The Life Read Online Free Page B

blind.”
    “Still scary as hell.”
    “Yep,” Ivan repeated.
    Twenty minutes later, the white crib rested in the spot Viviana had asked for Anton to place it. On either ends of the bed where they curved with high, rounded edges, a crown had been carved into the wood. From the ceiling to the floor hung sheer fabric to match the colors of the furniture, surrounding the crib in the billowy material. With the crib sitting opposite to the window, sunlight would grace the baby every morning he woke up.
    Fit for a king but made for a little prince.
    Despite Anton’s earlier frustration over his lack of skills in the building department, the crib was as sturdy as it was going to get, and he was a little more than pleased at his work.
    “Didn’t you already have to put one of these together for your bedroom?” Ivan asked as Anton lowered the small mattress to the bottom of the crib.
    “When were you in my bedroom?” The warning couldn’t be hidden.
    Ivan guffawed. “You are the worst, do you know that? I have never met a man as jealous as you. I don’t know how Vine puts up with it.”
    “Shut up. That’s my bedroom. I share it with my wife . No other man needs to be inside of it.”
    “I wasn’t in your bedroom, asshole,” Ivan said, laughing. “Vine told Eva about the bassinet she came home to. So, I assumed when you asked me to come help you today that you already knew what the fuck you were doing.”
    Anton refused to acknowledge the dig. The gift in question wasn’t so much a bassinet as it was a miniature, circular crib. Carefully designed to match ornate carvings on Anton and Viviana’s four poster bed, he meant for it to be something they could pass down to their children.
    “I ordered that in from Russia. Cost me a pretty penny. It was all made by hand and it came put together. All I needed to do was take the damned thing out of the box.”
    “I heard she liked it.”
    “That she did.” Anton grinned at the memory of Viviana’s joy when she came home to find the little cubby in their bedroom furnished. It had been only one of his gifts to her, but it was the one she enjoyed the very most. So far. “Worth the cost, anyway.”
    “So …” Ivan trailed off, grinning conspiratorially. “Did you two pick a name, yet?”
    “Yep.”
    “And?”
    Having already decided to keep the name to themselves until after Demyan was born, Anton warned Viviana their friends and family wouldn’t leave them alone about it. His mother, in particular, had all but demanded she be told as soon as they picked it out.
    “And?” Ivan demanded again.
    Anton shrugged, striking out with a playful punch to his friend’s arm. “And it’s perfect.”
    *
    Viviana rested into Anton’s side as they strolled through Little Odessa at a leisurely pace. While she had always called the neighborhood Brighton Beach, after a few trips through the place, she had been quick to adopt the nickname that everyone else called it as well.
    Brighton Beach Avenue was bustling with activity. Voices carried through the streets, laughter ringing out high or deep. The shopkeepers had theirs doors opened wide, allowing in the cool air from the breeze sweeping the area. Seagull squawks became louder the closer they came to the boardwalk. In the distance, the life of Coney Island beginning to take shape in the background.
    At first, Viviana was concerned she wouldn’t fit into Brighton Beach as well as Anton did. Maybe it was due to the fact that growing up, she hadn’t visited the area once. It wasn’t as if that had been by choice, but it didn’t make a difference to the end result. Not a soul made her feel out of place when she walked the streets with her husband, or even without him.
    “Anton, my boy, come!” someone shouted. A single look to the side showed one of the many restaurant owners leaning in the doorway of his place, his hand waving at the couple. “Hurry, now.”
    With a questioning look down at Viviana, Anton conveyed his