*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
"Mom," says Natalia as I am baking Dean's cake for his birthday party tonight. He's in New York checking out a couple places to open up a gym and won't be back till later where we're going to have a surprise party for him.
"Yes, Natalia?" I ask.
"Can I talk to you about something?" she asks climbing up onto a stool at the island as I am pouring the cake batter into the pan.
"You know you can talk to me about anything," I say, "what's going on?"
"Well, I was thinking that after our winter recital that I would take a break from dance class," she says catching me by surprise.
"You want to take a break from ballet?" I ask as I hit the pan on the island to even it out. "I thought you loved ballet?"
"I do love ballet," she says, "but I want to take a break from it for a while. I want to try some other things."
"Natalia, you know you won't get into the Joffrey if you take a break. Ballet takes dedication missing a class is crucial but to take a break from ballet is disastrous you'll never get into the Joffrey that way."
"Mom, I don't want to get into the Joffrey. That's your dream for me not mine. It would be great to get into the Joffrey. I get the importance of it and understand that it's a big deal but if I get into the Joffrey I lose my entire life. I don't want to dedicate my life to ballet. I love it but it's all too much. I never get time to hang out with my friends and I don't get a chance to do other things. I want to do something else. I want to step away from ballet and find talent in other areas. I want to focus on other things."
"But you have so much talent, Natalia. You just want to throw that away?" I ask as I put the cake into the oven. I can't say that I'm not hurt by the fact she wants to quit ballet. Ever since she was a baby I had this dream of her being a beautiful ballerina and the day she stepped into that dance studio and started dancing like she had done it all her life I knew she was special. I knew she had my talent. She could get into the Joffrey, go to Julliard and try the American Ballet Company. She could do any of that she has the talent and the look but she's here telling me she doesn't want all that. It hurts but she is her own person I can't be upset at her and force her to live a dream that I gave up. I can't live through her.
"I know, Mom but I want to try something else besides ballet. I know I'm good at it and it takes a lot of work. I don't want to spend 15 hours a week at dance class every week, 3 hours, 5 nights a week. It's way too much. I love it but I don't love it that much. Maybe I'll do 3-6 hours a week but 15 hours is way too much. I am not sure I want to be a ballerina or a dancer either," she says.
"Then what do you want to be?" I ask.
"I like animals a lot. You know that. I like dogs and cats. I love animals. I want to be a veterinarian when I grow up and take care of sick animals and help them get better. That's what I really want to do. It would be cool to be a ballerina all my life and wear a tutu all the time but I don't want to do that. I want to take care of animals. I don't even have to be a vet. I could move to Australia and help take care of koalas. I don't know I just want to work with animals. I would be a zoologist if I could but ballet is not something I want to do the rest of my life."
"Okay," I say, "you have the power to be anything that you want to be. You can do whatever you believe is going to make you happy. If you want to quit ballet it's your choice. I just want you to be happy, Natalia."
"Really?" she asks.
"Really," I say as I lean against the island. "When I was little, when I was about your age maybe a little older I wanted nothing more than to be a ballerina. That's all I wanted to do in life. My life was dance and it was dedicated to dance. I lived in the dance studio. I just ate and slept at home but every day after school I was doing homework in the waiting room of the dance studio and then would be there till 9 at night working on ballet. It was something I was passionate about. I wanted to be in the Joffrey. I wanted to dance on Broadway or even dance in a ballet my entire life. I had so many dreams of doing that but your grandfather was so against me doing dance from the start. He didn't mind it when I was 3 years old because it was something that would keep me active. It was something that I had fun with until I started to get serious about it. He was okay with that until I decided to make it my career. He wanted me to do something else. He wanted me to work for him and take over the family business when he retired. I had no interest in that life. I didn't want to be a CEO. I didn't want to run the family business while I'm proud of all the technology that he has introduced to the world and all the devices he has made it wasn't for me. It's not what I wanted. I wanted to be a ballerina. He tried so hard to force me into the family business and he disagreed with my dream, he called it stupid, he called it dumb and a waste of money and ballet wasn't the only thing I wanted to do. I knew by some chance ballet may not have worked out so I had a backup plan he didn't like that either," I say.
