I panted lightly as I lay on the mat, my arms above my head. I hadn't felt like I had a workout this good in a long time. It felt rewarding, and I felt good. I knew I was going to be sore, but it was going to be so worth it.

"You're good," Dimitri said from where he was on the mat, on his hands and knees as he breathed heavily.

I snorted a laugh. "I know. You're not horrible," I giggled. Dimitri barked a laugh and groaned, flopping onto his back with a grunt.

"I'm gonna hurt in the morning," Dimitri moaned. I laughed despite barely getting enough breath as it was.

"Awe. Did the little girl hurt the big man?" I said playfully, turning my head to look at him. Dimitri grunted and rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. I took it as a win. I rolled onto my stomach and stretched my back before sitting with my legs crossed.

"Something kind of sweet happened today," I said, swiping his water bottle and taking a drink. Dimitri tipped his head.

"Oh?"

"My donor's parents sent me a Christmas card. They had the hospital mail it to me on their behalf. It was sweet," I explained and set the bottle down.

Dimitri smiled softly. "That was kind of them," he said.

I nodded and pulled my hair out of the scrunchy, rubbing my fingers against my scalp. "They left a phone number in case I wanted to contact them. I might do it, but I'm not sure yet."

Dimitri grunted as he rolled onto his stomach, folding his arms on the mat. "If that is what you want, but don't push yourself to do it."

I smiled and nodded, resting back on my hands. Dimitri pushed himself up and sat crossed legged too, pulling his hair out of the ponytail too.

"So, I know that things are still new with us, but, Zoya told Karo about the 'pretty lady' she met, and then my mother told my sisters that you and I went out on a few dates. They've invited you to our Christmas party. It's just family and close friends, but I'd love it if you came too."

"Do I have to dress up?"

"No," Dimitri said, "But you are required to wear Christmas pyjamas."

"Pj's?"

"Yeah, it's been the tradition for years," Dimitri said with a laugh.

"Like, corny or just festive?"

"Whichever you prefer," Dimitri said.

"Okay," I said with a smile. Dimitri raised his brows and I nodded. "I'd love to go."

I smiled at Dimitri as I climbed into his car, leaning over the console and kissing him before putting my seatbelt on.

"Hi," I said with a smile.

"Hi, Roza," Dimitri said softly. I toed my boots off and tucked my feet up on the seat, turning the seat warmer on. I was cozy in my new pyjamas and fuzzy socks, and the snow falling outside made me feel in the Christmas spirit for the first time this month.

"I'm excited," I admitted quietly as I watched the snow outside.

"I'm glad," Dimitri said as he held my hand, his usual eighties tunes playing quietly in the background. I had discovered his love for eighties music and while I thought that music sucked, I liked that he would sing the songs quietly under his breath.

I smiled to myself and started singing along to the song that was playing. I was familiar with this one and I could see Dimitri grinning.

"Oh shush. Everyone knows Queen," I said glibly. Dimitri made a face and shook his head slightly while laughing to himself. I chuckled to myself and closed my eyes, bobbing my head to the song. It didn't take long to get where we were heading, pulling into a driveway of a large house.

"Your family's?" I asked as we got out.

"No. Ivan, my friend who died, his family is hosting this year," Dimitri said as he wrapped his arm around my shoulders, "We usually alternate and it was our year, but they insisted. They said it would help."

I nodded and leaned into him as we walked to the door. The house was gorgeous on the outside; I could only imagine what it looked like on the inside. I shivered a little against the cold breeze and burrowed into Dimitri's side while we waited for the door to open.

It opened a moment later, revealing a beautiful blonde woman.

"Dimka! Come in," she said ushering us inside. I stamped my feet on the mat and handed her coat when she asked for it. I sighed quietly and laughed when I saw Dimitri's pyjamas.

"We match," I snickered. We both had the same reindeer top and black, red, and white plaid pants. Dimitri smirked and shrugged.

"Ma, this is Rose. Roza this is Ivan's mother, Anya," Dimitri said introducing us. I smiled as I returned her hug, chuckling a little bit at how she squeezed me. The name seemed to jog something in my head, but I brushed it off. Anya was probably a common name.

"It's lovely to meet you, Roza," Anya said softly.

"It's nice to meet you too," I said with a smile. Anya pulled us both deeper into the house and I smiled at everyone in the room but didn't recognize anyone but Zoya. Speaking of whom, she ran up to me and wrapped her arms around my legs with a smile.

"Hi Roza!" she said excitedly, jumping while she hugged my legs.

