After we got from my apartment to Rose's apartment we went to my mother's house. I had driven my car to her house and now we sat in silence. Well, not entirely silence because Rose was typing away on her phone.
When I had stepped into her apartment my mouth had literally opened from surprise. It was so large; I think my apartment would fit three times into hers. She had left me standing in her living room so she could shower.
It felt weird to stand there and to just explore her house, our house now. That was what she had told the doormen before fixing a key for me. She lived on the eight floor of a ten floor flat. From the elevator you got into a small hallway with two doors. One on the left and one on the right.
Rose got her apartment on the right side. She opened the door for us and stepped inside, her body slightly relaxing when she stepped into her own house. Letting the keys fall into the bowl on the small table standing in the middle of the hallway.
Her phone already out of her pocket and she told me to just look around before disappearing. It had taken me a while before I had walked further inside her apartment. It had led me into a large, open living room. Two white couches and a large table standing in the room.
Two bookcases filled with movies with a television standing between them on a table. On the wall next to the bookcase was a painting from a city that I didn't recognize. On a platform stood the large dinner table. There could be eight people eating from it but there weren't chairs. Behind the table were large windows and a door leading to a balcony.
There was a door next to a large open closet, which was filled with boxes. I guess that that door would lead to the bedroom. As I step further into the room I see an open kitchen next to the hallway. It looks clean and never used.
Finally, I had sat myself down onto the couch and waited for Rose to finish. It had taken less time than I had expected. She had showered and found herself presentable. After sending her back for changing she came out again in a simple jeans and sweater. It was only my mama she would meet and my sisters of course. No need for fancy dresses.
'I hope you put that phone away when we get there.' I tell her, already irritated by her use of her phone. Maybe she won't be able to put it away for more than an hour or so. But yesterday I didn't saw her using her much.
'I'm sorry. I will put it away the moment you stop your car. But I already missed a day working yesterday and I think people will go crazy if I ignore them today too.' She says, glancing up to me for a moment.
'Can't your friend do it for you?' I ask her, not in mean tone or anything but curious.
'Lissa is at her honeymoon.' She answers without looking up from her phone. It makes me doubt about this even more but I decide to let it go for now.
I let this entire conversation go because we reach mama's house soon after that and as promised Rose puts her phone away when she steps out of the car. I lay my hand on her lower back, leading her inside the house.
The moment we step inside we already hear the voices of my family, making me smile. Rose reaches for my hand, pulling me to a stop.
'What if they won't like me?' she asks me; she bites her bottom lip while her eyes are searching mine. I smile at her before kissing her. I let go of the doubt I felt and the irritation. This woman is now my wife and she will meet my family.
'They will love you.' I tell her as I pull back. One of her hands close around my neck, pulling me back to her for another kiss. My hands go to her hips and I pull her against me. Deeping the kiss at the same time.
'I thought I heard your car.' A voice says behind me. Rose nearly jumps away from me, I turn around to see my mama standing there. She has a big smile on her face. Maybe most mothers won't think it as a good thing to find their children making out with someone but my mother is not like most of them. Maybe it also has to do something with the fact that I have never brought a girl home with me.
'Mama.' I greet her before going over to hug her. 'This is Rose.' I introduce them to each other. Rose sticks her hand out for my mother to shake but my mother ignores it and hugs her instead.
'It's so lovely to meet you.' She says, Rose looks at me with big eyes while hugging my mother back.
'Thank you, it's nice to meet you to.' She says to my mother. Mama keeps talking to Rose, asking her things and telling her things. She has taken her hand to lead her into the house. Rose looks at me for a short moment.
I just follow them inside. Loving the way my mama has already taken Rose into the family. She introduces her to my sisters like she is her guest instead of me bringing her in. Vika gets excited when she sees Rose, she had read about her on the internet and in magazines.
Sonya only shakes hands with Rose, she has always been a little more distant to new people. And always very strict to us. Even to Karo who is older than her. Karo hugs her Rose welcoming her in their home before disappearing upstairs, after she hugs me quickly.
I hug Vika and try to hug Sonya but she moves aside. Since she got pregnant she doesn't like being touched anymore. Not even mama gets to hug her.
Soon after that mama calls that dinner is ready and we all pile into the kitchen. Rose meets Paul who is eagerly helping mama. They have just met but Paul is already talking about her about everything he has done today. And Rose just listens to him like he is telling the best story she has ever heard.
'Come Paul. Sit down.' Karo tells her son, he pouts at his mother but sits down next to her after all. Knowing exactly when he can push further and when not.
'So how did you meet?' Vika asks us when mama sits down at the table. Mama hushes her before folding her hands to pray. We all follow and I see that even Rose follows her lead. Mama says a few words.
