Five months passed since that bad day with Rika, Adrian, and Andre.

The days and nights seemed too long without him. Adrian. Even thinking his name made me sad. I cried myself to sleep. I woke up with no emotion on my face. The only thing that helped me get through was my two wonderfully beautiful kids. This was much less unbearable then when I had learned that Dimitri had been turned into a Strigoi a couple of years ago. What hurt most was that we were apart for a damn lie! A damn lie that his supposed brother had created.

I got out of bed. I put my hair into a pony tail as I walked into the bathroom. I took a shower than walked out to my bedroom. I went to the dresser on the corner of the room. I pulled out a nice gray dress like shirt, a nice pair of Victoria's Secret jeans, and some black heel boots that went all the way to my knees from my overcrowded closet.

I straightened my hair and went to the kids rooms.

Since I had all that money that from Victor Dashkov, I had a decent apartment.

I had bought this apartment with four rooms and three bathrooms. The master bedroom was used by none other than me. The second biggest room was for Taylor since a girl needed her space. Ervin got the room after Taylor. The last room was used as a guest room, but since I never had anyone over, it mostly used as a play room for Ervin and Taylor.

I walked into my nine month old baby girl's room since she was always the first to wake up. Her room, I had hired some professional decorators, was painted light baby pink and some very light green. Her crib was now square since she used to get dizzy all the time in the round crib. It had a pig bedding set since she was obsessed with pigs.

I lifted her out of her crib and into her arms remembering the way when I first held her in my arms four days after she was born. She really was adorable and big. "Hey, precious." I just held her in my arms for a while. I loved her and I loved this. Being a mom.

Taylor's nanny, Alvita, walked in the room. "Good morrow, Ms. Rose!" The elderly nanny exclaimed. Intertwined with her fingers, Ervin stood beside her. "Mom!" He exclaimed.

"Hey, baby." I shifted Taylor into a sitting position so that she could be sitting now and not laying, and patted my lap so that Ervin could hop. Ervin was now one year and ten months, almost two.

"Ms. Rose, breakfast is ready." My maid servant now said ,standing in the door way.

"Thank you, Nina. We'll be right out." She nodded and went back to her cleaning duties.

"Miss, would you like me to bathe Taylor right now or later on?" Alvita asked.

"Later on, Alvita. Let's go eat come on." I put Taylor to my hip and grabbed Ervin's hand in mine. We walked to our dinning room table.

The living room was in complete view from where we sat. It was a big living room that was all I had to say. Leather couches, two flat screen TVs', a surround system, some tables that matched the couches, lamps that matched the couches' colors, a fish aquarium that Taylor was obsessed with, and a coloring table for kids were all set up in the living room.

It wasn't like my old house, but it was better than nothing.

I sat Taylor in her high chair next to me, Ervin on the one opposite side of Taylor. Nina brought us our plates then their was a knock on the door. My usual guests.

"Morning, Rose!" He said, kissing my cheek, Taylor's, and Ervin's. He didn't do it as a sign of affection. He did it a sign of a good brother.

Christian sat down on the other side of the table. "Pancakes!" He exclaimed.

Dimitri walked in after him. He too kissed all of us. "Gooding morning, Rose." He sat down next to Christian on the other side of me. Dimitri and Christian had made up a routine over the last few months to come over and eat breakfast and to see how the kids were doing. I was grateful for that.

We ate breakfast ,talking about the kids. "So how are your girls, Christian?" I asked when we were done. He was playing with chubby Taylor but when I asked, he stopped. I usually didn't ask questions about his life, anything that involved Lissa.

He got that adoring look. "They are great. Arianna is now almost four, Kristin is now three, Evon is two, and Lissa is pregnant again."

I smiled. "That's good to hear." And that was.

I turned to Dimitri. "And how is Yaritza doing?" I had recently learned that Dimitri and Yaritza couldn't conceive. Yaritza had gotten an infection that messed up her reproductive system. Dimitri and Yaritza couldn't have kids anymore. I mean, she got pregnant but her the babies usually died after the second month of pregnancy.

