Page 134 of Cruel Juliet

The nursery is dim, bathed in the soft yellow glow from the nightlight. Everything smells like baby lotion, which is quickly becoming my favorite smell in the world. That, and Petyr’s mix of cedarwood and amber.

Lilia’s breathing evens out against my shoulder. It never gets old, being with her. Rocking her to sleep, murmuring nonsense into her cute little ears as her tiny chest rises and falls against mine. She’s a miracle. The prettiest, smartest baby anyone’s ever made.

I’m about to lay her in the crib when I hear a quiet knock on the doorframe.

Kira stands there, a tired smile on her face. There are dark circles under her eyes, and her makeup is smudged, just a little. “Hey,” she says softly. “Mind if I come in?”

“Be my guest.” I offer her the best smile I can muster. “She just went down.”

Kira steps closer. She looks down at Lilia with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She’s probably too exhausted for it. But she’s making an effort, and I’m grateful for it. “She’s growing so fast.”

“I know,” I whisper. “Feels like she changes every day. I want to freeze time.”

Kira looks amused. “I get that. She’s a gem, isn’t she?”

“Yeah.” I smile down at my baby. My heart feels so full these days, it’s almost hard to cope. “She’s everything.”

There’s a pause before Kira looks back at me. “Have you eaten yet?”

I shake my head. “Not yet. I was going to wait for Petyr. He had a meeting, but he said he wouldn’t be too late.”

Kira nods. “That’s good.” She hesitates, then sighs. “Guess I’ll leave you to it, then.”

Suddenly, I realize she probably didn’t come here to talk about Lilia.

Kira doesn’t ask for help. She never has.

Right. Kira’s proud. Petyr said so last night. Too proud to ask for help, even when she’s struggling.

But she came here tonight. Invited me to dinner. That’s probably Kira-speak for a cry for help, isn’t it?

“Kira.” She stops in the doorway when I call her. “Has something happened?”

Her hand trembles on the frame. Just slightly, but I notice. “I don’t want to burden you.”

“It’s no burden.” I walk up to her. “We’re family, right? No use hiding things from each other.”

For a second, I fear I’ve taken it too far. Kira might not be ready to bare her heart to me two days in a row, let alone share her secrets.

She stays silent. Shit. I’ve definitely come on too strong, haven’t I? “I’m sorry,” I blurt. “It’s none of my?—”

“I’ve had a bad day.” It’s a surprise to hear her speak. “Dimitri… He had a setback. Nothing major, but it hit harder than I thought it would.” Her voice falters for a moment before she catches herself. “I could use someone to talk to.”

I hesitate. Lilia’s warm and heavy in my arms, and I was looking forward to just a quiet night.

But I promised myself I’d try harder with her. Petyr and I both agreed she needed more help. And maybe this is what that looks like.

“Let me just put her down,” I say softly.

Kira nods again, her relief small but visible.

Once Lilia’s in her crib and the blanket’s tucked around her, I turn back to Kira. “Alright. Let’s go.”

Her smile this time is a little more real. “Thank you, Sima.”

I grab my sweater from the back of the chair and follow her out of the nursery. The house is quiet at this hour. And for the first time, I’m not dreading being alone in it with Kira.

If she’s asking for my help, it means she’s finally letting someone in. That’s the first step toward helping her heal. Her, and us all.