The Church service had been as expected. Sonya's family walking in alongside Kirill's had given most people an indication of what was happening, the Priest's blessing just confirming it. However, the good wishes for the happy couple after the service were genuine, and while Kirill proudly showed off his bride to be, Sonya was showing off the modest amethyst ring he'd given her.
And if Sonya had been in her element, Olena hadn't been far behind.
"Your Mama looks happy," I muttered to Dimitri as we stood off to the side as the young couple chatted with their well-wishers.
"Mama wasn't married to my father, so I think she's always kind of hoped one of us might wed." He didn't say she was still hoping that he and I would tie the knot, but I knew she was.
"Is she going to become the wedding planner from hell?" I joked.
"I doubt it. Although Russian weddings traditionally go for two days... It's a shame we won't be here for it."
It was the first time he'd mentioned not being around for the wedding, but we had tickets home in nine days – and there's no way we'd be able to afford the time to come back to Russia in the next few months – especially since I'd be new to an allocation and without any leave owning.
"I think they'll do something small," he consoled. "They want to wed before the baby is here, so it will probably be a service here at the Church then the Department of Public Services then back to Mama's house for the reception."
"And then Sonya will move to Omsk?"
"I guess so. Although, she'll probably come back here to have the baby. She'll want to be near Mama."
It made sense. Olena was close with her girls, and it stood to reason Sonya would want to be near her mother when she became a mother herself. Out of the blue, I pictured myself pregnant and tried to imagine Janine supporting me. The thought had me chuckling.
"What's so funny?" Dimitri asked.
"Just picturing my mother's version of 'supportive' if I was pregnant or a new mother!"
Dimitri may have been surprised by the direction of my thoughts, but he still smirked.
"Maybe Mama can fly over if that time ever comes," he suggested, dropping a kiss into my hair.
I smiled and nodded. If Yeva's vision did come true and one day I'd be pregnant with Dimitri's baby, I'd much prefer his mother around me than my own.
"Speaking of Mom, I should call her and let her know the plane home has been booked. And I should make a time to see her so I can tell her about us."
Dimitri's head shot up.
"Do we have to? Couldn't we just give it a few months and then tell her?"
Classic! Dimitri was frightened of my five foot nothing mother!
"Once Lissa knows, I have to tell Mom. It's too risky she'll find out from someone else, and you'll know she'll go ballistic if that happens."
"What are you going to tell her exactly? Everything?"
"Oh hell no! I'm going to tell we started to like each other in Baia, that it's all very new and casual, and we're just seeing where things go and keeping it low key."
"She's not going to like it," he predicted.
"No, she won't," I agreed.
"Did you want to tell her together?" he asked nervously.
"No. I think it will be safer for everyone if I talk to her alone. Preferably somewhere out of earshot of anyone else and when she doesn't have her stakes on her." I was joking. Mostly.
After telling Lissa, I was dreading telling my mother about Dimitri and me. She wasn't stupid, and she'd know things had been going on for a lot longer than I'd say. Still, I was eighteen now, and by the time I told her I'd be allocated, so there'd not be a lot she could do about it.
Putting that aside as an issue for another day, I cuddled into my man. The group sounding Sonya and Kirill was lessening, and soon it was time to walk back to the house. The Belikova's were busy getting everything ready for lunch, so Dimitri and I offered to run Viktoria to the train station for the midday train back to St. Basil's.
"What day are you arriving?" she asked us as we waited for the train to pull up.
"Thursday. We'll be arriving around 3 pm. Trials are on Friday and then graduation Saturday. Mama and everyone are coming up with Abe on Saturday morning and are going back after graduation in the afternoon," Dimitri replied.
"I can't wait to show you St. Basil's!" Viktoria enthused.
"I can't wait to see it! It's going to be weird only seeing the school I'm going to graduate from two days before graduation."
"Do you miss St. Vlad's?" she asked.
"I do. It wasn't just my school; it's where I grew up," I explained.
"Well, you'll be able to see some of your classmates. There's a few who will be graduating," she reminded me.
"Yeah! That's going to be cool. And of course, there's Elizaveta and Artyom," I grinned. "If you see them, don't tell them I'm coming!"
