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LXXXV : Switzerland or Surrender
Last Updated:
2025-02-18 23:53:22
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His Son, Her Secret LXXXVI : Daddy, Buy Me an Airplane!
I sat on the sofa, staring at the suitcases that were already arranged near the door. I've finished packing all my things, Max's clothes, everything we need for this trip. But somehow, I still couldn't believe I had agreed to go.In front of me, Max was still in Pascha's arms, busy babbling endlessly about everything he wanted to do in the Alps. "I want to see cows with bells! And I want to ride the cable car! And then... and then I want to try the cheese with the holes! Daddy, did you know that cheese really has holes? I saw it in a cartoon, but I'm not sure it's real!"Pascha chuckled, stroking Max's hair. "It's real, Max. You can see and try it for yourself later."Max immediately gave a small cheer, his hands waving in excitement. "YES! I want to eat cheese on a mountain!"I sighed, leaning back against the sofa. I still felt weird about this decision. It was because this trip was never in my plans, and it was the fact that I would be spending time in the same place as Pascha for
Last Updated : 2025-02-19His Son, Her Secret LXXXVII : Spilled Milk, Bridges Burned
Max tiptoed on my lap when the car stopped before the hangar, almost making me lose my balance."Daddy, come on! I want to see the plane!" he exclaimed, his hands gripping my shoulders firmly. “UP!"Pascha turned off the car engine and turned to Max. "You can get off by yourself, right?"Max glared like Pascha had just said the most absurd thing in the world. "No! I want to be carried!"Before I could say anything, Pascha exited the car, walked to our side, and opened the passenger door. Max immediately raised both hands without hesitation towards his father, urging him like a spoiled child."Come on, carry me now!"Pascha easily lifted Max's tiny body into his arms. "All right, Little Master. What else do you want?"Max looked up at Pascha with sparkling eyes, resting his chin on his father's shoulder. "I want you to be my tour guide. I want a tour on your plane.""Max, that's not a tour plane." I said.Max ignored me, still staring enthusiastically at Pascha. "Come on, I want to see
Last Updated : 2025-02-19His Son, Her Secret LXXXVIII : Road to the Alps
I was still in between consciousness and sleep when faint voices began to piercing my mind."Daddy, Daddy, look at Mommy. She's sleeping so peacefully," I heard Max whisper. "She's like a Sleeping Beauty."Pascha chuckled lowly. "That's true. But, you know what's more interesting?" he also whispered.Max was silent for a moment. "What?"I could feel them both looking at me."When she wakes up, she turns into a dragon."Max let out a small laugh. "You mean, Mommy's grumpy, daddy?""No," Pascha sighed dramatically, "it's worse. Mommy is a perfectionist. She can nag longer than you can talk about Transformers."Max snorted. "I never stop talking about Transformers.""Exactly."I wanted to glare and say that I could hear them, but my eyes felt too comfortable to open."Daddy, have you ever seen Mommy get really mad?""Hmm... a lot." He replied.Max chuckled, his voice getting farther away. "I think I know. Mommy will get mad if we don't wake her up.""Oh no, Maximus," Pascha whispered, hi
Last Updated : 2025-02-20His Son, Her Secret LXXXIX : Feet Touch the Water
After a hearty lunch, Max couldn't keep still. He ran outside onto the wooden terrace that overlooked the vast and breathtaking view of the Alps."Daddy, look at that!" Max pointed to a small lake glistening in the afternoon sun. "Can we go down there? I want to touch the water!"Pascha, who stood beside him with his hands in his pants pockets, just smiled. "You know the water must be really cold, right?""But I can wear gloves!" Max insisted.I sat on a patio chair, enjoying the cool breeze that carried the scent of the pine forest. From here, the view was perfect. Mountains with snowy peaks looming in the distance, green valleys sprawling across the landscape, and small cabins scattered across the foothills. The clear blue sky was cloudless, making everything feel like a living painting.Max runs around the terrace, jumping between the wooden chairs and occasionally climbing onto the guardrail to peer further. Pascha stayed nearby, his eyes alert whenever Max got too excited.I let
Last Updated : 2025-02-21His Son, Her Secret XC : Bonfire