"Hi Zoya," I laughed, ruffling her hair softly. She beamed up at me before bouncing back to her mother, climbing up and sitting in her lap. I smiled at Dimitri as he went around the room and introduced me to everyone. His mother was warm and kind, skipping the handshake and pulling me into a tight hug. I was surprised but hugged her back. Dimitri's sisters were all nice and welcoming, and his nephew was as sweet can be.

As we moved around the house, I stopped at a photo that was on the fireplace with a beautiful urn behind it.

"Is this him?" I asked Dimitri.

Dimitri came up and wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder.

"That's Ivan. He would have loved you. I could imagine the two of you ganging up at me," he said softly and kissed my cheek. I smirked and looked up at him.

"Of yeah?"

Dimitri nodded his head firmly. "Oh yes. Ivan used to get on me about never seeing anyone romantically. Now that I have someone in my life, he would have teased me about you needlessly. I feel like the two of you would be thick as thieves," Dimitri explained.

I nodded and pulled out his arms when Anya passed by.

"Your home is beautiful, and Ivan was very handsome," I said softly. Anya nodded and looked at the picture of Ivan on the mantle.

"Thank you. He was my pride of joy," she said quietly, "He would have been twenty-six next week."

"I'm so sorry," I whispered. Anya smiled tightly and sniffed but tried to compose herself.

"Anyways, how long have you and Dimitri been seeing each other?"

I chuckled. "Only a few weeks, but I'm honoured to be invited to such an important holiday gathering. I love the decorations and the vibe. It's so cozy and welcoming."

"Thank you, we're happy you could come! When Dimitri asked if it was alright with us, we were all too thrilled. We worry about him being alone," she said and gave Dimitri a motherly look of affection. I smiled and Dimitri wrapped his arm around my shoulders, kissing my hair softly.

"You worry about me too much," Dimitri said softly.

Anya smiled sadly and stroked Dimitri's cheek in a motherly gesture. "I always worry about you, you're like a second son to me. Our families immigrated together; I watched you grow into the fine young man you are today. Let me worry over you."

Dimitri nodded and Anya stepped away to tend to other guests. I looked at Dimitri in sympathy.

"You were childhood friends with Ivan," I breathed.

"I was going to be his best man in October," Dimitri said quietly, "We invited Marissa, but I don't know if she'll come. She hasn't handled his death well. I went and checked on her the day they were supposed to be married and she was a mess. I ended up staying the night to make sure she didn't choke on any vomit. She drank so much."

"I've said it before, but I really am sorry," I whispered, "That is part of the reason I have such a hard time with my situation. I hate knowing that someone's family is grieving like this."

Dimitri nodded and squeezed me tighter. "I know. I think the thing that helps me cope is that I know he didn't suffer," he whispered. I stroked his chest softly and reached up to kiss his cheek. Dimitri breathed slowly and smiled at me.

"Thank you for being here," he said.

"I'm glad to be here," I said quietly, "And Zoya is just too cute in her jammies!"

Dimitri chuckled and showed us back to the main living room, where a new woman sat with Karolina with curly blonde hair and green eyes. Her eyes were a little red, but she perked up when Dimitri and I came in. She stood up and walked towards us, a small smile on her face.

"Merry Christmas, Dimitri," she said quietly.

"Merry Christmas, Marissa," Dimitri said softly and embraced her. She nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. I didn't feel any form of jealousy or resentment in the gesture, I knew that this must have been difficult for her too.

Marissa pulled away after a moment and looked at me with a small smile.

"Is this your girlfriend?" she asked.

Dimitri looked at me with a small nod. "Yes, this is Rose."

"I'm Marissa," she said and extended her hand to me almost awkwardly. I bypassed it and hugged her, happy that she returned the embrace. The part of me that screamed I was being a little rude was quieted by the part of me that felt so much sympathy for her.

"It's lovely to meet you," I whispered and gave her a small squeeze.

Marissa pulled back and gripped my hands, looking over me with a smile.

"God, you're gorgeous!" she said with a small laugh, "You better hold on tight to her, Dimka!"

Dimitri laughed and I rolled my eyes a little. "He does already. He's already a worry wart over me," I said with a smile. Dimitri hummed a laugh in his throat and squeezed my hand.

"Do you want anything to drink? Hot chocolate, pop, booze?"

"Can I have a glass of red if they have it?" I asked with a small smile. Dimitri nodded and asked Marissa and she asked for the same. Once he left, we moved and sat down on one of the couches.

I had to admire how strong she looked despite seeing some sadness in her eyes. She seemed so small, almost like Mia. She reminded me of a perfect porcelain doll. Except this porcelain doll had a beautiful southern twang to her voice.

