Okay, so I had been wrong like double time.
Lissa didn't end up having a baby girl like I'd sworn she would have. My so called "mothers intuition" had been way off. She gave birth to twins. Identical boys.
Now, at two years old, the boys bore a striking resemblance to their father - much to my dismay. Nonetheless, they were absolutely gorgeous with their black hair and ice-blue eyes.
Jesse and Anthony were their names.
As I sat there watching their mother prepare dinner for her beautiful family, I had the stupidest, most overwhelming urge to burst in tears. Not sad ones. But those of joy.
She was such an amazing mother. Such a loving wife. And the sister I never had.
I was so endlessly blessed.
I gave the kiddos a kiss goodnight, talked with Lissa for a minute, and then headed home to my own beautiful little family.
As I drove home, I was left all to my thoughts. I reflected on where I had been, where I was now, and where I was headed. All the years I had spent wondering what my purpose in life was, why I was ever even put on this earth in the first place. For the majority of my life I had believed the only reason was to suffer.
Now I was finally able to see the big picture. Although I wasn't a big believer in destiny, I was where I truly belonged. Where I had always belonged. It just took going through all the bad to really appreciate the good.
I pulled into the driveway of our home, grabbed the shopping bags from the trunk, and pulled my jacket tight. It was beyond freezing outside, but I took the time to appreciate the beauty of the falling snow and twinkling Christmas lights.
Hands freezing, breath making small puffs of fog in the air, I peeked inside the window and caught sight of something that made me pause with my key in the lock.
My husband and my son together. Ivan was rambling something off to his father, talking a million miles an hour like he always did. He was so animated, making sure his daddy was paying close attention.
Dimitri listened intently to our son, glued to every word. There was a small smile curving his lips, the one he reserved only for Ivan and I.
I unlocked the door and walked inside. They both looked up.
"Mommy!" Ivan came barreling over and jumped into my arms. Warmth instantly filled me as I cuddled his small body in my arms.
"Hi, baby," I smiled when he pulled back and looked at me. He was the spitting image of his father, with those dark brown eyes and tan skin. Except he had my absolute crazy personality and curly dark hair.
My husband walked over and kissed me. When he wrapped his arm around me, and I was surrounded by both of them, I wondered how it was possible to love both of them so much. They were my life. They completed me. I would be lost without both of them.
I thanked God for Dimitri and my son everyday because they had saved my life.