Chapter 41

• Today was arguably one of the most domesticated days of Alexei’s life.
• He’d never imagined walking down a supermarket aisle with a girl like Dani, pushing a cart and weighing carrots and potatoes on Christmas day. Their preferences clashed with every choice: which meat to buy, what dessert to bake, down to which bottle of wine to get. In the end, they had ingredients enough for a party of six, and the lady at the checkout counter looked oddly festive to be working on a holiday.
• “Hosting a dinner tonight?” She smiled at Alexei. “Your wife has a busy day ahead of her.”