Surprise, Surprise - Part 4
The next 2 months flew by in a breeze. Well for everyone else it was a breeze. For me it was hell filled with morning sickness and fatigue that I wouldn't wish on my mortal enemies. I swear I threw up every day at least once. I actually lost weight. Aren't you supposed to gain weight when you're pregnant?
Dimitri and I had trained our replacements to satisfaction. Lissa worked on planning our wedding every spare minute she had. It may be a small wedding but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be elegant or memorable.
In any event, I was currently at the royal air strip in Hawaii where my wedding would take place in a few days. We arrived the day before last and I was waiting for Dimitri's family to land to take them back to the hotel. They still had no idea what was waiting for them.
"Roza!" Olena called out and practically crushed with her embrace. "You're absolutely radiant".
I got similar responses from Sonya and Karo. Paul and Zoya jumped on me, yelling they missed their Aunty Roza. I missed them too. I also met Sonya's baby for the first time and boy was she a cutie! Everything about her was pink, from her rosy cheeks to her perfect pink little lips to her pretty pretty dress. It was adorable.
Yeva trailed behind them giving me a knowing look. I wondered how much she actually knew. It would be a real kick if I could surprise her too.
But the reaction that caught me most off guard was Vika's. I don't really know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn't this. She jumped on me in an embrace knocking me off my feet. She kissed and kissed my cheek begging for forgiveness. I was already laughing hysterically before I hit the ground.
"It's alright Vika, you're forgiven! I already told you this when we spoke last month. Please get off me, you're crushing me!" I was still trying to catch my breath from the laughing.
Once we got to the hotel I told them that I know they had a long flight but I was taking them out for brunch on a beach that they need to be ready for in an hour.
When we arrived at the beach and everyone was seated I told them I had big news.
"I invited you here for a celebration. It's actually my wedding that you'll all be attending in a few days. Surprise!"
They congratulated me half heartedly, knowing in their hearts that my true place should have been with Dimitri. That this was too soon.
"Anyway, I wanted you to meet him. He should be here any minute. Keep in mind that it's a very sunny day. The sun is shining and we are perfectly safe from any strigoi."
"Rose, what's going on? Why are you being weird?" Vika asked. And that's when he strode onto the beach in all his six foot seven glory, in Bermuda shorts and a Hawaiian shirt with s few buttons undone, his hair blowing with the slight ocean breeze. He really could pull off any look. Even in that ridiculous shirt he was dead sexy. I couldn't take my eyes off him.
They all turned to see what I was staring at and gasped.
"Dimka?!" Olena was the first to come out of her daze as he practically ran to her. "Is it really you?"
"It's me Mama".
She embraced him. "How is this possible?" She asked him, while Vika flung herself at him next.
The answer came from Yeva. "She saved him. Roza brought back our Dimka". She didn't look to surprised. Damn it! They all accepted her answer like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
They continued hugging him and kissing him while he just beamed. I couldn't help the happy tears I shed. I was extremely hormonal after all. I did take a few pictures with my phone. If this wasn't a Kodak moment I don't know what is.
The conversation went back and forth from English to Russian. They asked questions how this happened and so on until finally Karo looked from Dimitri to me and back to her brother and said loud enough for everyone to hear "Wait, you said you invited us to meet your future husband. You two are getting married?!"
"Yes". That just started another round of ear piercing screams of excitement.
When they settle down just a bit Vika shamelessly asked if I had any bridesmaids.
"Well, Lissa is my maid of honor and my wedding planner, but I do think I need another bridesmaid. I just can't for the life of me figure out where I'm going to get one" I said playfully. Vika started jumping up and down. I turned to Sonya and Karo and said that if they were interested I'd love for them to be bridesmaids as well. And of course Zoya would have to be a flower girl.
"Uncle Dimka, can I be the ring barer?" Paul asked beaming. He was getting so big. I wondered if he's be taller than Dimitri.
"No, Paul. I'm sorry." Paul was on the verge of tears. I'd feel bad for him if I didn't already know what was coming. "I have a very important job for you though. I would be honored if you would be my best man".
"Of course Uncle Dimka!"
After a while of discussing the wedding we made plans to meet up tomorrow, Olena wanted to meet my mom.
"Lissa scheduled a lunch for everyone for tomorrow, so you'll meet my parents then."
"Parents?"
"Yeah, my mom and my dad. Well you actually already know my dad." I hesitantly continue "It's Abe Mazur".