After running around for a while and frolicking in the water, Max and Clara finally agreed to return to the cabin. Max, who never seems to get tired, jumps up and down while holding Clara's hand, happy with his wet feet."Mommy! Daddy! Look, I can outrun you guys!" shouted Max, running ahead, with Clara chasing after him with joyful laughter.I just shook my head, smiling at their antics. I mean, how could a kid that little has so much energy? Sometimes, Max can run endlessly, as if his battery never runs out.Pascha walked beside me, silent, yet his presence felt so real with every step.We walked in Max and Clara's footsteps, but my pace slowed as I tried to restrain myself from feeling out of place. Something tickled in my stomach, a feeling I hadn't felt in a long time when I was close to him.Silently, Pascha stepped closer, his eyes occasionally glancing at me, but I tried to remain calm, staring ahead with focus. "Who called earlier?" his asked low yet precise enough in my ear
Last Updated : 2025-02-22His Son, Her Secret XCI : A Peaceful Night
As the night wore on, the cold wind from the Alps blew gently through the slightly open window. The lights were dim, creating a warm atmosphere in the spacious wooden room.I leaned against the headboard, watching Pascha, who sat on the edge of the bed, holding Max, who was already half asleep. His body rested comfortably on his Daddy chest, his head resting on Pascha's shoulder, but his lips still moved as if his mind wasn't ready to rest."So, if Bumblebee could turn into a T-Rex, it would be cool..." Max mumbled, his voice starting to slow down, his eyes getting heavy, but he still forced himself to speak. "Just imagine, Daddy. Transformers... but dinosaurs..."Pascha chuckled softly, rubbing the Max's back gently. "Transformer dinosaurs, huh?" he asked in a low, soothing voice. "That's a good idea. Maybe you can become a robot engineer and make your own later."Max nodded slowly, his eyes almost completely closed. "Yeah... I'll build it... and I'll name it..." He was silent for a
Last Updated : 2025-02-23His Son, Her Secret XCII : Time Slows Down
The fragrant aroma from the kitchen filled the air as I flipped the omelet in the skillet while Chef Anton stood beside me, busily stirring the pancake batter."You seem to be used to the kitchen, ma'am," he said with a slight smile."Just call me Belva. I'm still not married." I chuckled, ignoring his surprise. I spooned the eggs onto the plate before moving on to the bacon that was starting to make delicious sizzling sounds. "Trust me, raising a perpetually hungry five-year-old made me a cooking expert in no time."Chef Anton laughed softly, then returned to his dough.Outside the kitchen window, I could see Max running around in the front garden, Transformers robots scattered all around him. The boy had been up since dawn, immediately excited to run outside before I could tell him to do something more sensible—like take a shower, for example.I snorted in annoyance. "Max, come in and take a shower now!" I called while still busy arranging the dishes on the table.Max, who was busy
Last Updated : 2025-02-23His Son, Her Secret XCIII : Glacier Blues, Meadow Greens, and Endless Smiles
Finally, after making sure Clara really didn't want to come along—she didn't even bother to take off her blanket when we said goodbye—the three of us climbed into Pascha's expensive car.We went to Oeschinensee, a clear blue lake high up in the Alps, surrounded by majestic towering mountains and green meadows. It's the perfect summer paradise with cool, refreshing water, lush pine forests, and leisurely hiking trails.Max shouted enthusiastically as soon as we arrived at the parking lot near the lake area. "WOW! Look, is that real water? Why is it so blue?"I stared at the lake, its crystal-like colour glistening in the sunlight. "That's because the water comes from glaciers, Max," I said.Max blinked. "What's a glacier?"A huge piece of ice on a high mountain. It melts and makes the lake water look blue like this." Pascha answered.Max looked up to his Dad, looking mesmerized. "Whoa... So it's like a giant ice water?""You could say that."We started walking down the path to the lake
Last Updated : 2025-02-23
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His Son, Her Secret CLIX : Sunburns, Sass, and Someone Like You
