Chapter Twenty-Four

Dimitri

Deep breath.

The scent of pine overwhelms me as I walk down the stairs. It's Christmas morning, American time, and Rose didn't hold back. Since she and Lissa have, in fact, grown close to best friends over the last few weeks, she wanted to hold Christmas morning with both of our families here. It only took a few hours of her pleading and reassuring me that 'she who shall not be named' will never know about it, for me to agree. The last person I want here is her. Especially with the gift, I got Roza.

Yep. You already know what it is.

14K white gold, a half-carat diamond in the middle of two crossing bands, and smaller stones on the sides. Simple. Elegant. Perfect for my Roza. As much as I wanted to buy her the biggest ring in the world, I quickly realized that she never has been and never will be one for material objects. Her father made more money than I have and she never asked for anything. She is content with the small pleasures of life. Unlike her mother, Rose will never judge someone for the number of zeros in their bank account. Good or bad. Money doesn't matter to her. Heart does.

"Papa," Xander rushes to my side, throwing his arms around my waist. "Can we open presents now?"

I ruffle his hair, but Rose beats me to answer him. "Xander, I've already told you twice. We're waiting for Aunt Lissa to get here."

I look down at my little man and tilt my head, "Are you trying to get me in trouble?"

"No, I'm just excited," he winks.

I look at the small black box tucked into the middle of the tree. "Me too, Son. Me too."

If you didn't know it was there, you wouldn't see it. Xander helped me hide it last night. Thankfully, he is much better than his Mama at keeping a secret. Three weeks strong and not a peep from him to anyone about our little shopping trip after camp.

Speaking of camp, it's over. Far too soon for my liking. Despite the rocky start, I had a blast. So did Xander and most surprisingly, Ivan. He wound up with the favorite coach award at the end too. I really think his trip home helped him more than he realizes. Granted, he wasn't in as deep of a hole as I was, but it's obvious that spending a little time with his family has brightened him up. I'm certain it's going to become a yearly trip for him. Maybe more if he doesn't wind up on the All-Star team again.

As for Xander, he placed third in the ninety-meter dash, eighth in batting, and first in pitching. Yeah, he's definitely my child. Quick on his feet and killer on the mound. We'll work on the bat later. Even though pitchers in the Major's don't bat, he will need a decent swing to carry him through high school and college. That's if he wants to. We haven't discussed in depth what he wants to do in the future. He's nine - almost ten. He's got plenty of time to change his mind. I may have known at his age, but that was a whole different time. A different life than the one he is now living.

I grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen, kiss Roza's head, and walk out to the back porch. The morning sky is bright, clear, and it's a cool sixty degrees outside. Today though, I don't focus on the sky or the expansive view. Nope. Today, I stand on the back porch and look in. My place of peace is no longer contained in the miles of blue above my head, it's inside the place I call home. Where Roza, Mama, and my sisters move around in the kitchen, preparing a feast fit for royalty. My son, nephew, and nieces, sprawl out on the living room floor watching Christmas cartoons on the TV, beside the massive amount of presents under a ten-foot Virginia pine.

This.

This is the life I craved for so long.

The life I am beyond blessed to live.

The life I can't wait to keep building with the people inside.

A car door slams on the side of the house, signaling Lissa and Christian's arrival. I polish off my coffee, and head around the corner to help them unload. Rose warned me that Lissa may go little crazy buying things for the kids. Hopefully, she thought about the fact they are flying home in a week and have to pack it onto the plane. I'm not ready to see them go, but they have work and things to get back to. I did promise Vika we would fly over before Spring Training and again at the end of the season to visit. I, for one, can not wait to see real snow again.

"What's up, Cousin."

"Adrian," my eyes go wide, attempting to make sense of the scene in front of me. "What the hell?"

"Surprise," he smiles so brightly, you just might be blinded if you look too long. And as soon as the flash of blonde pops up from the trunk, I know why.

"Syd!"

I rush forward, swooping her into a ginormous hug. She's much healthier than the last time I saw her. Guess she finally learned that a little meat on her bones isn't a horrible thing. Her arms are snaked around my neck, her laughter vibrating in my ears.

"I've missed you too, Dimitri."

I set her down, holding her at arm's length, "How in the world did he convince you to come here?"

"Pretty easily actually. Once he told me about you and Rose getting back together, I had to see for myself." She makes a circle with her hand, telling me to spin around. I do as instructed, holding my arms out wide. "You're looking so much better than the last time I saw you."

I raise a brow, "I'd hope I look better than the eighteen-year-old you remember."

"Oh for sure," she laughs, "But I'm talking about six months ago. I went to your game against Arizona, you looked like shit." I take a beat back. Sydney isn't one for cuss words. Ever. "Played like it too. It's a surprise you guys won the series."

"Okay. I've heard enough. You can go back now."

Adrian steps around the car, bags in both hands, "Is she wrong though?"

"Just wait," I say, throwing my arm over her shoulder, "Next season will be a whole new world."

"I sure hope so."

"I promise."

We head into the house, and my eardrums almost burst from the screams the girls make. We all love Syd. We always knew she would be Adrian's forever - he just took a long while to figure it out. Can't say much about it though, it took me ten years, a crossed ocean, and many bottles of alcohol to get here.

