Nova pulled up outside Andrew's apartment building just as the streetlamps flickered to life, casting a golden hue across the cracked pavement. The ride had been quiet but not uncomfortable—just the sort of calm that lingered after a long, emotional day.
She parked her car and shifted in her seat, turning to face Andrew. He had his hands clasped on his lap, fingers fidgeting slightly, betraying his nerves despite the calm expression on his face.
"Thanks," Nova said, offering a small smile.
Andrew looked at her and nodded. "It was really nothing."
She tilted her head, watching him for a moment. "It was the first time I hung out with someone outside of my circle. It was… great."
His brows lifted slightly. "Really?"
She nodded. "Really. And uh… are you working tomorrow?"
He hesitated, then nodded. "Uhm… yeah. Morning shift."
Nova smiled. "Then I'll drop by for a cappuccino."
Andrew gave a nervous laugh. "Oh… that would be great."
Silence fell between them for a moment. The kind of silence that buzzed with thoughts unspoken, the kind that lingered with possibilities and unvoiced confessions.
Then, without fully realizing why she was doing it, Nova leaned in. Her heart beat loudly in her chest. It was automatic, instinctive. She didn't think—she just moved. But before her lips could reach his, Andrew panicked. His eyes widened, and in a flurry of motion, he pulled back and pushed her away.
"Uhm—I… I have to go," he said, voice shaky, as he scrambled out of the car.
"Andrew…" Nova called after him, stunned. "I'm sorry."
But he was already halfway to the building, his shoulders tense, his pace rushed. He didn't look back.
Nova slumped back in her seat and closed her eyes. "Oh God, I am so stupid."
Maybe she acted that way because she'd never been close to any boy outside her family or the bratva. It wasn't like she had high school crushes —her father made sure of that. No one dared get close enough. Andrew was the first guy she'd been able to just be herself with. And now, she might have ruined everything.
She sighed heavily and ran a hand down her face before starting the car.
—
When Nova arrived home, the villa was quiet except for the soft sound of music drifting through the air. She locked the car, walked up the path, and opened the front door as quietly as she could.
She was greeted with the gentle rhythm of a classic love song echoing from the living room. She stepped in and paused.
Nikolai and Elara were slow dancing.
The lights were dimmed, and Elara was barefoot, her cheek resting against Nikolai's chest, one hand curled around his neck, the other cradling her baby bump. Nikolai had both arms wrapped around her, swaying slowly with her to the melody that filled the room with warmth and something unspoken.
It was peaceful.
They didn't notice her presence immediately, and Nova didn't want to interrupt. She didn't have to look far to know what love looked like. It was right there, wrapped in a rhythm older than memory—imperfect, bruised by the past, but stronger because of it.
She turned to leave quietly, but her hip bumped into a nearby side table.
CRASH!
A vase hit the floor and shattered into pieces.
Elara gasped and turned around. "My vase!"
Nikolai winced. "Your favorite vase."
Nova winced, holding her hands up. "I'm sorry—I didn't mean to."
Elara sighed, already walking toward the mess. "I've had that vase since before I met your father."
"I'll get you a new one," Nova offered quickly.
"It won't be the same," Elara grumbled, bending down slowly. Nikolai stopped her gently and crouched instead, beginning to pick up the shards himself.
"Maybe we can get it fixed?" Nova suggested.
"My poor vase. My dad got it for me when I moved into my apartment for the first time. He is going to kill me," Elara said, mournfully watching as the pieces clinked into Nikolai's hand.
"He sure will," Nikolai mumbled, carefully sweeping up the glass. "After all, he is a retired neurosurgeon."
"Not helping," Elara hissed at him, though her lips twitched slightly.
Nova bit her lip. "Again… I'm really sorry. I'll make it up to you."
"You'll have to," Elara replied, arms crossed over her chest now. "That vase survived moving apartments, hiding from bratva enemies, and two toddlers. But it couldn't survive my teenage daughter."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Nova said with a nervous smile.
Nikolai stood, holding the remains of the vase in a dustpan. "No permanent harm done. Just a casualty of growing up."
Elara sighed, pulling her hair into a loose bun. "God, I need cake."
"Didn't you already have two slices today?" Nikolai asked.
"And I'm carrying your third child. I deserve the whole cake."
"Not going to argue," he said, heading toward the kitchen.
Nova leaned against the wall, watching them with a small smile. This was what love looked like. Not perfect. Not scripted. Just real.
And yet, something inside her still ached.
She didn't know what came over her, but as Elara sat back down on the couch with a huff, Nova hesitated for a moment before walking over.
"Can I sleep with you guys tonight?" she asked.
Elara blinked up at her. "What?"
"I know I'm eighteen, and I probably sound ridiculous, but… I don't know. I miss it. I miss you guys."
Nikolai returned with the cake. "Something happen?"
Nova hesitated, then nodded.
A few minutes later, all three of them were in the master bedroom. Elara was seated against the headboard, propped up by pillows, and Nikolai had his arm lazily around her. Nova lay between them, like she used to as a kid.
The silence stretched until Elara broke it.
"Alright. Spill."
Nova turned slightly, looking between the two of them.
"I messed up."
"With who?" Elara asked.
"Andrew. I tried to kiss him. He freaked out and ran. Now I think I've ruined whatever friendship we had."
Nikolai stiffened, the arm around Elara tightening.
"Don't," Elara said without even glancing at her husband. "Let her talk."