"It's strange being around so many people at Christmas, my family has always been small," I said quietly.

"I'm used to it. I have five siblings and all of them have kids. Christmas at my family's house is chaos," she laughed and tucked her legs up on the couch, propping her elbow on the couch.

"Really? Five?"

"I'm the only girl," she snorted, "It was a fun time. All of my brothers would gang up on me, but it gave me quite the backbone. I wouldn't trade them for the world."

"I wish I had siblings. My mom had some issues after she gave birth to me. They planned on having a large family too," I said, "But I had a lot of pets growing up. So that helps in a way."

Dimitri came back and handed two wine glasses over and turned the cap of the beer bottle in his hand. I leaned over and pecked his lips. He smiled at me and took a sip of his beer, turning his head to look at his mother. I cozied into his side and smiled when a little girl toddled over, gripping my legs.

I smiled at her and looked to see who she belonged to but Dimitri scooped her up, blowing on her stomach.

"What are you up to? Huh?" he asked in a playful voice when the girl squealed in happiness.

"Who's this?"

"This is Katya," Dimitri said. I waved at her and she turned in his hands, her hands making a grabbing motion at me. I set my wine down on the table and took her, smiling when she snuggled into me.

"She's so sweet," I whispered. Marissa cooed at Katya quietly and let her play with the ring on her finger. I ran my fingers through her dark hair and she rested her head on my chest, her thumb slipping into her mouth.

"She's exhausted," Dimitri's sister Sonya said, "If she falls asleep, I'm so sorry. She's a clinger."

I shook my head. "It's fine. My friends' son is a clinger. Stage five clinger, I'm used to it," I said softly. I reclined back on the couch and smiled as gifts were being passed around. I was content to sit back and stroked Katya's back as I watched when a soft package was placed in my lap by Olena.

"What's this?"

"It's for you," she said softly with a smile. I smiled at her.

"I didn't bring you a gift," I apologized softly.

"That's okay, dear. I just knew that you would like these," Olena said softly. I raised my brows but indulged her, leaning back in a way to support the sleeping baby while I carefully opened the gift. Inside was a beautiful set of gloves, a scarf and a hat, all hand knitted.

"Dimitri mentioned that you get cold easily," Olena said quietly. I rubbed my fingers over them and smiled at her softly.

"They're beautiful. Thank you, Olena," I whispered. Olena beamed at me and squeezed my knee before handing out more presents. I smiled and rested my head on Dimitri's shoulder as they opened gifts, rubbing my hand over Katya's back again.

"Anya, you should go into doing Christmas cards professionally! I've never seen a card so beautifully done!" Olena said as she held up her card that was attached to a gift. I looked over at it and my brow creased. She held up the exact same card I received from the hospital.

"Can I see that?" I asked quietly. Olena nodded and handed it over to me with a smile. I smiled back at her and flipped the card open, biting my lip when I read the inside. Same gold calligraphy writing. I handed the card back and swallowed thickly.

It couldn't be the same, could it?

"Rose could start a wrapping business and Anya can do all the tags and cards," Dimitri laughed, resting his arm over the back of the couch, his fingers toying with my curls. I chuckled and brushed it off but my heart was starting to hammer in my chest as the realization settled over me. Anya got up as I passed Katya to Dimitri and she handed a large gift to Anya.

"What was Ivan's last name?" I whispered to Dimitri.

Dimitri kissed Katya's hand as it grabbed at his face. "Zeklos. Why?"

"I meant to give this to you last Christmas, but with everything that happened, it got packed away by mistake. Ivan had this done up for you and planned on gifting it to you. I wanted to make sure you got it this year," Marissa said softly and I could hear her breath hitch as she spoke.

Anya took the gift and opened it slowly, looking down at it as tears came to her eyes. Sergey wrapped his arm around her shoulder and squeezed, a sad look on his face as well. Anya picked the gift out of the box and held it to her chest for a moment before excusing herself from the living room. Sergey followed shortly after and Dimitri tilted his head to look at what was given to her.

"Ivan always promised to make her one of those," he said quietly. I leaned over and looked at it, squeezing Dimitri's hand. It was one of those glass plaques with a photo carved into it. I tilted my head and smiled at the picture of the four of them; Anya, Sergey, Marissa and Ivan.

"You'll be in my heart?" I asked quietly to Dimitri.

"Ivan grew up loving Tarzan, so Anya would sing it to him. Even as an adult," Dimitri explained. I frowned slightly and looked towards the kitchen. My heart went out to them. They lost their son, and I knew that this Christmas would be devastating for them.