Everyone starts to put the food onto their plates. I see Rose looking at me with a look that says help me. I chuckle before starting to explain to her what everything is. I notice that I get strange looks from my family.
'Hasn't Dimka cooked anything for you?' Karo asks finally. Rose is looking at the borscht like it is going to attack her any minute.
'Haven't gotten to chance to.' I tell them. I take a spoon and start putting food on my plate and on Rose's.
'When did you meet? Because I can't believe that you haven't cooked for her.' Vika says, pointing her fork at me. Rose looks at me at the same minute I look at her. I want to tell them but not like this. Rose just nods, like saying you tell them.
'We met yesterday.' I tell them, being honest.
'And you are already bringing her here?' Sonya asks, mama stays surprisingly still.
'We kind of eloped.' I tell them, scratching my neck at the same spot my tattoo is. An old habit for when I get nervous about my mama's reaction. I hear gasps. Vika just stares and mama is laying her fork down next to her plate.
'Dimitri Alexander Belikov how dare you elope?' she asks, switching to Russian. The calmness in her voice makes me more nervous. I glance at Rose who is looking at mama with big eyes.
'I…' I try to say something but my mama shuts me up before I can say more than that.
'Haven't you thought about us? About me? What I would feel about my only son getting married without me being there?' she asks that in a rapid speed in Russian, making me cringe. She is not angry but hurt. Which is even worse.
'I didn't want to hurt you, mama. I… We got carried away and just got married without thinking twice.' I tell her, still in Russian. I feel Rose hand on my leg, I grab it and squeeze it tightly.
'Oh, that sounds so romantic.' Vika suddenly says.
'This is not one of your books Vika.' Sonya tells her, reprimanding her.
'But it is romantic Sonya.' Karo says, reprimanding Sonja this time.
'You just miss Andre.' Sonya tells Karo. Andre is Karolina's husband who is deployed.
'Your hormones are just getting in the way.' Karo tell Sonya. Sometimes these two can really get onto each other nerves.
'So tell us about how you met.' Vika says, ignoring both her sisters. I smile and start to tell them about our date yesterday and how we ended up getting married.
'Oh, I think I got a picture.' Rose suddenly says, taking her phone out of her pocket. She scrolls through some pictures before opening one. It is a picture of the wedding yesterday; I had forgotten that she had taken that picture.
We are standing before a mirror. I have my arms wrapped around her. She is still wearing the dress and I am still wearing the suit. I have my lips pressed against her cheek as she is smiling with her eyes closed.
She passes her phone towards my sisters who keep passing it and showing it to mama. She holds onto the phone the longest.
'You look happy in this picture. But you both realize a marriage is forever, right? It is not something you can stop doing in the next couple weeks when you find out you don't like the other.' mama tells us, looking both of us in the eyes.
'I know mama.' I say at the same time Rose says that she knows it to.
The rest of dinner went by without much drama. We talked about our marriage and what we planned. Then we started talking about our sisters. What they had done that day and more normal things. Stuff we talk about most of the time we get together.
Mama has pushed a dessert into my hands and told me to find Rose who fled outside when she got a call she had to answer. I find her sitting on the old swing in the back of the garden. Her phone in her hands, she is turning it over and over. I sit down next to her, scooping a little bit of the dessert on the spoon and holding it in front of her. She smiles before taking a bite.
'I'm usually so much on my phone that people won't miss me but I got a call from my assistant because she got worried.' She tells me with a soft smile.
'You have an assistant?' I ask her, surprised. She nods, not completely with me right now. She is somewhere far away in her mind.
The next couple minutes we spend in silence. I give her a bite before taking one on my own. She smiles every time I hold the spoon in front of her mouth. When the plate is empty it put is on the ground, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
'I'm only now coming up with the thoughts that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together.' She says, looking up at me. 'I knew it and your mother said it but it was like my mind wasn't catching up with that idea.'
'Is it a bad thing?' I ask her, worried that she is already changing her mind. She shakes her head.
'No, not at all. It is only a little bit weird but that will fade. The way you made me feel yesterday during our date. The way you could give me your full attention without looking bored. I… I have never had anything close to this what we have after just one day. It is why I rushed you into marrying me.' she says, laughing softly. I really like that sound.
I can't find the right words to tell her so I bend down to kiss her. A soft kiss that last for a while. I tangle my fingers into her hair, the way her hands move over my back.
'We just have to remember our goal. Staying together, growing old together.' I tell her. 'Getting to know each other.'
'I don't even know your favorite color.' She says, a smile lingering on her lips.
'We have a lifetime to get to know these things.' I tell her, winking. 'But it is blue.'
