Hello my darlings! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates! And even if you don't celebrate, because I don't know if I've mentioned it before but Thanksgiving isn't really a Caribbean thing and yes, I live in the Caribbean, it's a great day to remember all that we've got even if we don't do the fancy dinner and all that. Sometimes, it's easy to forget to be thankful for the things we have and not dwell on the things we don't. So, whether you're celebrating today or not, let's remember to be thankful not just for the material things in life but for the people who make our lives truly worthwhile and not just today but let's keep it going year-round. Ok, so enough sappiness. That's not what you came for XD but I do love you all.
Summary: Rose has been struggling with postpartum depression and now that winter has set in in Siberia, her mood swings are flaring up again. Can Dimitri remind her of everything she has to be thankful for this year? Or will those cold, dark days cause her to go back on her meds? Read to find out and leave me some love, guys because I'm always thankful for the amazing readers that I have! Fluff, I promise.
Obviously, I don't own VA. You people should already know that! You should also know that this isn't edited.
A Thanksgiving to Remember.
Rose cursed and stomped snow out of her boots before stepping inside and kicking them off. She had been right. Siberia was a goddamned arctic wasteland. If only she'd listened to herself rather than Dimitri, but he was hot and dam her she did love him. Yes, enough, in fact, that she had opted to leave her home in California so she could move here with him after they'd gotten married nearly 2 years ago.
"Hey baby," He said as she walked into the kitchen. Her eyes narrowed into a glare. If there was one thing that usually brightened her mood, it was Dimitri when he was smiling at her like he was now and their 10-month-old twin girls Anastasia and Romania, but these past couple days had been anything but ordinary.
Ok so maybe saying the past couple days wasn't accurate enough, because ever since the twins were born she'd known something was wrong. She loved her girls, she had from the moment she'd found out she was pregnant. But when they had finally made their entrance into the world was when it had all gone to hell.
She had trouble bonding with them because she was scared to be alone with them. What if something went wrong? Why had she thought this was a good idea? Of course, it wasn't a good idea! She wasn't mother material. And then the guilt would set in, the questions of can they tell how stressed I am? Why can't I give them my all? They deserve my all. They badgered her, like a ridiculous movie stuck on repeat and drove her crazy. She didn't know why she was feeling this way, but when the twins were a couple months old after much convincing from Dimitri and his family, especially Olena who'd quickly realized that this wasn't just a case of the regular baby blues, she'd finally paid a visit to her doctor.
"Postpartum depression," Dr. Olenski had called it. Rose had heard of this, but she'd never thought she would suffer from it. But as the good doctor had said, it wasn't unusual. It didn't make her crazy, and of course she could get better. She just needed to take her meds. And take her meds she did. She started feeling better again, she started feeling like her old self again. And finally, oh dear god finally, she rekindled her bond with sleep.
It was these changes that finally made her start gradually coming off her meds. And up until a few days ago, she'd been fine. But now winter had set in in earnest and these cold, dark days were taking their toll. Her moods were becoming tied with the weather and she was finding herself sliding into that endless pit of dreariness again.
"Roza?" Dimitri asked, those depthless chocolate eyes brimming with concern. Rose blinked and flashed him a smile, but the damage had already been done. He sat Ana back in her high chair much to the little girl's dismay and walked over to her, wrapping her up in his arms. Rose laid her head on his chest, closed her eyes and sighed.
"I'm fine," She said. "Just tired, and you know I absolutely hate this place this time of year." Dimitri stroked her hair but it was his chuckle that made Rose lift her head to look up at him. She caught a twinkle in his eyes, one that spoke of mischief or something else that she couldn't exactly put a name to.
"I know love," He said finally. "That's why I got us tickets back to California." Rose squealed, her face lit up and, wait was he serious?
"Yes," He said, as though he could read her mind, a brilliant smile that stole her breath lighting up his face. "We leave tomorrow."
"Mama!" Ana said finally, apparently tired of being ignored. Rose smiled and swooped her into her arms. The little girl giggled and wrapped her arms around her neck and suddenly she was home postpartum depression and winter could go screw themselves, they were not going to affect her mood now, not when her baby was clinging to her like that, certainly not when she was looking at her with such adoration.
"Hey baby girl," She cooed and kissed her cheek. "Where's Ro?"