The midday sky hung cloudless, a clean blue canvas yet to be written on. On the warm, breezy shore of San Francisco, I sat on a white canvas folding chair, my bare feet touching sand that still held the chill of morning. Beside me, a cold water bottle beaded with condensation and a gently vibrating phone, my only interruption in an otherwise peaceful silence I was beginning to savor.I picked up the phone and glanced at the screen.A message from Pascha.The first photo popped up with a soft notification sound. Max was in Trisha’s arms. Her long blonde hair was braided into two neat plaits, a straw hat tilted playfully on her head. Max looked half-squished, but happy, his cheek nearly disappearing behind Trisha’s oversized sunglasses.Second photo. Max was perched on Igor’s shoulders. Max was laughing, mouth wide open, arms thrown up in the air. He lifted him higher as they walked among the tall, leafy trees of Carmel.I smiled, letting a quiet warmth spread through my chest. Not beca
His Son, Her Secret CLVIII : Silence Too Loud
The front door opened with its usual sound, a bit creaky, a little heavy, but it never bothered anyone, because the person who always came through it never felt the need to knock first.Pascha Romanov walked right into my house, like always. As if it wasn’t mine. As if boundaries were a concept that didn’t apply to his stupid head. And the truth was, I never really figured out how high a wall I needed to keep him out.He was a storm that had grown used to passing through without asking permission.Max launched out of his chair like a mini rocket, leaving the last piece of his pancake behind without a second thought.“Daddyyyyyy!” he shouted, his little feet pounding across the floor as he crashed into Pascha with a tackle of hugs and breathless chatter. “Mommy was soooo annoying today! I just said I didn’t wanna take a bath and she went off like the news on TV!”Pascha chuckled softly, lifting Max into his arms without effort, “Oh yeah?” Pascha shot me a quick glance, half a smile pla
His Son, Her Secret CLVII : Summer Smells Like Pancakes and Salt [Present]
Morning came without mercy.The sun climbed slowly behind the thin curtains I’d forgotten to close correctly the night before. I was still in bed, eyes open, staring at the ceiling that looked exactly the same as it did yesterday. The morning air drifted in through the cracked window, salty, laced with the scent of the sea.Usually, that smell calmed me. Today, it only made my chest feel heavier.I hadn’t slept. Or maybe I had—that didn’t feel real for a few minutes. My mind was still tangled in last night’s mess. My father’s cold stare, my mother’s too-sweet smile that barely passed for sincerity. Their words echoed like voices down a long, narrow hallway that led nowhere.I pushed the blanket aside and sat up, facing the tall glass window that stretched from floor to ceiling. From where I sat, I could see the shimmering silver line of San Francisco’s coast glowing in the early sun. The waves rolled in slowly, peacefully, unlike the noise in my head.“Mommyyyy!” His shout came from t
His Son, Her Secret CLVI : Chaotic Good & Crystal Chandeliers [Still Flashback]
That afternoon, the Moscow sun poured through the tall windows of the Romanov family room. Light danced across the marble floors and reflected softly off the polished table, making the whole space look like a living painting—elegant, expensive, and loud.I sat at the end of a long sofa, holding a warm cup of tea. Its scent blended with the lavender from a vase on the coffee table. My hair was still damp from a long shower after our trip back from Siberia, and my legs ached just a little. But I barely noticed—too absorbed by the scene playing out in front of me.“—You dragged us all the way to Siberia, and now I’m sneezing every five minutes!” Trisha flung a pillow at Igor, who barely flinched as he blocked it with his elbow.“You’re sneezing not because of Siberia, but because you refused to wear a jacket,” Igor replied flatly, though the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement.“I couldn’t wear that army green thing you call a jacket! It’s an insult to my entire aesthetic!” Trisha
His Son, Her Secret CLV : We Were Wild, We Were Gold [Still Flashback]
The sky stretched endlessly above us, scattered with stars like careless handfuls of diamonds. A crescent moon bathed the small wooden cabin in a soft, silvery light.We lay sprawled out on a thick rug spread across the front yard. It was plush, coarse to the touch but warm, woven in bold tribal patterns that burst with color. Igor, somehow still looking fresh despite a full day of extreme activity, sat with his back against a tall pine tree, methodically sharpening his knife.Trisha was flat on her back, limbs splayed like a starfish, her breathing deep and heavy. Pascha sat cross-legged behind me, his hands kneading into my shoulders with just enough pressure to make me wince and enjoy it at the same time.“Your poor tiny body,” Pascha teased, his fingers loosening the tight knots in my shoulders.I let out a long sigh and tilted my head, glancing back at him from the corner of my eye. “Not that tiny.”He chuckled, letting his fingers slide lower to the muscles beneath my shoulder b
