Dimitri's POV
"I really don't see what the problem is."
We'd been having this conversation for the last 24 hours, and I was really getting tired of repeating it.
"This problem is that it's gross!" Rose argued back in outrage. "Not to mention sneaky, underhanded and manipulative. I mean how many times have we talked to Mia in the last two years, and she never thought to mention she was married? Why all the secrecy unless she knew that she was wrong?"
"Maybe she was worried about your reaction Milaya. Isn't it possible that her feelings are genuine?
"Genuine my ass" Rose mumbled under her breath. "The only thing she genuinely cares about is his wallet."
I shook my head tirelessly at my obstinate wife, and knew there was no sense in arguing with her.
It wasn't as if I couldn't understand her reasoning, and I could even she why she was upset. But Nathan marrying Mia wasn't hurting anyone, so I saw no reason for her not to let it go. Was their marriage unorthodox?
Sure, I'd admit to that.
But then so was a marriage between a human a Moroi. Or even more so between a guardian and a guardian.
Change was in the air; a change that Rose had helped to start. Was she honestly so surprised that changed touched others?
Against my better judgement I was about to say as much, but a sharp knock on the door got me off track. Not two seconds later a nurse strolled cheerily into the room, and her eyes lit up brightly at Sebastian.
"Oh my word! What a beautiful baby!" And she quickly started cooing at my son.
This was a typical first impression when meeting Bash. His charismatic nature was constantly drawing others in. Like a moth to a flame, they could never seem to stay away. It was a quality he'd inherited from his mother.
"Well hello there" she continued cooing and Bash flailed around in excitement. "What brings a handsome guy like you in here today?"
Despite my constant reassurance, Rose simply wasn't satisfied. She needed answers as to why he wasn't eating.
"He hasn't been eating well and his father and I are concerned." Rose explained, although our definition of the word concerned was currently varied. Rose was somewhere on the spectrum of emotional paranoia while I choose to remain cautiously optimistic. I'd spoken to my mother and I'd done all the research; both of which insisted that this was normal. A child of his age could cut a tooth any day now and it was the most likely culprit for his sudden lack in appetite.
"Well you were right to bring him in." The nurse chirped cheerily at Rose. "I always say it's better to be safe than sorry."
From her spot on the examining table, Rose looked at me and smiled. It was the smug kind she always wore when she felt right.
"Well his vital signs look good, so I don't think you need to worry. But I'll let Dr. Zeklos tell you that herself."
Rose whipped her head around to face me and I must have shrunk 10 sizes.
Had I seriously forgotten Ophelia worked here?
A vague brush over my memory revealed a previous conversation in which Ophelia mentioned working at the clinic. It was the morning of my incident and it must have slipped my mind. And apparently now I'd pay a price for such a slip up.
The nurse who was oblivious to the sudden change in atmosphere cheerily continued out of the door that closed behind her.
"Well this should be cozy" Rose grumbled from the examining table, and Bash continued fidgeting on her lap.
"Roza" I said calmly, rising from the hard hospital chair. I knew the best thing to do right now was reassure her.
In the several years we'd been together, I'd never seen her so unsure. And I hated knowing that my secrecy was responsible for it. I'd imagined myself telling her a million times over the years, but the timing or the moment never felt right. It was such a painful memory, but I knew I'd had no right to keep it.
Not from Roza anyway.
And what was worse was that she'd been so graceful about it. Sure she'd make a snide comment if the opportunity presented itself, but she had yet to hound me endlessly for information.
I really needed to remember to thank her later for that.
After crossing the small examine room, I stopped in front of my wife and child, and I gently cupped my palm around her cheek. Her smaller hand covered mine as she leaned into my touch, and together we both let out a contented sigh.
"I'm sorry" she whispered softly. "I know this can't be easy for you."
"Oh Roza, I'm the last person you should be worried about." I told her and she gave me a warm a cheekily smile.
"Old habits die hard Comrade, so you better get used to it. I'll still be fussing over you when you're a wrinkly old man."
The sound of my hearty laughter filled the small room surrounding us, and Rose's own twinkling laughter soon chimed in. Even Bash wanted in on all the action and he let out a quiet giggle that both stunned and delighted Roza and I both.
It was in the little moments like this I was so grateful to be alive. And everything I'd had to endure to get here had all been worth it.
With a renewed sense of hope, I leaned in smiling to kiss my wife, and reveled in the softness of her lips. I kissed her deeply with a passion until we were both gasping for breath; momentarily forgetting about the baby in her arms.
