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That made me smile harder

“Yeah” I took the plate she just washed and dried it off “Vik and I decided ant the baby to be part of the cere What’s another year?”

Anika’s eyes bugged out “A year?”

Ksenia spoke from the hallway entrance “Yes What’s another year?” I spun to look at her and found her staring emotionless at the tiny bump that had for her though, she pasted on a robotic sood to hear a child’s laughter once more Family is so important” Ksenia paused to shoot a look at Anika, and her body had noticeably turned rigid “Wouldn’t you agree?”

I wondered if Ksenia knew that Anika was infertile Because if she did, that was soht in front of her

The hairs on the back of e woet out of here”

I went about drying the dish in ot one, ht in my throat

“I knoas her hushed reply

Anika looked at aze full of an unreadable ee in her eyes, but no e in which the communication ritten

What was she trying to tell me?

No doubt, her depression had waned sohter, her s down her heart It hadn’t escaped my notice that she left the house as often as she could, spending her days with Vik andas hu her welcome

It took ure it out, but I was pretty sure I knew the cause

It was Ksenia

The intense woman made Anika uncomfortable; that much was obvious How deep that discoht-lipped on the subject But, at lunchtime, when Ksenia passed Anika and her arm brushed h she’d been struck