"Sleeping," Dimitri said and chuckled. Romania had definitely gotten Rose's love of sleep. Ana, not so much. Rose nodded and smiled, her earlier bad mood fading completely.
"Come on princess," She said. "Want to go help mama pack?" Ana started babbling, just happy to be in her mother's arms. Grinning like an idiot, Rose carried her upstairs and sat her down on the bed letting her play while she packed.
…
California was everything she remembered and then some. She hadn't realized until she was standing in the airport's parking lot how much she'd truly missed it. The sun glared down at them but Rose didn't care. After this past week of utter cold, this was a welcomed relief. She looked over at Dimitri to find him already looking at her, a smile that could've lit the world a glow on his face. In his arms, the babies were looking around happily, their nonsensical babbling making this moment into total perfection so much so that Rose had to snap a few pics.
"You guys ready?" She asked when they'd loaded their bags into the trunk. Dimitri nodded and carried the girls into the car and buckled them in. Rose grinned and swiped the keys, bounding over to the driver's door and getting inside before he could stop her.
…
Lissa's squeal when she dropped by Abe's and Janine's and caught sight of the car that had only just pulled into the garage could've raised the dead. But Rose only grinned as she got out and wrapped her up in her arms. Lissa hugged back just as fiercely, jade eyes shining. "You could've told me!" She said.
"Oh, not me. Talk to Dimitri." Rose said and went to get the twins.
…
Rose wasn't sure how it happened, but suddenly everyone who mattered were surrounding them in her parents' spacious living room. This was what she'd left behind when she'd left for Russia, close friends who all lived close to each other and saw each other all the time. While she lived here, it used to get her on her nerves, but now she couldn't be happier and neither could her girls who were being passed around from hand to hand and were loving every second of it.
Everyone hung out late into the night, the twins long since falling asleep by the time the thought of leaving crossed anyone's minds. There was talk of getting together the next day for thanksgiving dinner, just like old times, and somehow even without the news of Rose's and Dimitri's arrival being common knowledge until just earlier that day the next morning found everyone back at the house, Christmas music and the big game filling the place.
."Smells amazing," Rose said as she walked into the kitchen. Christian, Lissa's husband, longtime friend though she'd never admit to being his friend and constant pain in Rose's ass looked up from the pot he was stirring and flashed her one of those familiar smartass smirks.
"A compliment from you, Rosie?" He asked and she barely resisted grabbing one of the potatoes that Lissa was pealing and launching it at his head.
"Leave her alone, Christian," Lissa said giggling. Christian saluted but he shot her a glare and she glared right back.
"I can see that, you know," Lissa informed and they both laughed. Rose fell in beside Lissa, helping her peel and slice potatoes just as everyone else crowded the kitchen and pitched in with the cooking.
By the time they were seated around the table, a mountain of food and desserts piled around them, Rose was somewhat tired and maybe a little drunk. Her tiredness aside, she was happy, truly happy, the kind of happiness that put a radiant smile on her face and kept it there for the first time in a while.
As she looked around at her family, both biological and those who needed no DNA to prove where their loyalties lied, she realized that in spite of the struggle of the past year, she had so much to be thankful for. Not the least being her amazing husband who surprised her later with the keys to their new house, one that was right near her family though far enough away from the bustling city that they could still lead a life as quiet as the one they'd had back in Russia.
The house was already furnished and waiting for them, pictures and things that decorated their house back in Russia now on the walls in this new house. How Rose had missed the movers she had no idea. And as they put the twins to bed and Dimitri gave her a look that said if she got in the bed she wasn't leaving it for a while, she realized that, yes, this was indeed a thanksgiving to remember, and yes, she did have a lot to be thankful for and always would as long as he was by her side. Whether it was in California or Siberia, it truly didn't matter. She would always be ok because she would always have Dimitri's support and that of her friends and family.
Thoughts, guys? Was it worth your while? Did I accomplish fluff? Because there's no fluffier time of year than the holidays, you know. So leave me some reviews, let me know how you guys liked it and if there's anything in particular you want to see in a holiday oneshot. Also, my offer to work with people on holiday oneshots still stands, so don't hesitate if you've got an idea!
Review lovelies, and I shall work on helping you get in the holiday spirit with some oneshots!
XXX
Roza
