Page 126

“I don’t want you to see me as weak.”

“Admitting you need help is a strength, not a weakness.”

I place my hand on his cheek, and he lets out a heavy sigh.

“I’m proud of you. And I adore your sensitivity, your vulnerability, everything that makes you so human. But I feel like I’m not really part of your life. Or only half of it, at least. Why do you keep shutting me out?”

“I’m just trying to spare you, Alma. I didn’t know where I stood anymore with you, Dimitri, Max, Kate, and everyone else. Everything hit me at once. I needed some outside perspective so I could take a step back.”

“So, am I just another complication in your life, like they are?”

“Alma.”

He sighs and hops out of bed. I grab him by the arm.

“I need you to talk to me, Vadim… To open up to me, really open up.”

“Alright, well, there is something else I can share with you—Dr. Bloom wants me to meet your parents again. She thinks it’s the right time, and that if we’re going to give this relationship a real chance, I need to find my place in your world.”

His eyes shine with an emotion that grips me.

I move closer and snuggle against him, whispering, “Yes, let’s do it.”

***

I don’t waste any time arranging the encounter. The day after that conversation with Vadim, Edward and Marie Lancaster open their door to the two of us. They are dressed to the nines, with polite smiles on their faces. I’d asked them to wipe the slate clean and take a fresh look at our relationship. I would have preferred to meet at a restaurant, on neutral ground, but my mother insisted on having us over for dinner, saying, “It will be more of a warm welcome that way, don’t you think?”

Given my father’s hot temper and Vadim’s fiery disposition, I’m not sure “warmth” is our main problem. My dad promised me he would make an effort. His exact words were, “I’m not some kind of barbarian, you know!” Vadim swore to me that he would control himself and not rise to the bait, though he couldn’t help adding, “But if your father goes too far, I’m not going to let him walk all over me.”

For now, they are all on their best behavior. Vadim presents my mother with a gorgeous bouquet of white roses, which she accepts with little squeals of delight. He then hands my father a magnum of champagne, which he eagerly accepts, admiring the vintage.

During the aperitif, Vadim doesn’t skimp on the compliments, and my mother seems completely won over by his carefully chosen words. She watches him with a warm, almost admiring gaze. My father doesn’t say much, but he manages a few smiles and even looks pleasantly surprised on occasion.

At the table, it’s surprisingly easy to make conversation, and Vadim charms my mother by helping clear the table between courses. Edward Lancaster has never once lifted a finger before dessert is over. Probably stung by the perceived slight, he launches into one of his trademark interrogations.

“Alma told us about your career path. I had no idea you had such ambitious plans! Twelve years ago, you didn’t exactly seem destined to become a CEO.”

Vadim chooses to smile, refusing to take offense at the barbs hidden in my father’s compliment. “I was just a kid. I changed. I grew, like anyone else would.”

His response is a subtle dig at my father for not having changed one bit… but Edward doesn’t pick up on it.

“That may be so, but most people don’t end up becoming a millionaire,” he insists.

“Let’s just say luck was on my side.”

“And willpower and determination,” I add. “I don’t know anyone who works so hard.”

“That’s something to be proud of,” my mother says. “But does your career leave you any room for your personal life?”

We exchange a look.

“She can’t help herself,” I murmur with a smile.

“I’m just asking! It’s only natural that I think of my daughter’s well-being, isn’t it?” my mom responds defensively.

“I never lose sight of what’s most important,” Vadim says. “I know what truly matters. I know too many men who sacrificed their marriages or their families for their businesses, and I won’t be one of them.”

My mother lets out a nervous little laugh, carefully avoiding her husband’s gaze. He taps his chin uneasily, finally realizing he is being targeted.