"I won't," Viktoria promised grabbing her backpack and walking into the station. "See you all on Thursday!"
Back at home Olena and Karolina were putting the finishing touches on the most extensive Sunday lunch yet. As well as Sonya's engagement luncheon, today was our last Sunday lunch in Baia, so Olena was pulling out all the stops. Right on one Abe Pavel arrived, Kirill and his family on his heels.
The introductions were made, and I had to stop myself outright laughing when I noticed Rada and Darya's reaction to being in the same room as the famous, or rather infamous, Abe Mazur. It probably didn't help that he was handing over his usual ill-gotten gifts, including the most enormous smoked ham I had ever seen as well as several large blocks of gourmet imported cheese that Yeva quickly spirited off into the kitchen.
Noticing how uneasy Kirill's family were, Olena seated them at one end of the table and Abe and Pavel at the other. While the food was plentiful, so were the prayers. Olena had many thanks to give for Eddie's wellbeing after the car broke down, Sonya's engagement and the opportunity for family and friends to share such an important meal together. She then went on to pray for our success in the upcoming trials and graduation. The prayers finally complete, we enjoyed the lunch.
Before long everyone was chatting easily. Abe was being his most charming, putting Rada and Darya more at ease. The conversation turned to Sonya and Kirill's wedding, and Dimitri explained the date would be set by when the registrar was available, but it would be at least a month away. As Dimitri had anticipated, they wanted a small wedding with family and friends, after which Sonya would move to Omsk.
"You'll have to tell us if there's anything you want from the States," I offered, acknowledging that we wouldn't be here for their big day so we'd be sending a gift.
"Really?" Sonya replied brightly. "I'll have a think about it. Thanks!"
"Speaking of presents," Dimitri said formally, standing up. "Why don't we move through to the living room? We have some engagement gifts to give you."
Sonya and Kirill sat on the center sofa. There wasn't enough room for everyone to surround them, so we pulled in some of the dining chairs. Sonya was almost bouncing in her seat she was so excited. Dimitri started by presenting them with the wrapped parcel that contained the clock Olena had bought on our behalf in Omsk. I was relieved to see it was very simple and looked expensive. She'd chosen well.
"That's perfect for the skinny wall near the fridge in the back room," Sonya declared, giving her brother and then me a hug. Kirill shook Dimitri's hand and gave me an appreciative nod. Next Karolina presented the couple with a decanter, Olena presenting them with matching glasses on behalf of Yeva, Viktoria and herself. Rada and Darya had some handmade kitchen linens for the couple, and even Eddie and Meredith got in on the act, presenting them with a pretty vase.
"Olena picked it up for us in Omsk," Meredith whispered when I gave her a 'when did you get that?' look.
Finally, Pavel disappeared from the room, returning with a pretty bunch of flowers. Passing them to Abe, he presented the bouquet to Sonya with an equally floral speech wishing the couple his best wishes. Then he handed Kirill an envelope. The young groom to be went to open it, only to be stopped by Abe.
"If a man owes you money, you open the envelope and count it in front of him. If he's giving you money, you open it later," he counseled him quietly. Kirill nodded, carefully putting the envelope into his pants pocket, shaking Abe's hand.
Before we knew it, Abe and Pavel had left, Kirill's family leaving not long after. Sonya and Kirill disappeared upstairs to her room, Olena instructing Dimitri that now his sister was engaged it was alright for her to be in her room alone with Kirill with the door closed. The rest of us were cleaning up after lunch, listening to Yeva's descriptions of traditional Russian weddings, including the two days of drinking involved.
I was sitting next to Dimitri watching a film later when Sonya slipped down the stairs.
"Rose? Have you got a moment?" she asked.
"Sure," I replied, standing up and following her from the room.
We went upstairs to her bedroom where Kirill was sitting on her bed.
"Um, Rose? I think your Dad might have made a mistake. The envelope he gave Kirill had a lot of money in it."
"How much money?" I asked curiously.
"Sixty thousand rubles," he replied, his eyes wide.
"What's that in American money?" I checked.
"About a thousand dollars, I think," Sonya said looking troubled. "Can you check with him? It's a lot of money, and if it's a mistake, we wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of your father."