Nova looked away. "I didn't mean to. I don't know what came over me. I've never been this close to a guy my age. I've only known bratva men or bodyguards or family. Andrew was… different. And now he probably thinks I'm insane."
Elara reached over and tucked a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear. "Sweetheart, sometimes things happen because our hearts are louder than our heads. It doesn't mean you messed up."
"What if he doesn't want to talk to me again?"
"Then you give him time. And if he's worth it, he'll come around."
"You're not mad?"
Elara smiled. "Nova, I've done far worse things than trying to kiss someone."
"So have I," Nikolai muttered.
"You, hush," Elara scolded.
Nova giggled softly, her head resting on her mother's shoulder.
Somehow, even in the mess of it all, she felt safe again.
And maybe—just maybe—things weren't ruined after all.
-----------
Nikolai woke up to a hand draped lazily across his face. He groaned, his eyes still heavy with sleep. Typical Nova, he thought, trying to move her hand without disturbing her too much. She was sprawled across the bed like an octopus, taking up more than her fair share of space. Her long hair fanned out around her head like a halo. He carefully lifted her hand off his face, but it slipped right back onto his forehead as soon as he tried to sit up. With a sigh, he gently pushed her hand aside and swung his legs off the bed.
His eyes landed on the couch, where Elara was curled up, fast asleep. She looked peaceful, but the soft snoring was enough to tell him she hadn't stayed there by choice.
"Really?" he muttered, scratching the back of his head. "You ditched me?"
Elara cracked one eye open and smiled. "Correction. I chose comfort and survival."
Nikolai rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to Nova, who stirred and let out a sleepy groan. She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes as she glanced at the clock.
"Mom, why are you on the couch?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep.
Elara, feigning innocence, stretched and sat up, "Your father was snoring too loudly, so I had to move away from him."
Nikolai raised an eyebrow. He knew his wife better than that. That wasn't the real reason. She loved to make him the villain, but the truth was that she had been the one to toss and turn all night, unable to get comfortable with her growing belly.
"That's odd. I didn't hear him snore," Nova said, her gaze flicking between them. She was trying to piece together the truth, but her sleep-fogged brain was taking its time.
"That's because I don't snore," Nikolai muttered, his voice gruff from just waking up.
Nova blinked and looked at the clock again. "Okay, I need to go get some cappuccino. And I was hoping to talk to Andrew anyway. Your bed is way more comfortable than mine; I think I should drop by more often."
"Hell no," Elara and Nikolai said in unison, their voices sharp with simultaneous concern.
Nova chuckled at their synchronized response, shaking her head. "You two are dramatic. Just wait, I'll have Andrei tag along tonight, just to spite you."
As if on cue, the door swung open with a sudden burst of energy. Andrei barged in, his bright eyes wide and a mischievous grin on his face.
"Mommy, the tooth fairy left money under my pillow!" he exclaimed, running up to Elara and proudly displaying a stack of cash. His little hands clutched the bills tightly as if they were a treasure he had uncovered.
Elara blinked in confusion, her mind processing the scene before her. "Tooth fairy?" She looked at him, bewildered. "When did that happen? I'm the one who leaves stuff under your pillow when you lose a tooth, and it's never money."
Andrei nodded enthusiastically, clearly pleased with the outcome of his latest dental victory. "Yep! See, look!" he said, proudly waving the cash in front of her face. "The tooth fairy left all this money!"
Elara's gaze shifted from the bills to Nikolai, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. He just shrugged his shoulders innocently, but she could tell from the smirk on his lips that he was enjoying her confusion. Of course, she thought. He probably had something to do with this.
"This is absurd," Elara muttered, trying to hide her smile. "How much did the tooth fairy leave you, Andrei?"
The stack of bills was thick—too thick to be just a few crumpled bills left behind by an imaginary fairy. She glanced up at Nikolai, who was still looking annoyingly smug. "Nikolai…"
"What?" he said, feigning innocence. "It's just a little extra treat. He's earned it. Losing teeth is hard work, right?"
Nova leaned back in the bed, watching the entire scene unfold with amusement. She couldn't help but laugh. This family, this chaos—it was one thing she loved about her life. Despite the overprotective father, the mysterious fairy, and the way things never went exactly as planned, it was comforting.
"Okay, okay," Nova said, sitting up now. "I'm definitely coming back tonight. You guys have no idea how much I'm enjoying watching this unfold."
Elara finally took a deep breath and shook her head, as if surrendering to the ridiculousness of it all. "I'm starting to think I'm the only one in this family who isn't running a secret operation."
"Hey," Nikolai said with a grin, "someone has to keep the magic alive for the kids."
"I swear," Elara replied with a soft laugh, "you two are a handful."
Andrei, still holding the stack of bills, jumped up and down in excitement. "The tooth fairy is awesome!"
Nova smiled at the exchange. She was glad that for a moment, the focus had shifted away from her own complications. The embarrassing scene with Andrew lingered at the back of her mind, but it was easier to brush it aside with the sound of her family laughing together. Even if her own life felt complicated and tangled, these moments of simplicity, of togetherness, always grounded her.
But as much as she wanted to stay in this cozy bubble, the clock was ticking. She had a day to get things together. A cappuccino, a conversation with Andrew, and a chance to figure out what the hell was going on between them—if anything at all.
"Okay," she said, standing up. "I'll go get that coffee now, but you're not getting any more of my money for those teeth."
Andrei pouted, but his grin returned quickly. "I'll just ask the tooth fairy for more!"
Elara shook her head in mock exasperation, but even she couldn't suppress her smile. "We'll see about that."