Xander goes straight for his Uncle, clinging to him as if he will disappear again if he lets go. I make a mental note to have Adrian sit down with Xander later to talk. He may only be a kid, but he deserves to know why we do the things we do. His Uncle leaving without a real explanation hurt him more than he wanted to show. And Adrian needs to make that right.

A little while later, Lissa and Christian finally arrive. As expected, they have a car full of gifts. Adrian, Christian, and I unload the bags, while Lissa joins the girls in the kitchen. It's not long after that the kids grow restless and want to tear open presents. We put a pause on catching up and getting to know new people and watch them tear through everything. My heart pounds in my chest with every gift that gets pulled from beneath the tree. The pile grows smaller and smaller until there is nothing left. Adults and children alike have stacks of new clothes, games, toys, and prank gifts beside them. But there is still one nestled in the tree that has yet to be seen by anyone. Xander looks at me, then to his Ma, and back. I nod, swallowing the baseball lodged in my throat.

It's now or never.

Sixteen years. Ten of those apart. Highs and lows. Lies and omissions. But through it all, there is one consistent piece; love. No matter what happened, we never stopped loving each other. And we never will. From the moment she walked into Ash's office, her scent of lavender and vanilla wrapping around my heart in a vice, I knew I would never be able to go another day without her. And though she tried to fight it - hide it - and avoid it - I knew she wouldn't be able to go without me either. We're connected. Far beyond the child, we share. It's so much more than that. Deeper than that. We were destined in the stars, not the sand. We're bound in a way that no other person can understand. Others may have a similar situation, but no one has ours. We're more than a romance novel or movie ending. More than a typical trope. It's not just tingly skin when we touch or a flutter in your stomach when you see them. It's a soul-deep, inside the fleshy muscle tucked inside your chest, feeling them the moment they are near without touching or seeing them, connection. It's knowing what they are thinking without having to say a word. It's feeling their heartbeat ticking in time with yours.

It's our love story.

"Help me keep writing it, Roza. Marry me."

It's a statement, not a question because the look in her eyes the moment I dropped to my knee gave me the answer. She nods, tears cascading down her face, and bends to kiss me. And I can't lie - there are tears rolling down my cheeks too. It's a soul-shattering moment when her lips touch mine. An earthquake of peace if you will. Shaking all of the bad days, long nights, and exhausting trials away, falling into the cracks of the earth to be buried. They're done. Over. And a new day - a new life - is rising from the dust. A chance to have everything I dreamed of when I was just a boy in Baia, Russia, begging for a way out.

I slide the ring on her finger. It's a little too big, but we can have that fixed after the holidays. Squealing, she runs to the girls and shows it off, while the guys and I head outback. Adrian brings a six-pack of light beer and passes one to me and then Christian. We no longer have any liquor in the house. I don't mind it though. Ever since they showed up, I haven't craved it the way I used to.

"Congrats," Chris says, clinking his bottle to mine and taking a seat around the fire pit.

I turn it on with the propane switch, and sit beside him, "Thanks. And to you too. Don't think I didn't see the rock on Lissa's hand."

"Yeah, I asked her a few days ago. They say it's a bad omen to propose on a holiday," He smirks, pulling a small sip.

"Eh, it can't get much worse for us," I laugh. "We've already been through hell."

"Ain't that the truth," Adrian joins the conversation. "I'm just glad it's over."

I think we all are. It's been a hell of a ride, but one hundred percent worth it. "What about you? What's going on with you and Syd?"

"I don't really know yet. I'm fucking happy, I know that much, but I don't know where we're going to go from here."

"What's got you stumped," Christian asks.

Adrian turns his head to look inside. Syd's laughing with Rose in the kitchen, head tossed back and all. He watches her for a moment, a full smile on his face, and turns back to us. "She's happy right now, but would she be happy here permanently? Or would she rather be in Arizona with her sister? Or back home in Russia? Italy? Or England?" He leans back, a soft chuckle rising from his chest. "We've built a whole new family here. I don't want to walk away from it."

"Have you asked her?"

"Of course he hasn't," I answer first. "Because he knows that no matter what she says, he'll do it, and that means breaking Xander's heart." I level with Adrian, "I know you love him and want to be around for him all the time, but this is your chance for happiness, Adrian."

"I know. I'm pretty sure she would be happy here permanently though."

"Why do you say that?"

He pauses for a beat, takes a long drink, and looks back at me, "Because of this family. You, Little, and Xander. Chris and Lissa. Ash and Eddie."

"Don't forget Mama."

"Never." He sets his bottle down, grabbing another, "She didn't have much family growing up. Just like me and Rose. And I know everyone would be happy if we stayed here. I'm just scared to ask her."

"Well, sounds like you've got your bases loaded." I tip my bottle toward him, "Now it's time to step in the batter's box."

"You're lucky I've watched enough of your games that I know baseball terms."

Christian raises a brow. "So what's it going to be, Adrian? Swing for the fences or go down looking?"

"I'll be damned if I go down looking."

"I have a feeling we're going to have three weddings next year," Chris laughs.

We all stare at the fire pit, realization hitting us. I clear my throat, "I'll keep the pool house stocked and ready."