Page 128 of Ghost Ribbon

I reached down and took his hand. “Tell me.”

He exhaled. “You never kiss my head,” his tone was accusatory. “Why do you kiss his?”

He had seen me kiss Rei’s head.

Which meant he had either watched through the hospital window, or he had some kind of camera access to Rei’s room. So he was jealous.

That was cute.

“My apologies, baby,” I said softly. “I didn’t know you wanted that.”

His eyes widened.

It was the first time I had ever called him that. I had thought about it before but I never said it out loud because it had always felt too soft for him. But it came out now.

Naturally.

I got on my tiptoes.

His height was always an issue, but I had learned to compensate. I reached up with both hands, caught the sides of his face, and guided him down toward me. I kissed the top of his head.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Four.

Five.

Then I kissed his face. His forehead first. Then his temple. Then the corner of his eyebrow. Then his cheekbone. Then the bridge of his nose. Then the other cheek. Then his jaw. Then back up to his forehead again, pressing my lips against his skin like I was trying to memorize the architecture of him through touch alone.

His hands had come up to rest on my waist and I pulled back, just enough to see his face.

His eyes were closed and his expression was something I had never seen before.

“Alexei,” I whispered. “I’ll kiss your head every day, if you want.”

His voice was vulnerable in a way I had only heard a handful of times before: “Yes.”

I smiled, and he pulled me against his chest, and my heart didn’t hurt anymore.

***

A few days later, the door burst open with a blur of blond hair.

That was my first warning.

“MARIOOOOO! I’M HERE!”

Ilya.

He came through the doorway like a small tornado with legs. He had three different bags hanging off his arms, and he was heading straight for me with the clear intent of launching himself at me like a missile.

He wanted to hug me.

I could see it in the way his arms were already extending, his whole body leaning forward, his trajectory locked. Alexei’s hand caught the back of his collar before he made contact.