Chapter 16

• I walk into the living room and spot Maxim immediately. His face lights up, arms open wide in that fatherly way of his—one of the few people left who hasn’t put distance between us.
• “Anastasia. It’s been a while.”
• There it is—Anastasia. Maxim’s the only one who still calls me by my full name and hearing it from him is like a warm hug I’ve been needing. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until now, how much I’ve missedhomein all the ways that matter.