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I squeeze my husband’s hands. “Mama was as fragile as she was strong and hated the bipolar label. She told me constantly that she simply felt deeply.”
“How did she manage to get on a plane without Viktor stopping it?” Yuri asks quietly.
I watch Olga’s face soften and know she helped make it happen.
“Inessa was near her breaking point and asked me for help. I gave it to her because I knew something horrific would happen if she didn’t get out. Viktor was obsessed with work and your mother was completely isolated. She had no friends and was stuck in a large house with nothing but guards for company. I saw her slipping away and accepted that my son had given up on trying to bring her back.”
“Did you think about keeping me in Russia? How did you know she was capable of caring for a child?” Yuri’s arm goes around me, and I feel my heart beat out of rhythm.
“After the kidnapping, I couldn’t imagine forcing a separation. Your mother wouldn’t have survived. You were the love of her life and I gambled on that being enough.”
My heartbeat slows because I know it’s the truth. I was the center of my mother’s universe, and despite her challenges, she gave me every last drop of her love and attention. “So, how did you pull it off? It couldn’t have been easy given all the security.”
“No one refuses an old woman, especially when she’s handing out money like it’s candy.”
“I like your style, Grandmother.”
“Most do.” She winks and picks up a small cookie. “It was a scandal for years. The great mystery of the missing Tarasov wife.”
“And you never said a word?”
“Of course not.” She shakes her head. “I had you two tracked from the moment your plane took off and was comfortable with the new life your mother was building with you.”
I pick up a little cucumber sandwich and nibble it, remembering how often just the right person would appear out of thin air and help us overcome a hurdle. “We’re you pulling strings all the way from Russia and ensuring that things went smoothly?”
“I made sure the right people were available to navigate your new life in Boston.”
“Damn. You are good.” A beautiful smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. “How did my father handle the disappearance?” The glass in Olga’s hand shakes momentarily. “If you don’t want to discuss it, it’s fine.”
“I didn’t fly across the world to keep secrets.” She sets down the glass. “I think he was both heartbroken and relieved. As much as he loved Inessa, he knew their situation was untenable.”
“He could’ve walked away from the fortune.”
“He probably considered it, but the threats would’ve followed them where ever they went. The Tarasov fortune is tied to real estate that half of Russia would like to get their hands on.” She sighs quietly. “I had a conversation with Viktor a year after you were born, and he expressed concern about how your mother was holding up. I sensed he wanted to help her but didn’t know how and was afraid he would lose her completely.” She shakes her head. “It was almost as though he was resigning himself to the inevitable.”
“He’s certainly not the first husband unable to handle a wife with a mental disorder.” I rub Yuri’s wedding band. “Or, as I like to call it, brain chemistry that went wonky.”
“Do you think he knew you were keeping tabs on Inessa and Lina?” Yuri asks.
“Yes. But he never asked me directly.” She smooths out the tablecloth. “Because if he did, then he would have to do something about it. I know he wasn’t willing to break Inessa anymore than he had or put a target on her back. If no one knew you two were alive, the threats would disappear.”
“I take it he never remarried?”
“No. He ran the company with a single-mindedness that was sometimes frightening. Social events were only attended when absolutely necessary, and he never had another relationship to my knowledge.”
“Mama never looked at another man. It was like that part of her didn’t exist.”
“After what she and your father had, it’s not surprising. Their loved burned brighter than the Northern Lights, and if they had stayed in their small bubble, I think they would’ve made one another very happy.”
“Why did he leave everything to Lina.”
“That’s what I was going to ask.” I lean into Yuri. “Half the time, I think he’s reading my mind.”
“That’s a good quality to have in a husband.” She presses her finger over the large emerald in the center of her necklace. “I believe he left it to you because you are a piece of the most precious part of his life.”
“Did you know that was his plan?” Yuri asks.
“He never changed his will after Lina was born, so I wasn’t surprised.”
