Page 12 of Salvation

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

His fingers brushed mine on the handle of the wooden spoon, a touch so brief it could have been accidental. But when I looked up, the intensity in his eyes told me nothing about it had been accidental at all.

“Later,” he murmured, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “We need to talk.”

It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway, a mix of anticipation and terror swirling in my chest. Later. When we were alone again. When there would be no interruptions.

The thought made me tremble.

Chapter Three

Salvation

I gripped the steering wheel tighter as we approached the county fairgrounds, the words I hadn’t said to Yulia still burning in my throat days after our moment in the kitchen. We hadn’t found time to be alone since Clover interrupted us -- or maybe we were both avoiding it. Either way, the tension between us had only grown, crackling like electricity whenever our gazes met across rooms. Now, confined in the cab of my truck with Yulia beside me and Clover chattering excitedly from the back seat, I felt like a live wire about to spark.

“Dad, you passed it!” Clover leaned forward, jabbing her finger toward a dirt lot already filling with cars. “The entrance is right there.”

I grunted, checking my mirrors before making a sharp turn. “Saw it.”

Yulia’s hand braced against the dashboard at the sudden movement. Her sleeve rode up, revealing the faint silver scars on her wrist -- a reminder of how we’d met, of how far she’d come. She caught me looking and tugged her sleeve down, a flush creeping up her neck.

“Sorry,” I muttered, swinging into the makeshift parking lot. “Wasn’t paying attention.”

“It’s okay,” she said softly. Her accent, which always seemed stronger when her emotions ran high, still got to me even after eleven years.

I found a spot near the back of the lot and killed the engine. Families streamed past us toward the fairground entrance, children tugging at parents’ hands, teenagers laughing in clusters. Normal people living normal lives. Sometimes I forgot what that looked like.

“Can we go now?” Clover was already halfway out the door, practically vibrating with impatience.

“Hold up,” I said, pocketing my keys. “We stick together. Fair’s gonna be packed.”

Clover rolled her eyes but waited, bouncing on her toes as Yulia and I exited the truck. I locked it, then hesitated, unsure where to position myself as we walked. Yulia solved the problem, falling into step on my left while Clover took my right. The space between Yulia and me felt charged, too wide and too narrow all at once.

The fairgrounds burst with noise and color, an assault on the senses after the relative quiet of the compound. Carnival rides whirled against the clear sky. Game booths lined the paths, barkers calling out to passersby, stuffed animals dangling from overhead hooks. The scent of frying dough, sugar, and grilled meat hung thick in the air.

“Look!” Clover pointed toward a towering roller coaster, its track twisting like a metal serpent. “Can we ride that one first?”

My stomach knotted at the thought. “How about we start with something that won’t make me puke?”

Yulia laughed, the sound unexpectedly bright. She quickly covered her mouth, but her eyes crinkled at the corners. Something warm unfurled in my chest.

“Sorry,” she said, tucking a strand of dark honey hair behind her ear. The simple gesture drew my attention to the delicate curve of her jaw, the soft skin of her neck. “I just pictured you, big scary biker, afraid of a carnival ride.”

“Not afraid,” I corrected, the corner of my mouth twitching. “Just practical.”

Clover groaned. “You’re both so boring. Fine, let’s do the Ferris wheel first. Even old people like that one.”

“Old?” I reached for her, but she danced away, laughing.

“You heard me, Dad.”

I shook my head, unable to suppress my smile. My daughter -- because that’s what she was, biology be damned -- had Carina’s sass and my stubbornness. A dangerous combination.

We approached the ticket booth, and I pulled out my wallet. “How many?”

“Fifty,” Clover said immediately.

I raised an eyebrow. “Twenty each. That’s plenty.”

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