Chapter 9

I guess arguing made me tired because I didn't wake up until the sun was going down outside. I had been tired a lot lately and I felt sick since we were on the boat, probably just sea-sickness though.

Pooka had already been awake, he was sitting next to me, "At least I'll always have you," I said as I pet his head.

He then picked up a picture with his mouth and moved it over to me. It was another one of Dimitri and me; I looked up at Pooka as he sighed.

"You miss him?" I whispered as I pet his head, "I miss him too." After that I got up and closed the big doors to the balcony, it was too cold to leave them open now. I then went downstairs to see if anyone else was there, Pooka followed me. As I got to the bottom of the stairs I saw a note on the table by the door. It said: "Anya, We are going out for the night and will be staying at Vlad's so if you need anything just go to the address on the other side of the paper. Talk to you tomorrow. Love, Sophie, Vlad, and Grandmama. P.S.: Listen to what the boy has to say, he loves you more than anyone or anything in the world."

I sat the note down and went into the room with the balcony that overlooked most of Paris. It was a beautiful sight. The lights were just turning on in a lot of the places and the Eifel Tower looked as wonderful as ever. After it got dark I went inside with Pooka and sat down in the chair that was near the doors to the balcony. I could see the front door on my right side, and the view off the balcony on my left. I was sitting there almost back asleep when I heard the door click, Pooka heard it too and he sat up, we were both now wide-awake. After a second it opened and Dimitri came in and closed the door behind him. He didn't see me until after he closed the door.

"I let myself in… there was a note on the door and a key under the door mat from Vlad and them." Dimitri said quietly.

I then stood up and looked at him for a moment, "Wait… sit down. I want to talk to you," he said as he ran in and pulled up a chair in front of mine, "Now before you say anything, I want you to know that I was planning on telling you about the layoff after we got settled in. I didn't want to spoil everything. I knew how much Paris and family meant to you, seeing you light up like that day when we arrived here, and then on the boat, on the way here, when there was that moment in the room when I thought we were really going to have a baby. I had been thinking it since before we got on the boat. You seemed different, there was something about you that was glowing more than usual. There was a point where I decided that if I wanted to give you what you deserved I would have to grow up, nothings perfect, no ones perfect Especially me, and I'm very aware that you know that, but if I want to be the best husband and someday father possible, then I am going to do whatever it takes..."

"But you should have trust me. We're married Dimitri, trust is essential for us to be able to last and—"

Dimitri interrupted me and said, "I know, for better or worse, in sickness and in health—"

I interrupted him back saying, "For richer, or poorer… I know things are going to be rough, I understand that. Don't think I don't, we both have suffered a lot in our lives. But we have each other now, we have to cherish that. I can guarantee you that no other women in all of St Petersburg and Paris could ever put up with you the way I do, we balance each other out with our flaws and perfections."

"You mean all of your perfections and all of my flaws," he laughed but then became serious again, "You're all I've got Anya," Dimitri said as he took both my hands in his, "I don't know what I would have done without you. If it weren't for you I'd probably be rotting in a jail cell in St Petersburg or living off bread in the old palace with Vlad not knowing what I was missing out here in the real world... You saved my life Anya, without you I would have no reason to live, no reason to breath. Every mourning when I wake up next to you I think to myself, That is my wife, I don't know why she chose me but she did, and I will love her with all of my heart, every second of every day for the rest of our lives… no matter what…. And I agree with you about that last part, you're the only women who I would ever let yell at me, because for some reason I hang off every word you say and I guess it just makes me mad sometimes that you can out talk me. I'm stubborn like you, but I guess I do it all for love."

I sat there looking into his eyes, he meant every word he said, I didn't know what to say or do. I tried to speak but nothing came out. He then stood up still holding my hands, "Come here," he quietly spoke as I stood up and he embraced me into his arms.

But then I figured it out, standing there in his arms I figured out what was wrong, why I had been so tired and sick it all fit together like a puzzle.

"Dimitri… you were right," I said with almost no voice.

"About what?"

"I think I might really be…."

Dimitri knew exactly what I wanted to say, "You mean, we might be… parents?" he said with the upmost sweetness in his voice.

"Yes," I said happily almost crying.

Dimitri almost started crying too, he said entuaiastically, "I can't believe it!"

"Well it is possibly you know," I said looking up at him.

"I know, believe me, I know it's possibly Anya," he said smiling, "I'm gonna be a father! Your gonna be a mother! I… I love you so much Anya Romonav Leongard!" He said as he ran over to the doors of the balcony swinging them open and running outside.

"What are you doing?"

"I have to tell the world!" He said pointing out to the view of Paris. I started laughing, there was no telling what Dimitri would do next.

He ran to the railing and yelled, "I'm gonna be a dad!! And I've got the most beautiful wife in the world!" I was still laughing as I went beside him, "Come on try it, it's fun!"

Just then dogs started barking in the distance, "No Dimitri it's late," I whispered still laughing.

Then he looked at me with those big brown eyes of his, which he knew I couldn't resist.

"Alright, I'll try…" I then stood up straight and yelled, "I'm gonna be a mom and I've got the handsomest, dorkiest, most entertaining though annoying at times husband on earth!"

"Good job! Feels good huh?!" He exclaimed to me as Pooka came outside and started howling along with the dogs in the distance. We both started laughing as hard as ever.

"Hey! I just realized something! You're wearing my favorite coat," he laughed sweetly.

I had forgotten all about it, I had no voice from laughing so hard so I nodded my head yes.

"Good, that means you missed me."

I looked up at him with an almost angry look.

"Okay, okay, maybe it was just cold," as he took me back into his arms, I smiled and put my head back on his chest and he said, "But I know inside what it meant."

We stood there for what seemed like forever, he held me close to him, he put his head on top of mine and occasionally ran his fingers through my hair. I was so relaxed that I forgot about the fight all together. Pooka sat on sat howling forever, it was funny. Dimitri then swept me up into his arms, I laughed a little bit, he closed the balcony doors, and carried me up the stairs, Pooka followed behind but as we went into our room Dimitri closed the door with his foot, leaving Pooka outside the door.