“I said I wanted to be alone for a while,” Winnie said.

“Makes no sense,” he returned, not looking at her.

“Go away. I’m having a little cry.”

“You do better with audience,” he said. “I won’t leave you.”

“Leave for an hour,” she said.

Seemingly exasperated, he put down the paper. He folded and put away his glasses and went to sit on the side of her bed. “I said, I will not leave you.”

“You keep saying you’re leaving soon,” she reminded him with a sniff. She blew her nose again.

“What can I say? I am terrible liar. I will stay.”

“Till the end?”

“I don’t know if I have that much time,” he said. “When is end?”

“That’s the problem, Mikhail. We don’t know.”

“Then I stay,” he said. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her head. “I stay to remind you how lucky you are. To live in house built around you.”

“I’ll think about that when I’m done here.”

“Is possible you could have forced Grace to San Francisco to sit about and wait for you to die. Is possible. But you could not bring all these good people to San Francisco to watch you die. Every day is party here. The little nurse, the boy, the new son, the neighbors, the baby is almost here. We didn’t think to see baby! When I go, I hope there is someone.”

“If you stay here, I will leave them to you,” she said.

“Is generous offer,” he admitted. “I will think on it. But today, I will stay with you. You need me. I am the only sense you have some days.”

She laughed at him. “And some days you’re my only trip to the bathroom.”

“I am man of many skills.”

“It’s not going to get better, you know.”

He shrugged. “I won’t get better also,” he said. “I am old Russian. There is no cure.”

She laughed again. She blew her nose. “I wanted to just cry.”

“You are lousy at it,” he said. He lifted her hand and kissed it. “You are better as queen. Matriarch. Dominatrix.”

She roared with laughter. “Dominatrix?” she asked. “Have you been watching cable again?”

“Only when very lonely and tired.”

“When you’re lonely and tired, you should come to me. While you can.”

“I do, Your Majesty. Now, are you going to...what does Grace say? Get it together.”

“Just hold me a minute, will you?” she asked.

“Is my best talent,” he said, pulling her close. He stroked her back and she rested her head on his shoulder. “See? Everything is okay.”

She sighed. It was okay. Some people didn’t get this much love in a lifetime. Even after being one of the most impossible mothers in the world, she had her daughter home and she was surrounded by people she loved. In the house that had been built around her.

Sixteen

Winnie was not a bit surprised that even Blake showed up for dinner. Charlie had told him she had taken a fall and he wouldn’t stay away. And Charlie had, as promised, cut his workout a little short. Grace had closed the shop early and Troy brought home spinach lasagna, garlic bread and pie and ice cream. Grace was putting out plates while Lin Su warmed the dinner and bread.

“I’ll set a place for you if you’ll stay, Blake,” she said.

“Tonight I’d like to stay,” he said.

Winnie looked up in surprise. “You don’t have to indulge in our blue-collar food just because I twisted my ankle,” she said. “We won’t be offended if you want to go home to your tree bark, lawn clippings and yak livers.”

He grinned at her. “I’ll take extra vitamins,” he said. “I’m not getting ready for a race right now.”

“You won’t train?” she asked.

“Of course I will, but I won’t follow the rigid protocol—oh, never mind. You’re never going to ease up on my diet. So, I’ll have a beer.”

“That’s what I’m talking about,” Troy said, nearly lunging for the refrigerator.

“Tell us what the baby doctor said,” Winnie asked.

“We’re right on schedule and in perfect health, if a little overweight. I’m going to call Ginger and explain that it wouldn’t be a good time for me to come to the Lacoumette farm for her wedding. Peyton can stand up for her.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Winnie said to Grace. “Can I please have a glass of wine? I’ll want a straw in it, of course, so I’m not wearing it by the end of dinner. Grace, please go to the wedding. You’ve been looking forward to it. Soon enough you’ll have a new baby and a very infirm mother holding you down. This might be one of your last chances to get away.”

“I’ll be home,” Blake said. He automatically got up and went to the wine rack in the kitchen, selecting a bottle. He showed it to Winnie like an experienced waiter.

“Lovely,” she approved.

He went to the kitchen to open it and pour. He fixed a glass for Mikhail, as well. “I’ll be available if you need help getting around or if you have errands,” Blake said.

“That’s very kind,” Winnie said. “I’d rather you take my nurse on a proper date. Mikhail and I will be fine. We just need a little assist from Lin Su before she leaves for the evening. I’m not going to foolishly try to reach my walker again.”

“A movie, maybe,” Grace said. “Either a really scary one or a really romantic one.”

“Take her to the cliffs up north where the waves are huge. That worked on Grace,” Troy said, then he lifted his eyebrows, à la Groucho Marx.

“I want you to go to the wedding, Grace,” Winnie said again. “The leaves are turning and it’ll be beautiful.”

“We even had thoughts of asking if Charlie could go,” Grace said. “I think he’d get the biggest kick out of it.”

“Charlie is allergic,” Lin Su said, bringing the dish of lasagna to the table. “And while I so appreciate all of you planning my social life, I assure you, I’m very capable of taking care of that myself.”

“I’m not going to be allergic now,” Charlie said. “Nothing’s blooming!”