I excused myself and went out to the front room, looking for my purse. I pulled the card out of my purse and walked quietly to the kitchen. I knew that they had gone in here to have a moment, but I thought maybe I could ease their pain a little.

"Anya?" I asked.

Anya sniffed and turned around, discreetly wiping tears from her face.

"I'm sorry dear, I'm usually more composed than this," she said but I shook my head and waved her off. I looked down at the card in my hand and then back up at them.

"I know that this is sudden, um, but did Dimitri tell you that I'm a transplant recipient?"

Sergey shook his head. "No."

"I received a heart transplant last year on Christmas," I said as I walked closer, "I was in a car accident. And I received this card a few days ago from the hospital I was at," I said handing the card to them. Anya looked at the card and froze.

She looked up from the card and at me, her eyes tearing up again. She knew the card too.

"Did you write this?" I asked. Anya swallowed thickly and nodded her head jerkily.

"I received Ivan's heart," I said, my voice breaking at the end. Anya sniffed and nodded her head, leaving Sergey's arms and wrapping her arms around me. I returned her embrace and hugged her just as tight as she hugged me.

I rested my chin on her shoulder and sighed quietly, letting her hold onto me as long as she needed to. Sergey came over and wrapped his arms around both of us. After a moment Anya stepped back and mumbled an apology but I shook my head and pulled her back in for a hug.

"Don't be sorry," I whispered and she hung onto me. I rubbed her back and when she pulled away she tried to clean herself up, running her fingers under her eyes.

"I'm a blubbering mess," Anya said with a watery laugh, taking a tissue from Sergey.

"It's okay, really," I insisted, "There were so many times that I thought about finding who my donor was. And then I got the card and I saw that Olena had one identical. I knew that I had to say something."

Anya sniffed and wiped her nose, her eyes bright blue but bloodshot.

"Can I ask a favour?"

"Sure," I said quietly.

"Can I feel it?"

I nodded and she raised her hand while I pressed her hand over my heart, holding my breath for a moment so she could feel my heart beating. She closed her eyes and smiled softly, a few more tears spilling down her cheeks.

"Thank you," she whispered quietly, holding her hand there for a few moments longer.

After a little bit, Anya left to go clean herself up and I grabbed the small gift I bought Dimitri from my bag, coming back and sitting beside him. He murmured that I didn't need to get him anything, but he had a gift ready to give me.

I was happy to see that in the time we did spend talking about our hobbies, I managed to get him a western that he hadn't read and wanted. He bought me a new pair of hand wraps and gloves, promising that we will spend more time boxing. I could barely contain myself in my excitement, leaning over and planting a kiss on his cheek.

"I love it! My mom confiscated my good ones," I said and pouted.

"Why did your mother confiscate your boxing gloves?" Sonya asked. I bit my lip and set them back in my lap.

"I had a transplant and my mom has been a little too overbearing since. So much so that she made me move back in with her. But when I started seeing Dimitri, I started boxing with him," I said with a smile at him. Dimitri smiled at me and rubbed my shoulder softly. I put my things together on the table and leaned back on the couch.

Everyone seemed to be winding down for the night, the kids were all fast asleep on the laps of their family and hot mulled wine in some of our hands. I had my feet tucked up under me and Dimitri's arm wrapped around me. It made me feel all warm and bubbly inside, but that might have been the mulled wine.

Olena was talking to Anya quietly about a visit she had with someone earlier that day when she spotted something on the fireplace mantel in the next room.

"Who gave you this?" Olena asked as she pointed at the painting. It was a childlike painting of flowers.

"Oh, Darcy gave me that when we saw them. I brought the twins a set of books that they were trying to collect."

"The twins?" Karolina asked as she rocked Zoya.

"Darcy and Lawrence. The kidney recipients," Anya said with a small, "We gave a gift to all of the recipients, but one gave us a gift instead."

I tensed when she looked directly at me, feeling everyone else's eyes fall on me too.

"Oh?" Sonya said with a furrowed brow.

"Roza gave me the opportunity to feel my son's heartbeat again," Anya said joyfully, but I felt a flicker of dread. I hadn't told anyone else of my revelation. I hadn't even told Dimitri.

I looked at him and felt a little blindsided. I knew that it meant something to Sergey and Anya, but it was my piece to share. Because while it was Ivan's heart, it was mine now. It beat inside my chest; it pulled the blood and oxygen through my body.

There was a lot of commotion after that, but it was muffled as the blood rushed through my ears.

I felt like I blindsided everyone.

Let me know what you think! I am fully in the Christmas spirit :)