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I trace my parents’ smiling faces, both grinning at the camera.
To Dimitri I say, “Thank you. Thank you for coming here, and thank you for reading the letter when I couldn’t.”
He smiles gently. “I may not have shown it well before, but you’re family; you are my daughter now. You need me, I’m here. You understand?”
I nod, tears sliding down my cheeks. Leaning forward, I wrap my arms around his neck and squeeze him tight. When I let go, he cups my cheek, all while Sergi strokes his fingers through my hair.
“Peter wants to see you.” I tense but he continues, ignoring my response, “I understand you’re not ready, but he owes you an explanation. You need to find peace, not just for your sake but also for my grandbabies.”
I know he’s right, but I just don’t know how I can face it. Sergi squeezes me, getting my attention.
I look at him and he rasps, “One month.” I furrow my brows and he smiles. “That’s how long we’re staying here for. Just you and me. Dimitri will be heading back to New York tonight. I’ve spoken to your work and given notice.”
I go to shout at him—how dare he quit my job? I need it.
He puts is hand up to stop me, which makes me scowl at him. Dimitri chuckles, and I turn my scowl at him. He puts both his hands up as Sergi gets my attention again.
“Dragotsennyy,you’re about to go on maternity leave, then you’ll be an actual doctor, starting your residency. And don’t even think about putting it off, either. You’ll start in January of next year, and I’ll be with our babies. You worked too hard for this. We’ll be spending the next month here, where you’ll show me your life. The good and the bad, and if you show me the people who hurt you, then I’ll kill them for you.” I look at him wide eyed while Dimitri chuckles.
I rasp, “As nice as it is here, it’s all very….” I let the words drift, and Sergi chuckles.
“I have a place. I just bought it as a family vacation home, so you can come visit your parents whenever you need.”
My tears fall again. This man. Yes, he screwed up badly, but the love he has for me shines through.
He wipes my eyes and says, “But know this, baby, when we get home, you will be moving in with me. Our family are packing your stuff up as we speak. And whatever belongings you have in the storage unit here, we’ll take with us, and you can either keep the storage unit here, or we can get you one in New York, okay?”
I nod frantically, my love for him soaring. The pressure of years lifts off my shoulders, and I throw my arms around his neck and squeeze him tight.
“Okay, baby, let’s get going. I’ve already placed everything in the car, including your clothes I grabbed when I was at your place.” I look at him in shock while he helps me up, chuckling, then guides me toward the elevators.
Dimitri comes over, just getting off his phone, he states, “Your car is at Sergi’s. I know how much it means to you. I’ll leave you both now and come back in a few weeks with Juan, and I’ll let Peter know to give you this next month alone with Sergi, okay?”
I smile and nod. I hug him tight as the twins kick his belly, making him chuckle. Sergi hugs him too.
I hear him whisper, “Thank you for everything. Love you, Dad.”
My eyes tear up when Dimitri tears up, too. “Love you too, son.”
Then we leave, heading God knows where.
twenty-seven
Sergi – Four Weeks Later
I’m leaningagainst the hood of the SUV I purchased a week after arriving in Seattle. I plan to leave it in our private plane hangar for use when we come back. I’m watching my girl, my heavily pregnant girl at thirty-one weeks, kneeling on the ground, saying goodbye to her parents. She’s placed red and white roses on both their graves. I can see the tears staining her cheeks, and I have to fist my hands and grind my teeth to stay put. I know she needs this time, and I was encouraged by our therapist to let her do this alone.
The past month has been amazing. I know I still have a lot to make up for, but we’re getting there. We’ve talked a lot, and she let me explain where my head was at during the horror Phoebe went through, my anger, and how she basically became my punching bag, and she took it because of her love for me. My threatening words when I was drunk, and how I bruised her, made her into a whore, not caring if she got her pleasure…and I have no excuses, the same for sleeping with Mindy. All I can do is promise to never do it again, and prove to her how much I needher in my life. I’m bound for her just like she’s bound for me, and I thought she’d always be there despite my actions. I was selfish and cocky.
Over the weeks we’ve been here, she’s shown me around, and confronted her memories. We went to places her parents took her to when she moved in with them, and we’ve bumped into some of her father’s old colleagues, all who were happy to see her. She also showed me some of the old foster homes she was placed in, and I had to stand with her as the horror flashed over her face as memories come slinking back. The only saving grace is they all had new families living in them, which made her happy. I did look into them during our time here, and the old foster parents are either dead or in prison. Her father had ensured they were taken care of for their treatment of his daughter.
She also took me to her storage unit. She cried her beautiful heart out, seeing her parent’s belongings, then cried some more when we packed half of it in our SUV and took it to our vacation home. She placed certain items where she says they had to go and I left her to it, smiling at all the memories about each item. Like the crystal vase, her parents wedding gift from her father’s mother, now lives on the mantel in the dining room, where we have a large, glass table that seats six. It hurts my heart to see the pain she’s going through, but I’m so fucking proud of how strong she is. And as I watch my girl, who’s now wearing shorts, t-shirts, and dresses, showing her scars, I remember the day I brought her to the home I bought in Seattle. The house I knew meant so much to her.
I drive toward Chequered Ave., with my hand firmly on Avs thigh, my thumb gently rubbing it. I clear my throat, hoping she doesn’t bite my head off.
“Dragotsennyy?” She looks at me, her violet eyes finally showing me the love she has for me instead of pain and disgust.“I know you might not want to, but I was wondering how you would feel about seeing a therapist while we’re here?” I hold my breath as she clears her throat.
She asks, “For our relationship or my trauma?”