"She is not doing good." I nodded ,understanding completely. I would have been sad too if I hadn't been able to have kids. I sighed happily. We continued to talk about that and whatnot.

I was so caught up in my conversation that I wanted to shoot my phone when it rang. I sighed as I answered my new phone, the Droid. "Yo, what's up?"

"Rose, Ivan called said he wasn't going to make it to the clinic."

"But what the hell today's my day off! I have nobody to watch the kids!" That was a lie. They had their nannies I just didn't want to go to work.

"But, Rose, we need you here. Why did you become a vet if you don't even come to work?" Over the span of a year, I had gone to school and got my license as a vet. I had opened up a clinic of my own and hired the most sought out vets to work there.

"Lidia. . ." I had no choice but to go to work. "I'll be there in a thirty minutes."

I stood up. "Christian, Dimitri, I'm sorry but I have to kick you guys out. I mean, you guys could stay if you want to , but I have to go to work."

"Alvita! Nina!"

They were standing before me in less than ten seconds. "Yes, Ms. Rose?"

"I want you two to take Ervin and Taylor to the mall buy them whatever they want and then take them to the park. Got it?" I handed them both some of my credit cards. "Buy something for yourselves too. Oh, and do not go out without their guardians or you two are fired got it?"

"Yes, Ms. Rose."

"Alright, I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Rose? Can I go with your kids too?" Christian asked. "We have, well I have nothing else to do later on."

"Yes."

In ten minutes, they were ready to go. I kissed their foreheads as they left. "Remember, mommy loves you both." The guardians and my staff and Christian left soon after.

That left Dimitri and I alone. Which was awkward. I walked around the house looking for my damn purse. I had my wallet, I just needed my purse.

"Looking for this?" Dimitri asked.

"Yes, how'd you know?"

"I got expertise with Yaritza."

"Cool."

He looked at me intently as I rummaged through my purse for my keys. "Rose?"

"Yes?"

He took a huge breath. "I still love you."

"That's good to know, Dimitri, but I got to go." Damn, where were these keys?

"Rose, I still love you. I watch those kids and realize they are living without a dad."

"No shit, Dimitri. I know they don't have a dad."

"I could be their dad, Rose. I love them as if they were my own. I would be their father, if you let me, Rose." He walked to me and unexpectedly kissed me.

I pulled away and slapped him hard. "You bastard! How could that? You married to Yaritza! Did you forget the promise you made to her on your guys' wedding day?"

"Yeah, just like Adrian forgot his promise to you not so long ago." It was an awesome comeback but coming from him, it didn't sound so good.

My jaw dropped. I slapped him again. "Go to hell, Dimitri! I never want see your worthless ass again!"

He grinned and handed me my keys. "I know you still want me, Rose."

I walked up to him and looked him up into his eyes. "You were back then, Adrian is now."

"I can't believe you still love that asshole, after what he did to you."

"Yeah, well, no one said love was easy or fair. You especially better than no one should know that!" I walked out the door and slammed it.

I didn't cry. I didn't have it in me to cry. I just got into my car and did what I always did. I though about everything else except anything that involved love.

On my way to my animal clinic, I spotted that green sign. "Oh, hey Starbucks!" I pulled into the drive through.

"Hello, welcome to Starbucks, how may I help you?"

I looked at the menu and ordered. "Can I get a sweetened passion iced tea with raspberry syrup and a slice of pineapple bread."

"Okay, is that all?"

"Yes."

I paid at the second window and left finally to the clinic.

When I arrived at the clinic, Lidia was having some argument with a client.

"What is going on here?" I said.

"I have waited two hours for you guys to check my dog and still nothing."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Look lady, if you don't want to wait any longer, the door is over there. And your dog could die for all I care. Or you could stay like all the good clients here. So what is it?"

"I must stay. My dog needs to be checked."

Exactly! I almost burst out laughing. "Lidia, who is up first?" I asked.

"Mr. Ivarra."

Mr. Ivarra was an usual client here. He was an awesome old man and I loved caring for his pets. "Mr. Ivarra, how are you doing?" I asked, when I was ready to see his yellow lab.

"I am doing great, Rose. How are your kids?"

