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“And how does Katja feel about you, Mr. Barychev?”
“She hates me,” he answered honestly, and my heart sank to my knees as my secret stayed locked in my chest. “Again, I will not lie to you, Mr. Antonov.”
“And you would marry a woman that hates you?” he asked, his brows furrowed in a bit of confusion. “That hardly makes any sense.”
“Yes,” Maksim replied confidently. “I love Katja enough to bear the weight of that burden.”
My grandfather’s brows furrowed deeper over his eyes. “And what of children? You would raise children in a household where their mother hates their father?” My grandfather immediately began shaking his head. “I cannot allow that, Mr. Barychev. The most important thing that parents can do for their children is to love one another, and since that is not the case here, I am going to have to refuse your request to marry Katja.”
“Of course, I am sorry to hear that,” Maksim replied graciously. “However, it changes nothing.”
My grandfather looked so heartbroken over Maksim’s claim that there was no way that I could let this go on. I’d always said that I’d do anything for my grandfather, and so that meant that I needed to put my pride aside and do the right thing. Unfortunately for me, the right thing at this moment was to tell the absolute truth, no matter the cost to my heart and soul.
“Dedushka, I do not hate Maksim,” I finally said. “I’m angry with him, and I still have to work through a lot of hurt that I’ve experienced during these past few weeks, but I don’t hate him.”
“Then why does he believe that you do?” he asked, refusing to let me hide from this.
“Because he deserves to suffer for what he put me through,” I answered, the truth finally breathing some air. “Because he doesn’t deserve easy. Because I’m still angry at a lot of things.”
My grandfather’s face softened. “Which is your right as a woman.”
“But I do not hate him,” I repeated. “I do not.”
“Even so, will he make you happy, Katja?” he asked. “I could not bare it if you were unhappy, detishche.”
Proving once again that I’d do anything for my grandfather, I said, “He can once I’m no longer angry.”
My grandfather smiled, and I could feel my lungs working again. It also helped that I wasn’t lying this time. After I had cried all over Samara Kotov yesterday, I had admitted to caring for Maksim way more than any sane woman would, and Samara hadn’t judged me, allowing me to finally come to terms with my own stupidity.
Still, the truth was the truth.
Looking back over at Maksim, he said, “Well, that changes things, does it not? Mr. Barychev, you have my permission to marry Katja and make a family with her.”
“Well, now that we are to be family, it is Maksim, Mr. Antonov,” Maksim allowed graciously.
“And you must call me Dedushka,” my grandfather told him, tears stinging the back of my eyes again.
I watched as they shook hands, and once they were done, Maksim said, “The plan is to assign you an actual certified healthcare nurse to replace Artur, but Artur will still be your guard. As you know, your lives are about to change now that we are family.”
My grandfather gave him an acknowledging nod. “I understand.”
“Well, if that will be all, Katja and I have some things that need our attention,” Maksim said as he stood up from the table. “We will keep you informed as the plans to move your home develop.”
“I’m sorry?” my grandfather asked, confused again.
“As I understand the sentimental attachment that you have to your home, we will be moving the entire structure when we move you, Mr. Antonov,” Maksim told him. “We will not be leaving your wife behind.”
I watched my grandfather’s eyes cloud with emotion, and I had to quickly wipe away a couple of tears of my own. No matter what was between me and Maksim, I was always going to be grateful for this moment and the consideration that he was showing my grandfather.
“Thank you,” my grandfather replied, emotion clogging up his throat.
At that, I stood up from my seat, then walked around the table to give my grandfather a kiss on his cheek. “I love you, Dedushka.”
“And I love you, Beda,” he chuckled.
Neither Maksim nor I said a word as we walked back out towards his car, but the second that Jurik started up the engine, Maksim was reaching for me, pulling me over his lap, careful of my wounds. Once again, he didn’t care that Jurik was driving, and I wondered if Jurik was going to be officially assigned to me now that Klive was dead and no longer a threat to Maksim or Akim.
“Once your leg is better, we are going to get married, and I am going to show you all the different ways that I am dying to love you, Katja,” he said. “While I cannot undo what has been done, I can guarantee that only memories will ever make you feel like that again. For the rest of my days, I will do everything that I can to be worthy of you, even if you never come to be able to love me. I will accept you not hating me if that is all that you can ever give me.”
