A/N-Well, here's the next chapter. A little bit of Rose, Abe and Janine family interactions for all of you. To tell me if it's over the top cause I do see Abe as a loving father, just misguided. I tried to portray that here, where the family breaks up for the first time. It's short but that's for a good reason. Enjoy! and Review!
Learning to Love-Chapter Two
"It is only in love that a heart learns to break"
Under the nest, which is sheltered in a birch tree, a house stands, lit up by the sun. A man clomps up to the door and rings the doorbell. His heavy coat is stained red, his knuckles are bruised. His face is worn, telling the story of a victor.
It is spring now and the flowers are beginning to bloom. He stares at the rose bush then reaches down to pick one, wincing at the thorns. For him, the pain is worth it to see the smile on his little girl's face. Abe prided himself on being a solitary man, but one glance into her innocent eyes and he was sold.
A squeal rings through the house. Footsteps patter up to the door, an excited voice chattering the way there. The door opens, a tired set of eyes meet his, the bright red curls dampening from the dew.
"Daddy!" Rosemarie leaps into his arms. At two years old, Rose was ready to prove herself to the world, leaving her mother to clean up the mess left behind. Her latest feat had involved a large leap from the top of the roof into a waiting trampoline. The result left her with a broken wrist, which failed to deter her. Not that her dad helped; unconventional as always, Abe was proud of the tenacity his daughter showed at such a young age. Rosemarie would not be like most, he was sure of this.
"Hey baby girl. Did you have a good day?" He asked as he spun her around in a circle. Rose giggled and pounded on his chest, her signal for him to put her down. He hands her the flower and she clutches it to her chest. Her mother pats her on the back in an effort to hustle her off to bed. This is their daily routine. Abe comes home late and then they both put their daughter to bed.
Once Rose is safely tucked into bed, Janine turns to Abe with a resigned look. He knows that expression and sits down in anticipation for the upcoming lecture.
"Really Abe? Again?" She asked. She is upset, that much is obvious to Abe. He doesn't understand why.
"You know why I do this. Why I have to do this. Why is this such a big deal?" He asks. Janine's eyes flash.
"It may not be now, but what about Rosemarie? What about when she gets older? What am I supposed to tell about you? How do I tell her the reason her father comes home with blood on his jackets is because he's the leader of the vampire mafia? I can't do that," She responds heatedly but her fire fades at her last statement and she collapses into broken sobbing. Abe scoots over and embraces her gently.
But Janine is right. Rose is two but she will get older. Right now, she doesn't understand why Daddy's shirts are always red or why he comes home with bruises every night. She doesn't care, Daddy loves her and that's all that matters. But soon she'll wonder and she'll want to know. Janine doesn't want to be around for that.
"I'm leaving," She states blandly raising her head. Her sobs have subsided but her eyes still have a red shade to them. Abe glances at her confused.
"Alright, but why now? Can't we wait a few months?" He asks her. But something is stirring within him; an uneasy feeling rises to the surface. Janine shakes her head.
"Not we. Me and Rose," She intones firmly. Abe looks at her as comprehension dawns on his face soon followed by panic.
"What? Why?" His words are punctuated by an edge of hysteria. He can't lose them, can't lose her.
"You won't change Abe. I know that now. You still don't understand and I don't think you ever will. Rose needs as normal a childhood as she's going to get and she won't find it here. We're leaving, this time without you," Janine says with a hint of sadness. Another sob breaks free as Abe falls to his knees. She loves him but she knows that sometimes love isn't enough. She has abandoned her duty for far too long.
That night, as one life is born, another is irrevocably changed. Rose spends the first months in a constant state of denial, refusing to believe that she will never see Daddy again. Finally though, her childish grip relinquishes its hold on her father's memory and she loses all sight of her life in Russia.
Janine returns to work, throwing herself into the familiar oblivion of guarding, blocking out everything that reminds her of what she has left, including her now four year old daughter.
Far away, in the barren landscapes of his home, a man holds a silent vigil for everything he has lost. He will not let himself forget.
But memories are fading for a four year old-St. Vladimir Academy's newest recruit. It is time for her to grow up.