I smiled, pulling my phone from my pocket.
"Baba? How much did you give Kirill and Sonya for their engagement?"
"Sixty thousand rubles."
"That's a lot of money, Baba. I'm sure they appreciate it, but they might think that they owe you, now."
"Owe me? Not at all. Tell them to spend it on a crib. I've heard they're expensive!"
"Not sixty thousand rubles sort of expensive," I countered.
"Wouldn't know – I'm a bachelor and missed that time in your life," he teased. "Tell them to spend it with my blessing."
"Shall do, and thank you, Baba. They appreciate it, and so do I."
I shrugged.
"He said to spend it on a crib – that they're expensive."
"But sixty thousand rubles?" Kirill spluttered.
"Trust me; it's nothing to him. But if you want my advice, don't tell your Mama or Dimitri how much it was. Just say that he was generous and it will help with some of the costs of furnishing the new unit."
"Looks like we can afford those new sofas from IKEA after all," Kirill told a beaming Sonya.
"Is it really necessary that we all go?" I grumbled on Wednesday just before lunch. I'd endured a quick hose down in the dilapidated unisex open shower at the gym after my workout, Dimitri standing outside the door to ensure my modesty. Not long after, Yeva, Olena, Karolina, and Sonya had arrived at the gym with my shoes and underwear, and we were now walking to my final fitting at Miroslava's with Meredith, Abe, and Pavel in tow.
"Stop complaining," Yeva ordered. "It is time for you to flower and we all wish to see it!"
"Yes 'Your buds are going to bloom'" Sonya mocked in imitation of Miroslava's thick accent, pointing to my breasts.
Meredith snorted with laughter.
"Hey, at least you get to show yours off. Apparently, I show mine off too often!" I growled. It was bad enough I was going to have the beige dress of horror revealed; I could do without an audience!
"It will be fine," Olena soothed, noticing me getting riled up and telling Sonya off in Russian. "I'm sure you will look beautiful!"
"Why are you here, old man? You'll get to see it on the night!"
Because Abe was going to be on campus, he'd be joining the other parents at the Graduation Ball.
"I'm just here with my checkbook," Abe grinned.
"Why are you here, then?" I asked Sonya.
"I had to come thank Miroslava for the curtain fabric," she admitted. "I figured there was safety in numbers."
I humphed at them all, stomping down the road to Miroslava's studio. Climbing the stairs, I found the dressmaker waiting for us.
"Come in, Roza," she said using the Russian version of my name. "Go and get changed into your underwear. I'll bring your dress over in a moment."
She gestured me over to the change room which was a large curtain of fabric suspended from the ceiling hiding that part of the workshop from the rest of the space. I slipped behind the drapery, grateful that apparently, I wouldn't be parading in front of Pavel and my father in my underwear.
"Put your shoes on," she instructed through the curtain before she continued chatting with the others in Russian. After about ten minutes, and moments before I was going to storm out there in my underwear and ask what the hold up was, Miroslava announced she was coming in. Sure enough, she appeared around the edge of the curtain, holding out an opened dress in front of her. The zipper was long and completely open, so all I could see was boring beige lining.
"Step in when I say then keep your eyes on the curtain," she ordered in a voice that brooked no refusal. "Mirror is outside, you see it then."
Getting crankier by the second I did as I was bid, stepping into the creation carefully, letting her pull it up over my hips then putting my arms through the armholes when bidden. I felt the dress tighten as she did up the zip. It was tight, very tight, but it fit.
"Stand back," she ordered, looking at me critically before asking me to spin one way and then the other. She reached for a stool, standing on it to fix my hair in an upstyle. "You should wear your hair up like this," she declared.
Stepping down from the stool, she gave me a final look.
"It is done. You are ready."
She motioned me out in front of her, and I walked as confidently as I could to stand in front of the Belikovas, Abe, Pavel, and Meredith.
"Holy shit!" Meredith said, her eyes bulging.
"Oh, Rose!" Olena gasped, putting her hand to her mouth.
Everyone looked stunned, and I couldn't get a read on what they were thinking.
"Where's the mirror?" I growled.
Abe stepped forward, his eyes misty. He held out his arm for me to loop mine through before walking me to one side of the studio to a full-length mirror.
