Chapter twenty-eight

Cape Town

Irina sat in the car and stared at the house. Christmas had come and gone but the heaviness in her heart was still there. She'd read somewhere that the highest rate of suicide was around Christmastime; she could believe that. Sighing, she picked up the pizzas Andrei had asked her to fetch and got out the car. The last thing she felt like doing tonight was being nice to his friends, especially since Andrei had forbidden her from drinking anything.

"Bastard," she murmured as she walked up to the house, but there was no malice in her tone.

"Food's here!" She went straight into the kitchen and set the boxes on the table. "It's self-service tonight."

"Let me give you a hand with that."

She looked up at the familiar voice and stared at Jack in shock for a moment before it sank in that he was really there. Then she launched herself at him, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, pressing kisses to his face. "I told you not to come back."

He chuckled. "I knew you didn't mean it."

"You're right." She continued kissing him. "We need to rethink this whole thing."

"Did you miss me?"

"Not at all." She tightened her hold on him.

"I have a Christmas present for you. I'm sorry it's late."

She slid her feet to the ground so she was standing, but didn't let go of Jack. "It's enough that you're here."

"You'll like this present, I'm certain." He took her by the hand and led her to the living room.

Irina stopped in the doorway, unable to move or speak or think as she saw her gift: Sydney, asleep on the couch. She couldn't look away.

"Why don't you wake her for dinner?"

Irina slowly approached her daughter, then knelt on the floor next to the couch. She stared at Sydney for a long time and all she could think was my baby. Her hand trembling, she reached up to brush Sydney's hair out of her face.

Sydney's eyes flew open at her touch, and when she saw her mother she broke into a grin. "You're here!"

Irina could do nothing as Sydney jumped up and hugged her with a strength surprising for her size.

"Daddy said you were coming! This has been the best Christmas ever! I got to see the pyramids, Mommy. They're so big; have you ever seen them?" Sydney paused to draw breath then continued at full speed. "But this is the best part! I missed you so much, Mommy! But Daddy and Aunt Katya explained why you couldn't come home. Daddy said you missed me too. Did you, Mommy?"

"Yes," was all Irina managed to say through her tears.

"I'm sorry we didn't come sooner, Mommy, but we thought you died."

"Oh, sweetheart—"

"You know, Mommy, Aunt Katya's real nice."

"Sweetheart, why don't you let Mommy get up off the floor?"

"I'm okay, Jack." Irina pulled Sydney closer.

"Yes, Daddy, we're okay."

"Okay, then." Jack lowered himself to the floor and Irina released Sydney only long enough to reach for Jack and pull him into the hug.

It was late by the time they got to bed. Irina wasn't ready to let Sydney out of her sight yet, and now all three Bristows were in her bed. Irina was in the middle – "So we can share Mommy," Jack had said. Lying there, between her husband and her child, Irina had never felt more loved. When Sydney's breathing evened out and Irina was sure she was asleep, she carefully rolled over to face Jack.

"Hi," she said.

He rubbed his nose against hers. "Hi."

What started out as a simple goodnight kiss quickly turned into something more and eventually Jack pulled back. "We need to stop."

Irina felt the warmth of Sydney's body against her back and nodded in agreement. Then she whispered, "Get up quickly."

Jack slipped out of bed and Irina did the same, then gestured for him to follow her to the bathroom. Once inside, she lifted her T-shirt and let it drop to the floor. She stood in front of him wearing nothing but her bra and panties, her smile as shy as if this was the first time she was offering herself to him.

"You're beautiful," he said, and traced an invisible line from her shoulder down to her hip. "You take my breath away."

She stepped towards him and tugged his shirt off. Then she placed both her palms against his chest and looked up at him. "You're really here."

"Yes." He reached behind her to unclasp her bra, then pulled her close so that they were chest to chest, skin on skin. "Don't send me away again."

She shook her head.

His hands slid slowly down her back, then he hooked his thumbs in the elastic of her panties and began teasing them down her hips. "I need to be inside you."

"Yes."

They made love against the door, slowly and quietly so as not to wake Sydney, Irina watching in the mirror. My husband. My Jack.

My family.