says, “Why don’t you take a walk around the garden, we’ll order take out.”

I nod and smile gratefully, and head back toward the kitchen, then the back door. I spot a flower bed at the bottom of the garden, and head toward it. When I get closer, I smile at the sign: ‘Popov’s Family Garden.’