The silence was broken by Vika's "Holy shit! You're Zmey's Daughter?! Your dad is actually Zmey?! No wonder you're such a badass!" and at that the tension was broken and everyone laughed.
We started making our way back from the beach, after all they had an extremely long flight and a very emotional day, they needed to rest, especially the little ones.
As they left they each hugged me.
Sonya just had to comment "Jeez Rose. You're getting kinda big in the boob area. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were pregnant". She tried to laugh it off as a joke that meant nothing, but it threw me off. My response or lack there of confirmed her suspicion. Vika was the only one that had the audacity to ask who the father is.
And again Yeva answered for us. "It's Dimka of course. Did you have any doubts?" Just like that she turned around and started walking to her room. Everyone else just looked at us with mild skepticism. Mild only because it was who Yeva said it.
Dimitri quickly added that it was possible because of residual effects of Spirit from him being turned back to dhampir and me being shadow-kissed at the time of conception. They seemed to accept it. Just when I thought they couldn't get any happier (or louder) the excitement started again. We also explained that no one could know about this. It would be very dangerous if the true identity of the baby's father was common knowledge. They all agreed.
Hours later we finally got to bed. I was so exhausted from the day that Dimitri practically carried me back to the room.
"I love you, milaya. Thank you so much for today." He kissed my forehead. "Words will never express how grateful I am to you for everything you've done for me, but I'll spend the rest of my life trying to prove it."
I of course had a wonderfully mischievous idea. "Comrade, I see you proving your gratitude many times over in the next few months, and your gratitude will be in the form of foot massages and back rubs". He burst out laughing. I loved making him laugh.
"You think I'm kidding, but if I have to push out you're giant Russian baby the least you can do is rub my feet and back". That just made him laugh harder.
"Of course, my love. Shall I start right away?" I couldn't hold back my own laughter any more. His was just so contagious.
"I can't believe that in a few days I get to call you my wife. And in a few months I'm going to be a father". If his smile grew any wider it would literally hurt. "I love you, Roza" he kissed my forehead.
"Will you love me even when I'm fat and I've lost all my curves?"
"Yes, Roza, even then" he smirked.
"You jerk! You're supposed to console me!"
He laughed again. "Roza, you're pregnant. You're supposed to gain weight, it means the baby is growing. And besides I'm more in love with you every day, and I find you even sexier now that you've started to show just a little."
"That's a little kinky, Comrade. I didn't know you swung that way". Now it was me that was smirking. And yawn, again.
"Good night Roza".
"I love you, Comrade. Good night" I barely got the last words out before I fell asleep.
The day of the wedding had arrived.
Lissa wouldn't let Dimitri and I spend the night together. Something about the groom not seeing the bride bla bla bla. I said I didn't really think it was necessary. I was already pregnant. What else could happen?
It was a few hours before the ceremony and I was getting ready in my tent. Since we were on the beach, apparently a tent was the way to go. You must be picturing some funky camouflage -green colored tent. But this thing had everything! It was huge. It had sofas, and vanity tables and mirrors so all the brides maids and Janine and Olena could get ready. Even Yeva was there. We had drinks and finger food. This thing even had air conditioning. "Nothing's too good for my sister". That's what Lissa said.
Everything was perfect. But then why was I so nauseated? I was getting hard to breath and I wasn't even wearing my dress yet. And of all people, it was my mom that noticed. She asked everyone to leave the tent for a few moments for a mother daughter moment.
"Ok. What's going on?" My mom looked concerned. Guess she left the guardian mask at home for her only daughter's wedding.
"Nothing. Everything's great" obviously lying.
"Not it's not. You're jumpy and pale. You haven't touched any food all day. And you're practically hyperventilating. Are you getting cold feet?"
"Is that what that is? Good, because I thought I was going to die." I started taking panicked breaths.
"Rose, talk to me. Why are you all of a sudden this nervous? Are you having second thoughts?"
I nodded. "And third and forth. What the hell am I thinking! I have NO idea what I'm doing! I don't know how to be a wife, or a mother and I'm about to be both! I feel like I'm giving up so much right now. So much that it's suffocating me. I'm giving up my youth, my career, my body, my vagina! I'm not even nineteen years old yet! Oh God, I'm going to be one of those teenage moms from bad reality tv shows, Mom. I'm freaking out!" And this is the part where I really lost it. "Maybe you can sneak me out of here? And I'll hold the baby in for a few more years, just till I'm ready?"
