Standing in the queue with the other mothers and their tots, Rose felt optimistic about the audition for the commercial. Everyone who knew Marina knew how big of a ham the four-year-old was. With her father's good looks, she was a real charmer, and she'd also inherited her mother's penchant for the limelight.
"Next!" called the expensively-dressed Hollywood producer. Rose beckoned her daughter over and led her into the studio.
"And who do we have here?" The man smiled and knelt to Marina's level.
"Marina!"
"Marina Hathaway-Belikova," Rose told the producer. If he recognized her at all, it certainly didn't show. Not that her face was that well-known anyway. She'd only recently gotten her first real break, playing the part of Mary Martin in a recent remake of 'Night and Day.' A producer similar to the one now speaking to her daughter had pronounced her singing voice 'phenomenal' and so had decided to give her the role.
"Crispy delight, at a price that's right!" Marina sang confidently. Rose had never actually frequented the fast-food restaurant being advertised, but nobody would ever guess that fact from the little girl's level of enthusiasm.
"She must have been born holding a microphone," the producer said to Rose when the session was over.
"When will we know whether or not she got the part?" asked Rose.
"Monday or Tuesday of next week." A light bulb suddenly blew. "No problem. I'll just get Dominic to check it." The producer smiled. "Dominic Belk. He's our tech guy."
Rose recognized him as soon as she saw him. From the look in his eyes, he obviously recognized her as well, and his amazement grew exponentially as soon as he saw Marina. "Bozhe moy." His eyes practically bugged out of his head, and his voice was barely a whisper as he glanced back at Rose. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Both guilty and afraid, she stared at her feet as she glanced up at him ever so slowly. "I was afraid you'd want me to get an abortion," she muttered.
"Of course not," he practically snorted. "I would have supported you in whatever you decided to do." Slowly he approached mother and daughter in non-threatening eagerness. "But you should have told me."
"Who are you?" Marina asked abruptly.
Dimitri finally managed a small smile. "I'm your Papa." It was obvious to Rose that he desperately wanted to touch the child but didn't dare.
Marina turned to her mother. "Is it true?"
Rose nodded. Marina grinned at Dimitri and held her arms out to him. Eagerly he picked her up and held her. The two of them embraced silently for a long moment in which Rose felt slightly left out. "And what's your name, little one?"
"I'm Marina! What's your name?"
"Er...Dominic." He was obviously startled but pleased by the child's gregariousness.
"I remember your telling me how much you liked that name," Rose explained.
"Spasibo." His grin was broader and more genuine this time as he held his hand out to Rose. "Shall we take a walk? We have much to discuss."
"Yes, we do," she agreed. "Like, why the hell did you change your name? Are you ashamed of being Russian now?"
He smiled wryly. "Acutely embarrassed is more like it." Rose almost felt sorry for him. The outcome of the Cold War had left many in his position lost and confused. Only a few even remained in the United States. In truth, she was surprised that he was one of them.
"There's no need to be. The world needs tech guys too." It was still quite a demotion from one of the former enemy's top espionage agents, and they both knew it.
"How's your career going?" he asked.
"Actually quite well." She told him about the part in the upcoming movie.
"I'm glad." He sounded sincere enough.
"My Mommy's a superstar!" Marina said proudly.
Rose gave a low chuckle. "Not quite."
"You shouldn't have had to go through that alone," Dimitri told Rose.
She sighed. What could she say? She'd left him because she'd had to. She simply hadn't been able to take it anymore, the conflict between her loyalty to her country and her feelings for him. Not even the discovery that Marina was on the way had swayed her decision. She'd carried and delivered her daughter, had cared for her and raised her alone, never even suspecting that she'd ever see Dimitri again.
And now, suddenly, inexplicably, he was back.