"They are fine ,those trouble makers. So how is Tina?" His wife was one of the nicest old laities I hade ever seen.

"The doctor said she was doing better and she is."

"Good, good."

"And so how is my dog doing?"

"He will need his monthly shots but other than that he is fine." He left and went to the nurse to set up another appointment.

I treated and cared for all my client's pets that day quite well that day. The only problem I had, was a I had to do an emergency operation. On a cat. Come one, guys, I hate cats! And they hate me. Although I was dhampir, the animals liked me well.

I was up to my last client. I gasped when I saw who it was.

She came in and I swear I wanted to cry in that second. She looked very different. The only that made me recognize her was her green eyes. She had way too much weight and I had thought that I had lost weight. She made me look fat. If I was a size three, she was probably a size one or zero. "Rose. . ." she said softly, looking at me.

"Yaritza!" I hugged her. I think she needed it.

She hugged me back hard. "I heard what happened with Adrian and you. Damn, that Rika and Andre for doing that to you."

"Don't worry about that." I pulled away. "Yaritza you are not okay."

"How could I be, Rose. My marriage with Dimitri turned into a total disaster since I can't have kids."

"It's not. Yaritza you have to move on. So you can't have kids, I don't have a husband, my kids don't have a dad, and look at me I'm great." Not true! I cried for Adrian every damn night.

"You're strong, Rose. I am not. Dimitri sill loves you. You could get back with him."

"But I don't love him; I still love Adrian. My hearts still belongs to him just as his still belongs to me." Somehow, I knew that.

"Look, if you're having problems with Dimitri then you can come live with me. I'm sure Taylor and Ervin would be glad to see you."

"I wish, Rose. But I can't. I have to get back to Dimitri." Okay, I was not getting this girl. First, she wanted to leave Dimitri and now she wants him.

She shook her head. "I don't know what I am doing here. I don't risk you stealing my man too." She left without glancing back.

I forgot all about her as I got ready to go back home.

I arrived to the house after forty minutes after that.

"Mommy!" Ervin screamed when he saw me walk in through the door. Taylor crawled as fast as her legs allowed her to me. It was very cute to watch.

I picked both of them up into my arms and kissed them. "Hey, precious." I said to Taylor who was now giving me one of her sloppy kisses. "Hey, panther!" I said to Ervin. A panther was Ervin's favorite animal.

"Lady Rose, it is good to have you back in the house." Nina said coming from the other side of the room.

I went to go sit on the couch taking off my black boots. "So how was everything at the mall today?"

"It was great. Ervin wanted a tractor thing, and of course we had to but it for him. Alvita and I thought an outfit was super cute for that little monster, Taylor, so we bought it for her. And we bought ourselves something, like you asked, Ms. Rose."

"Good, Nina, good." She nodded and asked if she was excused.

"Mom! Mom!" Ervin exclaimed.

"What is it, honey?" I asked, stroking his hair.

"Come with me! I want to show you my tractor!"

"Okay, but first, did you eat already?" I asked, putting on my motherly face.

"No, I wanted to wait for you." That threw me back for a little while.

I kneeled to look at him. "Why would you do that, darling?"

"I wanted to wait for you." He repeated. I loved this child. I would die if anything happened to him.

"Thanks, baby, but what if I didn't come home? Would go on without eating?" I said, teasingly.

"No, Mommy, we don't say that. Of course, you'll be here just like I will be here for you. I am not like daddy."

I hugged him to me, practically crying. Trying to make the mood a little fun I said. "Come on, lets go eat, kids!"

We ate dinner and then it was time to put them to bed.

"Ervin, go with Nina and wash your face. I'll be in your room soon."

"Rose, do you want me to take Taylor, too?" Nina asked already reaching for my monster daughter Taylor.

"No, Nina, I'll take her." With that, she sauntered off with Ervin in her hands. I sat down and started playing with her favorite toy. A pig, obviously. Every time she threw it, it would oink, oink! She laughed every time it did that. It was wonderful.

I laid down watching her play. She saw me laying down and crawled to me. That little monster! She fixed me with her sloppy kisses all over her face. "Mama!" She lifted her self on the table.