That is until he let out a squawk of protest.
Pulling apart slightly, we both laughed at our soon in amusement, and we were still laughing when the door suddenly swung open.
Ophelia's POV
I wonder if this will ever get any easier.
It was the first thought I had when I picked up Sebastian's chart, and again when I walked into the exam room.
They were huddled close together with their miracle baby between them, sharing what was clearly a private moment.
"Oh I'm sorry" I apologized, almost turning tail and running out. It was the first time I'd seen them both together.
I'd seen Dimitri a week ago, but there'd been no contact after that, and my last encounter with Rose involved her mother in law kicking me out. But even both of those times involved interacting with them separately. This was the first time that I was seeing them as a family.
Dimitri stood there looking stunned, while Rose was looking between us cautiously. That's how I knew Olena had told her. For an incredibly awkward heartbeat, no one quite knew what to say, but a stroke of luck saved us all from having to decide.
"Isn't he the most precious little boy you've ever seen?" The nurse said chirpily as she entered the room behind me. "I swear I can't over how cute he is!"
I took a quick moment to access the rolodex in my brain, searching for the name of this cheerful woman. She was a transfer from the old court, and I was still getting to know most of them. But thankfully my trusty memory chose not to fail me.
"I can't argue with that Chelsea." I said smiling at Bash. He really was an incredibly beautiful baby.
"So…" I continued, mustering every ounce of confidence in me. "What brings the three of you in here today?"
Rose looked between us warily and Dimitri took another step closer, strategically wrapping an arm around his wife. It was a gesture clearly meant to reassure his wife I was no threat, and she relaxed immediately the moment his hand touched her.
She gave me a brief rundown of Sebastian's lack of appetite, while Dimitri eyed her fondly with amusement. Clearly he didn't think her concerns warranted a clinic visit, but I got the sense that Rose was force to be reckoned with. Chances were it was simply easier to humor her.
"I see" I mused out loud once Rose had finished her explanation. "Well it certainly couldn't hurt to take a look."
I took a calculated step closer to the small examining table, and Rose handed her small son over for inspection. A few standard tests revealed nothing physically to be seen, but there was still one more thing I wanted to try. I snapped on a pair of fresh latex gloves and gently began palpating his toothless gums. There was a good chance that his symptoms were all associated with teething, and he proved me right a couple of seconds later. I'd been expecting to find signs that a tooth was on its way, but I was completely unprepared what happened after.
A small bite pinched my finger and it punctured through my glove; causing me to yank back in surprise.
"Oh!" I exclaimed glancing down at my gloved finger. And that's when I noticed a spot of blood. A few seconds later I felt a slight buzz of endorphins; the kind generally resulting from a Moroi bite.
"What is it? What's wrong?" Rose questioned frantically.
But my startled brain couldn't seem to form an answer.
"Ophelia…" Dimitri prompted; his face now grim and filled with worry.
How the hell was I going to explain this to both of them?
I was fairly confident I'd found the reason for Bash's sudden change in appetite. The problem now was finding a way to make it possible.
"Ophelia" Rose pleaded, this time with anguished urgency. Her emotions were spiraling out of control in fear.
"I think I may have found a tooth…" I answered once I found my voice. "But I need to check again just to be certain."
With a shaky hand, I swiped along his gums again, and this time his lips clamped hard around my finger. The moment they were sealed, I felt the burn of a bite again.
And with sudden clarity, I knew that I was right.
"Well?" Rose asked in irritation. I knew the suspense had to be killing her.
With careful precision, I pulled my finger free, and the action instantaneously incited crying. Rose rushed to grab her child, and cradled his small body next to her while Dimitri stared at my bloody glove wide eyed. I turned to the nurse beside me who'd been watching in quiet silence and instructed her to grab a blood bag from the lab. I'd also requested that she bring me a blood drawing kit as well.
I had a sinking suspicion that we were definitely going to need it.
She looked at me nervously, but quickly did as she was told. And then I turned my focus back on Bash's parents.
"Why do you need blood?" Dimitri asked me in surprise. He looked just as baffled by the request as my nurse had.
"Because I believe a lack of blood is what's causing his change in appetite."
Neither of them seemed to understand where this was going, and probably wouldn't unless I plainly laid it out.
"I know this sounds crazy, and maybe even impossible, but all signs are pointing to one thing."
Rose rolled her eyes in irritation.
"Would you just spit it out already?"
So I ripped off the metaphorical band aid.
"What I'm trying to tell you is that your son is a Moroi."
*BOOM!*
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