Page 13 of Salvation

I paid for the tickets, painfully aware of Yulia standing close beside me, her arm occasionally brushing against mine. When the ticket seller handed me the strips, our fingers touched briefly as I passed some to Yulia. The contact sent a jolt up my arm, and our eyes met for a charged moment before she looked away, cheeks flushed.

“Ferris wheel’s this way,” Clover announced, already moving ahead.

I placed my hand lightly on Yulia’s lower back to guide her through the crowd, a touch that would have been casual years ago but now felt fraught with meaning. She stiffened briefly, then relaxed into it, letting me steer her along the packed midway.

The Ferris wheel loomed ahead, its spokes turning lazily against the sky. The line moved quickly, and soon we were handing over our tickets to a weathered man with sun-leathered skin.

“Two per car,” he said, barely looking up.

Clover immediately hopped into an empty car. “I’ll ride alone.”

Before I could protest, she grinned and added, “You two can share. I won’t mind.”

The operator shrugged and locked her in, then gestured to the next car. I met Yulia’s gaze, finding a question there -- and something else, something that made my pulse quicken.

“After you,” I said, my voice rougher than intended.

She slid into the small compartment, and I followed, acutely aware of how the space forced us close together, thighs touching, shoulders brushing. The operator closed the safety bar, locking us in place.

“Enjoy the ride,” he said, then added with a wink, “Beautiful family you got there.”

Heat crawled up my neck. “Thanks,” I managed, not correcting him. Beside me, Yulia ducked her head, but not before I caught the smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

The wheel lurched into motion, carrying us upward. Yulia’s hand gripped the safety bar, her knuckles white. Without thinking, I covered her hand with mine. She tensed, then slowly turned her palm upward, our fingers intertwining.

“Been a while since we’ve done something like this,” I said, my voice low. “Just the three of us.”

She nodded, her eyes fixed on the horizon as we rose higher. “It’s nice. We should do it more often.”

Our car reached the top, swaying gently as the wheel stopped to let more passengers on below. The fairgrounds spread out beneath us, a swirl of movement and color. In the distance, I could see the compound, a dark smudge against the landscape. Two worlds, so close yet so different.

Yulia followed my gaze. “You’re thinking about the club?”

“No.” I squeezed her hand gently. “I’m thinking about you.”

Her gaze snapped to mine, wide and startled.

“Salvation,” she whispered, my road name on her lips sending a shiver down my spine.

The wheel jerked back into motion, breaking the moment. She pulled her hand from mine, tucking it safely in her lap as we descended. Below, I could see Clover in her car, trying to watch us with undisguised interest.

When we reached the bottom, the operator unlatched our safety bar. “You folks have a good time now,” he called as we exited. “Ain’t often I see a family so happy together.”

Clover appeared at my side, grinning from ear to ear. “See? Even he thinks you two should get a room.”

“Clover!” Yulia gasped.

I placed a hand on my daughter’s shoulder, squeezing just firmly enough to communicate my warning. “Enough of that.”

But Clover just laughed, unrepentant. “What? I’m just saying what everyone’s thinking.” She skipped ahead a few steps, then turned, walking backward to face us. “What’s next? Tilt-A-Whirl? Bumper cars?”

I glanced at Yulia, finding her gaze already on me. Something had shifted between us, some invisible boundary crossed. The thought terrified and exhilarated me in equal measure.

“Your choice,” I told her, voice pitched low enough that only she could hear.

Her smile, small and secret, was like the sun breaking through clouds. “Bumper cars,” she decided. “I want to see if your driving is any better there than on the road.”

Clover whooped and took off toward the ride, leaving us to follow at our own pace. This time, when my hand found the small of Yulia’s back, neither of us pretended it was just about navigating the crowd.

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