Hi guys. This is Chapter 5 of Home At Last. Thank you all for reviewing.
When we arrived at my house Dimitri and I were both starving, He immediately got to cooking whatever he could find in the fridge. I watched his skilled hands chop onions with precision. I found myself wishing I could do that.
Soon enough he was asking for my help with breading the chicken breasts. We had an assembly line going with him flouring and egging the breast and me breading and placing them on the plate. I shielded myself when he was putting them in the fryer as they were bubbling. I saw Dimitri wince a few times as a few stray sparks landed on his hands.
When we finally sat down for some delicious chicken parmesan over pasta I couldn't help my nosy self but ask him how he had gotten to America and eventually in the army.
Apparently when he was young, living in Russia, a tourist got lost, and knocked on his door to ask for directions. His mother ended up offering him a place to stay as long as he needed to. He stayed for a while, and then decided to move to Russia, right next to Dimitri's family. His mother grew fond of the man, and they got married. He asked them to move to America, and they all agreed. Dimitri's biological dad was a deadbeat, so to Dimitri this man, whose name was Richard, was all his father never was. Dimitri told me that the whole family grew to love him, even his "crazy, paranoid" grandmother who didn't really like anyone. After some time they all became American citizens. When Dimitri was in his sophomore year of high school Richard was diagnosed with a terminal illness called Pancreatic Cancer.
They told Richard that he had no more than a few years to live. The family was grief stricken, especially Olena; Dimitri's mother. A couple of years later, Dimitri was graduating from high school, and Richard was only getting worse. Dimitri signed up for the Army to have a secure way to support his family once Richard passed. About a month of Dimitri's Army training, he got a phone call informing him on his stepfather's latest condition. Dimitri for sure thought that it was going to be his mother balling, but instead it was Richard. He told Dimitri that he was gradually healing. A couple of months later he received another call; this one being about how Richard had barely any signs of cancer in his body. It was a true miracle.
Eventually the family decided to move back to Russia with Richard. Dimitri was already waist deep into the army, and he couldn't quit, so he told them to go on with out him. His plan was to stay in America, and form his own life here.
We were sitting on my couch laughing about his sisters and their cruel pranks. He tells me that once they needed an extra princess for their game, and he was the only other human available for the part, so they put him in a dress, and heels. They made the poor kid walk around the block dressed in uncomfortable heels.
Dimitri and I decided to shower and get into our pajamas. I brought two blankets down to the living room and put them on the couch. I walked into the kitchen to put some popcorn in the microwave and to clean up the mess we had made cooking dinner.
I heard Dimitri walk in behind me, and I had to bite my lip to keep myself form gasping. He was wearing a tight wife-beater, and some loose red and blue flannel bottoms. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach,
I saw him analyze my sleeping attire. I looked down at my own tank top and flannel bottoms, and smiled; hoping he felt the same way I did when I looked at him when he looked at me.
The microwave beeped, and I took the popcorn out. I poured it all into a big purple bowl.
"Ready?" I asked Dimitri. I turned around, and smiled. He nodded.
In the living room I ordered The Campaign. We snuggled into our separate blankets on the floor with the popcorn in between us. We laughed from the beginning to the very end of the movie. Once it was over I put in another movie. About half way through the movie I started drifting off. I took one of the couch cushions and lay on the floor using it as a pillow. I woke up in the middle of the night to see the T.V off and Dimitri lightly snoring next to me. I smiled and niggled deeper into my blanket, and drifted back to sleep.
I woke up the sound of something vibrating loudly. It was coming from somewhere near my foot. I kicked my phone up closer to me and looked at the screen.
"Hello," I answered groggily.
"Rose!" It was Lissa of course. "Are you alright? You left the house in such a rush last night."
I sat up rubbing my eyes. It was too early for all of this. "I'm fine Lissa-" I was cut short when I yawned.
"Did I wake you?" She asked rather frantically.
"Yes, you did. Is everything alright. You are acting weird." I rested my head on my couch.
"No, everything is fine. I just wanted to check on you, but I know you are tired so just go back to bed." With that she hung up the phone. I look around and see a folded blanket set neatly on the couch.
I stumbled my way into the kitchen. I was surprised to find a plate of toast and eggs on the island with a cup of coffee next to it.
"Dimitri," I called.
I heard heavy steps coming down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Yeah?" He asked from behind me.
I turned towards him and paused. He was in his army uniform. "Are you going somewhere?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I was going to go and see if there were any jobs I could apply for?" He walked past me and poured himself some coffee. "I made you breakfast."
"Thank you." I sat in from of the plate and started munching on a piece of toast. My eyes flickered to him and met his own brown orbs. I shifted in my seat. "Did you have anything in mind?"
"I was thinking maybe I could go to the fire station or I don't know…anywhere." He set his coffee down. "I will probably have better luck in my uniform."
"Well you can take my car." I took the keys from where they sat on the bowl in the middle of the island and tossed it to him. He caught it against his chest and clutched them there.
"Seriously?" His eyebrows rose.
"Yeah. Why not. The cars GPS has the house programmed so you should be fine."
He smiled before he took a sip of his coffee. "Thank you." He washed his coffee mug and turned to me. "I'm going to head out now." He walked into the garage and shortly after I heard the engine rev.
When Dimitri left I finished eating my breakfast and sluggishly made my way up to my bedroom. As soon as my head hit the pillow I was out like a light.
I know this is a really short chapter and I am so sorry I promise the next chapter will be longer and more interesting.