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During dinner, Hannah and Anastasia were in full-on flirting mode, comfortable with their love and growing relationship in the presence of friends and family. I noticed them hand-holding under the table, looking flushed and shy at times, revealing expressions caused by whispered conversation.
Artyom and Katerina noticed, smiled discretely, and let life’s most magical journey play out however their daughter wished it.
I sat beside Katerina with Charlotte facing me. Victor’s mother seemed happy, but I saw her facade slip whenever she momentarily descended into a traumatized state as her thoughts drifted.
Victor’s birth mother engaged me in conversation, alleviating the onus on Charlotte to make small talk.
“How was your short break on the yacht, Amy?”
“It was fantastic. I’ve never been on a boat that big before.”
“I have.”
I waited for her to expand on the details, but Katerina swirled wine in her oversized glass, reminiscing over some secret memory with a faint smile, staring through me. When she realized our conversation had paused, my fiancee’s birth mother jerked back into our reality, raising her eyebrows and giggling.
“Sorry, Amy. I was miles away.”
“You were saying about when you spent time on a large yacht.”
“I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I was working.”