Diamonds Dancing

Forty One

She was happy he was not home for Valentine's Day.

Or at least, that was what she was telling herself.

Eating her entire weight in candy hearts and chocolate-covered strawberries, she sat on the sofa whilst the girls spoke on the phone to their favourite aunt, who had gifted them personalised doggy essentials for their new pets.

They were being spoiled rotten for an occasion that made no sense.

But their happiness made her smile and she found herself finding the newest additions to the Ivanov family rather cute.

As she petted the fluffy animals, she spotted Janessa look over at her warily. This happened a good few times before the older woman quirked a brow.

"Can I help you, Nessie?" She called out, a teasing edge to her tone.

Having finished the phone call, the youngster pretended to be busy playing with dog toys when the nanny caught her ogling.

Her hazel eyes widened as she awkwardly let out a forced laugh. "Hi, Lovey." she greeted.

"Hi, munchkin." Rika grinned. "If you have something you would like to tell me, you can. This is a safe space after all."

There was a long moment of stillness whilst the eight-year-old scrunched her button nose up.

"Okay um," She breathed a shaky sigh. "Did you and Daddy argue last night?"

She was working on putting her long black hair up into a ponytail when her mouth suddenly ran dry.

That was certainly not what she had been expecting to hear.

"What? No. Why would you think that?" The older woman questioned, promptly tying her hair with a hair tie and setting her hands down in her lap.

Janessa shrugged. "Because after we went to our rooms, we heard you and Daddy shouting. Is it because of us?"

She received a clipped response. "No. Of course not. Nothing happened that you need to worry about."

"Are you sure?" Her glasses were slipping off her nose, she pushed them back up and peered up at her.

"Absolutely."

When she saw the curious jade-green eyes also peeking up at her, the short yet impactful conversation stuck with her.

Tucking herself into her bed for the night, she tried to make sense of the encounter.

Had she really been that loud? She mused, feeling bad that the little girls had heard any of the yellings in the first place.

Their sensitivity was something she was constantly guarding, she didn't want them to feel tense or like they had to be walking on eggshells in their own home.

And she most definitely did not want them to hear her arguing with their hardheaded father.

Speaking of whom, her interest in his whereabouts on the day of love seemed to be answered when a thudding noise echoed her dim-lit room.