My mother looked at me sympathetically. "I wish I was a better mother. Maybe that way I would know how to comfort you. Maybe I should get Olena?"
"Absolutely not! How the hell am I supposed to tell I don't know what the hell I'm doing? I'm supposed to be marrying her son for Vlad's sake!"
"Rose, look at me. Calm down, this stress isn't good for the baby. Take a deep breath, and exhale". We did that breathing exercise a few time until I calmed down enough to have a rational conversation.
"Rose, you are one of the strongest people I know. You can do this. And I know you'll be a better mother than I ever was. You know how I know? Because you already are. You put this baby before yourself at every turn. It's safety is the most important thing to you. I have faith in you, you'll do just fine. As for your career, it's only on hold right?" I nodded. She stroked my hair. "And you're a dhampir, I promise your body will bounce back when you start training again. As for your youth, I'd hate to tell you this but you're a guardian. We tend to grow up fast." She paused for a moment, seeing that her words were actually calming me down. "I know you love Dimitri. I don't think I've ever seen a love quite like yours. So ready to die for one another. I know you want to spend the rest of your life with him, you might as well start now." Finally she said "I know it seems like you're giving up a lot. But don't think of it as giving up, think of it as changing course". I was almost over my mini melt down. And then She looked at me and took away all my worries "I know I don't say this much but you have to know how proud I am of you and how much I love you, Rose". We hugged.
I got all teared up and started fanning my eyes with my hands like a ditz. "I can't smear my make up, Lissa will kill me!" and we laughed, mom dabbed a tissue under my eyes. A true mother daughter moment.
My mom called everyone back and we finished getting ready. Everyone left the tent to get ready for the walk down the isle. Abe, in his flashy suit, came to escort me.
As we arrived at the beach were the ceremony was being held, I took my first look at the venue. Oh, Lissa, you have outdone yourself. The beach looked amazing. We were having the ceremony and the mini-reception at the same location, so to the far side of the small beach was a long table for the entire wedding party of 30 of our closest friends and family. Right next to it was a small deck which I assumed was our make shift dance floor. Just across from the dance floor was the wedding altar and the isle. Of course everything was white and covered in lilies. The altar was set so that while Dimitri and I were facing the judge marrying us we'd be facing the ocean too. We were having the service just after sundown. It was a full moon so more lighting wasn't really necessary but the addition of lanterns gave an even more romantic mood to the entire ceremony.
I looked at all our guests, and was most surprised to see Adrian was there. I don't think he'd show, but here he was chatting up Sydney. Alberta was also in attendance. I didn't realize how much I miss her.
My breath caught as I noticed that Paul, Christian and Dimitri were already at the altar, and so were the bridesmaids. Lissa was just getting to the altar which means it was my turn next. Please Rose, don't throw up, was all I could think.
That is until I got to the isle. With my dad escorting me I locked eye with Dimitri. We were having one of our silent conversation. When I stared into those beautiful brown orbs of his I knew I was an idiot for ever having any doubt. I also realized that my doubts were never about him, they were about me. He looked at me with pure adoration. I wanted to run to him, good thing my old man was holding me back, that would have been embarrassing. The closer I got to Dimitri the more of him I saw. He was barefoot, but so was I. We all were, it was a beach wedding after all. His hair was down just like I love it. He was wearing a crisp white tux shirt, no jacket or tie, and black dress slacks. His shirt that hugged his chest and biceps beautifully was tucked in, slightly unbuttoned and the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His slacks hung low on his hips. I insisted he didn't need a monkey suit, he would look amazing in anything. And I was right, he looked like a model that just stepped out of catalog.
But what caught my eye the most was the way he was staring at me. As I was taking him in, he was taking me in. He looked as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Like if he took his eyes off of me I'd disappear. I knew I looked good but, I didn't think I looked good enough to elicit such a stare from him. It made me blush and wish we were alone on the beach.
As I reach him and he took my hands in his I felt the familiar shock that jolted me every time we touched. That's never getting old.
"Roza, you look… like a goddess."
Everything was a blur after that. We said our 'I do's, for all the days of our lives, and kissed sweetly. It was only then that I heard our friends and family erupt with screams of joy and even some wolf whistles. I smiled at the thought that it had to be Eddie and Adrian whistling, and then when I saw it was Alberta as well, I full out laughed.
Dinner was wonderful. Desert was amazing. We laugh and danced the night way.
My happily ever after was starting.