"Fuck!" I said getting a look at myself in the mirror.
I was astonished. The person in the mirror didn't look like me. She looked tall and beautifully curved. The dress was everything Miroslava had promised and more. A deep sort of beige, the fabric worked brilliantly with my skin tone. While it was never a color I would have picked; now it was beaded, there was nothing boring or plain about the design. The gown was simply stunning!
With a sheer boat neck, it had small cap sleeves sitting right on the shoulders. The width at the top combined with an embroidered waist accentuated my curves. The torso had an underlining, over which was ornate hand done beading in symmetrical designs on the sheer fabric.
The skirt was tight until around mid-thigh when it splayed out toward the bottom. With a banded hem and subtle lace effect underneath the colors of the overlay, the skirt moved beautifully with every subtle shift of my body. I'd be able to dance, and I could walk relatively easily, and the gown shifted with me. I relinquished Abe's arm, doing a little twirl to see how the gown performed.
"Show us the back," Karolina breathed entranced.
I turned around, peering over my shoulder to see it in the mirror. The back had beading around the neckline and shoulder with a bare patch of sheer fabric to show off my back. The beading resumed just above my bra line, as did the under fabric, continuing down over my backside. The dress was slightly longer at the back giving a subtle train effect without impeding my movement or ability to dance.
It was nothing like I'd seen other girls wear for graduation, and that's when I understood what Miroslava had meant about not looking like a girl at her first dance. In this dress, I looked like an elegant, sophisticated woman. People seeing me stand beside Dimitri wearing this weren't going to think of me as a high school graduate; I'd look like a woman.
"I love it!" I gasped, doing another twirl. "It's beautiful!"
Olena was weeping with a huge grin on her face, and my father looked like he was tearing up, too!
"You look beautiful, kiz. A grown-up woman and I missed it all."
I turned to him and grasped his hand.
"You're here now," I smiled. "And I have you to thank for this beautiful dress!"
"You're going to be the belle of the ball," he smiled. "Every man is going to want to dance with you, but save your old man a dance or two?"
"I will Baba," I promised, hugging him.
"So you are happy, no?" Miroslava said with a knowing smirk.
"I love it!" I enthused. "It's so perfect!"
"You come see me when you're going to be a bride," she said. "I could do wonders for a wedding gown with your figure," she said approvingly, caressing the side of my face.
"That's a long time away," I laughed, rolling my eyes, noticing that once I would have said that was never going to happen.
"Where am I going?" she joked with a theatrical shrug.
Olena and Yeva checked the dress up close, admiring and complimenting Miroslava on the fine workmanship. Finally, the fitting was declared done, and I slipped back behind the curtain to get changed.
Miroslava bundled the gown into a garment bag, while Pavel popped up the road to Abe's place to collect the van. It was decided that Abe would store the gown at his house with my shoes and underwear, and Olena would make sure she brought it up on Saturday in time for graduation when they came to St. Basil's with Abe.
"You don't want to transport that on the train," she argued. "There is space in the van, and we will bring it with us. Yours too, Meredith."
That's how we found ourselves in Abe's van driving back home for lunch, my dress carefully spread out on the back seat, my underwear and shoes in a bag beside it.
"Get your gown, Meredith. Underwear, shoes and bag, too." Olena instructed as we got home. "Rose? Put your bag with your underwear and shoes."
We did as we bid, each flitting to our rooms to get the required items, taking them back out to the van.
"You take care of them!" Olena was firmly instructing Pavel. "Hang them up as soon as you get home. Don't let anyone touch them!"
Pavel solemnly promised to treat both gowns with all due care and attention, and I gave Abe a final teary hug and thanks before he and Pavel drove home.
"How did the fitting go?" Dimitri asked curiously once we were all inside. "Are you happy with the dress?"
"Yeah, it'll do," I said feigning disinterest. "It fits, and it looks alright."
My eyes met Olena's as she stood out of Dimitri's line of sight in the kitchen. She gave me a wink which I responded to with a smile. Come Saturday, Dimitri was going to have no idea what hit him!
A/N
Rose's dress is now up on my Facebook page if you want to take a look :)
www facebook com / swimmingthesamedeepwaters