His Son, Her Secret CLIV : Screaming, Laughing, Spinning Through the Rapids [Still Flashback]
The blazing Siberian summer sun still ruled the sky as we left the calm lakeshore behind. Igor led the way through the shady pine forest, occasionally lifting a hand to signal when the path grew steep or rocky.Thick underbrush surrounded us, the green leaves rustling softly as our boots crunched over dry twigs.Pascha walked right behind Igor, his shirt soaked through with sweat. Trisha muttered under her breath behind me, kicking at the occasional rock on the dusty trail. I raised my arms to fix my hair, which had mainly slipped from its high ponytail.“How much farther, Igor?” Trisha asked, her tone more of a groan than a question.Igor shrugged without looking back. “Almost there.”Trisha let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. “You’ve been saying that for the past half hour.”Pascha glanced over his shoulder with a smirk. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up already.”Trisha shot him a glare. “I’m just making sure we don’t get lost in the middle of the Siberian forest.”Igor chuckled
His Son, Her Secret CLIII : Bonfires, Bruised Egos & Belly Laughs [Flashback]
Once everything was ready, we sat in a row along the edge of the lake, our hooks dangling in the clear water. Igor stayed calm and focused, eyes fixed on the surface, while Trisha kept nagging Pascha for swinging his line so wildly it nearly smacked me in the face.“Pascha! If you hit me with that, I swear I’ll drown you,” I warned.He just laughed and reeled his line in a bit more carefully. “All right, Miss Cooking-and-Fishing Expert. Look at you doing everything perfectly.”A light breeze drifted through, sending soft ripples across the lake. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a warm, golden glow. It was peaceful, just the sound of water lapping and the wind rustling through the trees.Suddenly, Igor’s hook twitched. Without a word, he gave it a calm tug. A large trout broke the surface, thrashing, its silver scales catching the light.“See?” Igor said flatly. “That’s how you do it.”Trisha stared. “Oh my God, how often do you fish here?”Igor simply shrugged and dropped the fish
His Son, Her Secret CLII : Of Missed Shots & Mocking Sisters [Flashback]
The cold Siberian wind hit my face as we walked through the lush forest."So, who has hunted before?" Igor asked."Me," Pascha replied without hesitation, patting the hunting rifle on his shoulder. With his thick, dark brown fur jacket and confident expression, he seemed to want to look like a conqueror of nature.Trisha rolled her eyes. "Oh, of course. The King of the Romanov Forest."Pascha glared. "I once shot a deer from two hundred meters away.""You mean twenty meters?" Trisha scoffed."Two hundred, Trish," Pascha snorted. "That's enough distance to get a good shot."Trisha leaned closer to me and whispered loudly. "He must have been dreaming at the time."I chuckled while Pascha glared at his sister. Igor let out a long sigh, clearly used to their dynamic."I hunted once," I said, hoping not to sound too nervous. "With my grandfather in Colombia. But we used arrows.""Arrows?" Pascha raised an eyebrow, looking impressed. "Didn't know you had it in you."I lifted my chin haughti
His Son, Her Secret CLI : Midnight Whispers & Morning Mayhem [Flashback]
Night descended quickly over Siberia, bringing with it the creeping cold. The night wind struck the wooden walls of the cabin, rustling and whispering in a low, soothing tone. The fire in the hearth still burned, its flames dancing in golden-orange shadows across the rough wooden walls.I lay on the rough yet surprisingly soft wooden cot, a thick blanket wrapped tightly around me. Trisha lay next to me, curled up with her face hidden beneath the covers. Her breathing had evened out, signaling that she had fallen into a deep sleep after today’s long journey.But I couldn’t sleep. Maybe it was the sound of the wind howling outside or perhaps it was the swirl of thoughts racing through my mind. I glanced toward Pascha and Igor, who were sitting on the other side of the room. They were near the hearth, which was slowly dying down, talking in low tones that I could only partly make out. Their Russian flowed quickly and smoothly, sounding more like murmurs than distinct words.Pascha turned
