THE PARTY

Adrian squeezes my hand as we step to Lissa. We greet her with 'happy birthday' and kiss her forehead. The girls crowd her and Rosline starts talking animatedly about the trouble she got in at school. I don't look at the couple sitting next to her until Tasha stands and says, "Rose Hathaway and Adrian Ivashkov? It's been so long since we've seen each other."

I look at her and surprise, she's preganet. Wow.

Adrian saves me and says, "Actually, it's Rose and Adrian Ivashkov. Pleasure to see you again Tasha."

"Hello, Tasha it's been so long. How are you?" I manage to say with a smile. I had no idea she would be here, let alone Dimitri.

"Hello," she says with a smile that looks like a grimace. "I didn't know you got married."

"Four years, I thought Christian might have told you," Lissa says with her arms around my daughters. "If you didn't know that then I guess you didn't know they have two girls."

"Hello, Rose," I hear a Russian accented voice say. "Adrian."

I turn slowly, hestiantly. I look up at the chocolate eyes very much like Rosline's, have a pained expression. He looks the same. His dark hair resting above his shoulders, sweater and jeans and a stake at his waist.

"Hello," Adrian and I say, curtly.

"These are your daughters?" he asked surprise.

"I had no idea," Tasha says, quietly.

Adrian says proudly, "Yes, these are Rose and mine's beautiful daughters, Rosline and Alexis. Say hi, darling girls." He bends to them. They smile shyly with a small 'hi'.

Tasha is staring at Rosline like she might suspect something. She forces a smile that she gave me. "Such pretty girls you are and such pretty dresses."

The kids sort of stare at her until I have to say, "Girls be polite."

"Thank you," says Rosline.

"They are pretty aren't they?" Lissa says to everyone then turns to the kids, "You know I have cake in the other room if you want some."

"Yes, please," Rosline jumps with excitement. "Mommy and daddy won't ever let us have sweets at home you're the only one who lets us."

Everyone laughs.

"Well, that's because I'm the only one your mommy can't threaten." Lissa laughs.

"Oh, yes she can. She said that she'll throw grandpa Abe out the window last time. Sometimes if I promise not to tell, daddy takes us to get great big ice-cream treats because mommy won't let him have any either. Opps, sorry daddy," she says looking at Adrian.

Everyone laughs again.

"That's okay princess, well just have to find something else to sneek when moms working, won't we?" Adrian tells her smiling.

"Okay but I still want some of auntie Lissa's cake," Rosline said back at him.

"Alright, alright. You can have cake but only one piece each." I said to all three.

"How about I take you and we'll see how big we can cut it," Christian offered.

"Yeah!" they both yelled.

"Okay, let's go." Christian picked them up and carried them to the dinning room.

We all watched them go. I wanted to leave. I don't want to talk to Dimitri. I turned to look at Adrian and met my eyes and understood. Wrapping an arm around my waist he whispered in my ear, "It'll be okay. I'm here."

He kissed my temple and led me to the sofa across from Lissa.

I'M MAKING THIS CHAPTER SHORT BECAUSE I HAVE TO GET HOME TO MY KIDS. BEAR WITH ME READERS, MY COMPUTER NO LONGER HAS AN INTERNET CONNECTION SO I HAVE TO USE LIBRARY COMPUTERS. THEN FOR SOME REASON FF WON'T EXCEPT THE STORY I SAVED TO A FLASH DRIVE SO I HAVE TO RE-TYPE THE WHOLE THING THEN POST IT. I'LL TRY TO ADD ANOTHER CHAPTER THIS EVENING ABOUT 6ISH.

-DELLISA