Page 179 of Deceptive Vows

The man who will be my biggest protector and guardian.

Mikhail Dmitriyev.

My husband.

* * *

Mikhail

2 years later…

I gaze ahead at Natalia.

She’s playing with Lilly, our little girl who’s just like her.

I thought my life changed when I married the woman of my dreams—twice. It did, but then it changed even more when I became a father to the most beautiful little girl in the world.

We named her after Natalia’s mother. It seemed fitting. Then we gave her two middle names. Isabella after my mother and Talia after my sister.

So, Lilly Isabella Talia Dmitriyev is one very blessed little girl.

She’s only one, but I can see those little feet walking as delicately as a ballerina.

It wouldn’t surprise me if she took an interest in it because it runs through her veins.

If she does, I’m sure I’ll create a painting of her, just like all the others I have of my wife and child. My obsession now extends to both.

We’re at the lake house on a break, and I’m painting them now. This is what balances me.

Now when I come here, I remember that last conversation I had with my father. As the years have gone by, it comes to mean more to me. I started painting again after Natalia and I got married and I thought of how my father loved it, and how he loved painting my mother.

I finally understood his meaning. As the Pakhan, my world is dark, and my wife and my child are my treasures that light my path and complete me.

I focus on my wife for a few seconds as I finish the brush strokes over the painting of her, and I find myself smiling because she’s one hell of a woman.

I love everything about her, but the two things that have been a constant are her strength and ambition.

She’s taken these two years to be with me and Lily, and in September, she’ll start her studies at New York University. I can already tell she’s going to bring that fire she has in her to the medical world.

When she looks at me, I remember how I promised her life would be better.

It is.

It truly is.

I’m nearly finished with this painting now, so I put my brushes down to take a break and join my family.

The picture is only complete when I’m with them.

The universe is the artist of that masterpiece.

I walk toward them and kiss my wife and then pick up my little girl.

“Let’s go for a walk,” I say.

“That sounds like a good idea.”

“Yeah, I get to look at you for longer.”

I smile at her, and we walk by the lakeside with me holding everything that matters to me in this world in the palms of my hands.

My wife and my child—the two great loves of my life.

And it all began when I met the princess.

The End