When Natasha walks into the dressing room she finds Katerina standing in front of the mirror, fingers smoothing over the lace fabric of her dress and teeth worrying at her lip. She closes the door with an audible snap and Katerina jumps, whirling around to face her.
"Everyone's here?" she asks, voice shaking slightly.
"Last few people just arrived," Natasha confirms. Katerina nods, walking over to the table by the window and picking up the veil Joyce had delivered earlier.
"My something borrowed," she explains as she slides it into her hair.
"What's wrong?" Natasha asks.
"Nothing Mama, what could possibly be wrong?" Katerina replies, taking a seat on the settee to buckle on her shoes. "After all, I'm getting married today." Her voice cracks and Natasha crosses the room to sit next to her. Katerina turns to face her and meets her eyes.
"Right, you're getting married. According to some people I know, today is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. So what's wrong, драгоценные?" Her resolve disappears at the familiar pet name and she breaks down, slipping into her native tongue.
"Chto delat', yesli ya delayu uzhasnuyu oshibku?"
"Ty yego lyubish'?"
"YA tak dumayu."
"Da ili net vopros. Vy lyubite Jared?"
"YA. .. YA dumal, chto ya sdelal. On poprosil menya vyyti za nego zamuzh. On lyubit menya, ya znayu, chto on lyubit menya. YA skazal da."
"Da?"
"No zhizn' menya ya ne mogu vspomnit', pochemu." Natasha pulls her into her arms and Katerina wraps her arms around her mother, clinging to her.
"Then go," Natasha finally states in English, dropping a kiss to the top of Katerina's head. "Leave. You and I both know who you're thinking of right now, and you're not going to find him here."
"But Jared…"
"I will talk to Jared. Attempt to let him down easy," the redhead promises, pulling a set of keys out of the clutch wrapped around her wrist. "Take your father's car, it's less flashy. And check the glove compartment for your wedding present."
"But I'm not married."
"I have a feeling you'll get your wedding today anyway," Natasha comments wryly, placing one last kiss to Katerina's head before letting her go. "Now get out of here." She does, taking the keys from her mother and disappearing out the door and down the back stairway.
"He hates it when I speak Russian!" she blurts out the moment Dimitri opens the door.
"What? Katya, what are you doing here?" But she's already talking over him.
"We agreed to write our own vows, and that's the first thing I think of. I sat down dozens of times over the past few months to do just that, and I couldn't think of a single good, honest thing to write. English may not be my first language, but it's one I've been speaking almost all of my life. And every time I sit there, pen in my hand, I realize, I have nothing to promise him. I've already promised everything to you. Jared is standing at that altar, and by now he knows I'm not coming. Because I'm here, and I am telling you that I have loved you since I was twelve years old. You are my best and closest friend and I trust you more than I have ever trusted anyone else, save my parents and sister. So here I am, standing in front of you in the dress that we picked out, begging you to say something."
Katerina stands there, hands fisted in the fabric of her dress, tears in her eyes, and all he can do is stare at her for a moment, his mind completely blank. So he doesn't answer her; instead, he steps forward, curls his hands around her face, and slants his lips over hers.
"What d'you say?" she murmurs when he pulls back, wrapping her arms around his back. "Wanna get hitched?"
"I think your family and friends may protest the sudden change of groom."
"Then we'll go to city hall or something. And then we go on the honeymoon paid for by my parents and we disappear until this whole thing blows over. Sound like a plan?"
"I think," he begins while wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her in close, the thumb of his right hand brushing over her cheek, "that I need to pack a suitcase."
.
.
Russian Translations:
драгоценные/precious
Chto delat', yesli ya delayu uzhasnuyu oshibku?/What if I'm making a terrible mistake?
Ty yego lyubish'?/Do you love him?
YA tak dumayu./I think so.
Da ili net vopros. Vy lyubite Jared?/Yes or no question. Do you love Jared?
YA. .. YA dumal, chto ya sdelal. On poprosil menya vyyti za nego zamuzh. On lyubit menya, ya znayu, chto on lyubit menya. YA skazal da./I… I thought I did. He asked me to marry him. He loves me, I know he loves me. I said yes.
Da?/Yes?
No zhizn' menya ya ne mogu vspomnit', pochemu./But for the life of me I cannot remember why.