Barely last week, she started to walk her baby steps. It was so cute, but she would be such a trouble maker now. I watched her make her steps when there was a knock at the door again.

I heard Divan open it.

"Rose, I came to talk to you." Dimitri said, walking through the door. He was wearing that annoying duster of his. It was not that cold but still he wore it.

I turned my back on him and called out to Nina. "Nina, come get Taylor!" She was here in less time to seek her out. Sometimes, I felt like overworked Nina. But I think she was happy to do the job. After all I paid her a decent amount of money.

I turned back to Dimitri who was standing wearily in the living room. "What is it you want to talk about with me? But make it quick cause I am about to pass out at whatever given moment." I said, sitting down; my feet were killing me, my eyes were about to close at any second.

He sat down next to me. "I wanted to say, that I'm sorry for saying those things to you earlier."

I waved a hand. "Don't worry about it."

"No, no. I claimed that Adrian had been ass but in that moment I was the one being an ass."

I said nothing.

"Do you remember when we first met?"

I didn't know why I started crying but I did. "Of course, how could I not? You were that tall, mysterious badass Russian that made everyone else look so unbadass. How bout you, do you remember?"

"I would have been crazy not to." He looked at me intently and sighed in desire. "I remember the first I met your brown eyes. You were like no one I had ever met, Roza."

Tears fell from my eyes. I had the two most important people in my life, Dimitri and now Adrian, taken from me. How could that not hurt anyone? Good thing I was a strong person, cause if I was not, I would have been dead a while ago.

He continued. "It's just that it still hurts me."

"What does?" I was not liking where this conversation was sure to go.

"What hurts the most it that we were so close, so close to being together, Roza." Dimitri was not a fan of a lot of words but this explained everything he was trying to say. That we needed to be together, that he wanted me and him together. He wanted that but there was only I thing I wanted. . .

"Yeah, we were. But I think it was best that we didn't get together."

He looked surprised. "Why?"

"With you, I would have been able to live my life like I was living it with Adrian. I mean we would have gotten married, but I knew someday we would want something more. And we couldn't give each otherthat. Although we are apart now, I am glad that Adrian gave me the chance to live the best years of my life with him. And I know you love Yaritza, no matter what you say."

"I do. I do love her."

"You see when I fell in love with you, it was instantly. Automatic. When I fell in love with Adrian, it was different. He got the chance to know me and I got the chance to know him. You knew me instantly. I know that's happened with you and Yaritza. She got to know you and you got to know her. With you and me we connected as soon as you saw me. Honestly, that would have never worked out."

"As confusing as that sounds, I understand what you are trying to say."

"And now, you see. I can't live without Adrian; you can't live without Yaritza."

"That's right." He grinned at me all of a sudden. "You know what? I am going back home and going to make things right with Yaritza."

"By the way, I saw your noodle today."

"Yaritza?"

"Who else would be your noodle?"

"You. . ." I slapped him in his arm. "What did she want?"

"Me, apparently." My face fell, thinking about what she had said.

He caught on immediately. "What did she say to you?"

"Nothing really. She just wanted to tell me that. . ." I stopped there. I didn't want to make their marriage shittier than it was already. "Forget about it; I don't want to talk about it."

"Alright, well then, goodnight." He got up and kissed my cheek.

"Goodnight, Dimitri." I said, as he closed the door behind him.

I sighed. I went to Ervin's room where Taylor and Nina were laughing. "What's so funny?" I asked, while I leaned on the wall.

"Mommy! Taylor is!"

"What did she do now?" Taylor was always coming out with the most ridiculous things. They were funny as hell though.

Nina excused herself. That left my kids and I in my bedroom. Taylor was making us laugh until Ervin fell asleep. I laid him on my bed, on the left side. I slept in the middle of him and Taylor.

Taylor was the hardest to sleep. After like an hour ,it felt like, she finally fell asleep. Her cute snores was all you heard. I got comfortable and pulled the covers over the three of us. And for that first time in a while, I didn't cry while I fell asleep. I would make it as long as these two angels stayed with me.