Page 70 of Possessive Vows

As the workers roll the stairs away from the plane and begin extending the dock for regular passengers to exit the plane into the airport, I send my soldiers into motion with the flick of my fingers.

“Where did you live before?” Maksim asks.

Reluctant to release him when he still clings to her hand, Camilla guides him to her side and angles her body toward the car. He follows as though it’s the most natural thing in the world, ignoring his brother’s glare and listening to Camilla with rapt attention.

I open Camilla’s door. She guides Maksim inside and motions for him to sit in the booster in the middle of the bench but pauses when Artur stomps up to us.

Camilla rises and turns to address him.

“You’re sitting shotgun,” she says.

He furrows his brows in confusion.

“Front passenger seat,” she clarifies.

His eyes widen, and in his excitement, he rushes halfway around the back of the car, leaving Zoya behind, but catches himself at the edge of the far bumper. Zoya shuffles toward me, at a loss with both of her brothers out of sight.

Artur looks over his shoulder at me. I nod. He continues around the car and jumps into the passenger seat as though afraid Camilla will change her mind.

Camilla steps around Zoya, putting her body between my daughter and the rest of the world as luggage carts roll by, and bends down as much as her injuries will allow.

“Hi, Zoya. It’s nice to meet you. Let’s get you to your seat, okay?”

When Zoya leans away from her, Camilla’s sad smile holds a note of understanding.

“You’ll be sitting next to Maksim. Is that okay?”

With a hesitant nod, Zoya shuffles toward the back of the car. Camilla stands and walks beside her with her arms at her sides, letting Zoya move at her own pace.

Halfway around the trunk, Zoya sneaks her tiny hand up and wraps her fist around Camilla’s pinky finger.

Emotions clog my throat. I follow behind them, ensuring no one attacks the most precious ladies in my life while they’re out in the open.

Camilla opens the door and seems uncertain for a moment.

“Can I pick you up or do you want to climb in yourself?” she asks.

I pause. Has anyone ever asked Zoya’s permission before they touched her or spoken to her as though she has a right to her own opinions? Zoya was only two when she lost her mother. She must have been so lost, especially since her brothers kept scaring away her nannies. She never had time to trust another adult again, but toddlers require so much physical interaction. It’s no wonder she sucks her thumb and clings to her stuffed animal.

My daughter stares up at my wife with heartbreakingly beautiful eyes.

Is Camilla the first person to show her respect?

My heart aches.

When Zoya releases Camilla’s finger and offers her the stuffed animal she holds most dear, Maksim freezes with his hand on the center console vent and stares in shock.

Camilla takes the stuffed animal and settles it in the crook of her arm as though it’s a baby and stoops down to catch Zoya in case she slips.

Maksim taps Artur on the shoulder and gestures toward Camilla. When Artur cranes his neck and looks around the back of his seat, his scowl morphs into an expression of surprise.

My daughter grabs the edge of her seat and lifts her foot onto the wheel well and tries to hoist herself up but nearly loses her balance. Camilla settles her hand on her back and saves her from meeting the concrete.

“Maybe if you take your thumb out of your mouth? Just to climb up,” Camilla says.

To my shock, Zoya follows her suggestion and climbs into her seat with growing confidence. Camilla praises her, leans into the car, and lifts the strap near the hand Zoya usually sucks the thumb of. My daughter threads her arm through and repeats the motion on the other side without prompting. As Zoya sticks her thumb back in her mouth, Camilla places the stuffed animal in her lap and fastens the buckle with only a little fumbling. After tightening the straps and checking Zoya’s comfort and safety, Camilla braces her hands on the side of the car seat and smiles down at my daughter.

“We did it! Thank you for making my first time so easy. You did such a good job climbing in. Want to try climbing out when we get there?”

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