"What was your back up plan?" she asks.
"Writing," I say. "I wanted to do something writing. I wanted to write for magazines, newspaper, television shows, movies whatever I could do that involved writing but your Grandpa didn't agree with that either. He thought that was a waste of my life but I saw differently. He kept trying to push me to do what he wanted and shot down my dreams every chance that he could get. I resented him for that. I promised myself that when I had kids I would support them in whatever they wanted to do. You had a great life in ballet and I can't lie I'm a little hurt that you don't want to do it anymore but it's not me. It's not my life it's your life and you can do whatever makes you happy. If being a vet or a zoologist is what you want to be then go for it. You are not limited, Natalia. Your father and I work very hard to give you the opportunities that you need to reach your dreams and achieve your happiness no matter how you find it. We will never force you to do anything you don't want to do. Your dad and I we both had our dreams and our parents weren't exactly on board with our dreams but without their support we achieved our dreams and we couldn't be happier. I love what I do. I love it a lot and you know what they say in life?"
"What?" she asks.
"Love what you do," I say with a smile. "I think you'll make a great vet or zoologist although I know this isn't set in stone and you'll probably change your mind a thousand more times before you go to college but just know that whatever it is you want to do your dad and I will support you. Okay?"
"Okay," she says with a smile. "You're pretty cool for a mom you know."
"Thanks," I say with a smile. "I just do my best."
"You're the best at what you do. Do you love being a mom?"
"More than you'll ever know," I say. "Becoming your mom was one of the greatest and best accomplishments in my life."
"I'm pretty special huh?" she asks.
"Very special," I say, "so what all were you thinking about doing besides ballet?"
"You're really going to let me quit ballet?" she asks.
"Of course," I say, "I have no power to make you do something you don't want to do. You can do whatever you want remember? So what is it that you want to do?"
"Well, I want to give soccer a try," she says. "I have always wanted to try soccer."
"Soccer is very cool. I am sure sign ups are about to happen?"
"Next week," she says with a smile. "Can I play soccer?"
"Yes, Natalia. I'll get you signed up and then we'll go out to get everything you need for soccer."
"Thanks, Mom, you're the best!" she says making me smile. "And I think I want to play the violin too."
"The violin would be cool," I say with a smile. "I always wanted to play the violin but with spending so much time at ballet I didn't have the time to practice. Your Aunt Chastity plays the violin and the piano. She's very good at it."
"I know," she says, "and maybe I could do cheerleading in the fall."
"Cheerleading?" I ask.
"Yeah," she says, "that's something that I always wanted to do too."
"We'll see about that," I say. "But if it's something that you really want to do we will look into it. Are you talking competitive cheerleading or cheerleading for a football team?"
"Football team," she says.
"Okay that would be a lot of fun," I say. "If that's something you want to do then we'll do it."
"You're not upset?"
"No, Natalia I'm not upset. I am happy that you are interested in doing other things and I'm glad you were honest with me. That's all I ever ask of you is that you remain honest to me no matter what it is. I will never turn you away or ever make you feel like you can't trust me or can't tell me things. I want us to have a good mother daughter relationship especially now knowing you're about to go to middle school. I really want you to come to me about anything."
"Okay, Mom," she says, "I will."
"I hope so, Natalia. You're my baby girl!"
"Always," she says with a smile.
LATER THAT NIGHT:
"SURPRISE!" Natalia and I yell as Dean walks into the front door. We decorated the foyer and the living as well as the dining room for his special day. They are Natalia's hand crafted decorations but they are still beautiful. "Happy Birthday, Baby," I say with a smile as he greets me with a kiss.
"A surprise birthday party?" he asks.
"Yeah," I say, "a surprise birthday party from Natalia and I."
"Happy birthday, Daddy," says Natalia as she gives him a hug.
"Thanks, Princess," he says hugging her back. "Is there cake?" he asks.
"You know there's cake," I say with a smile.
"And it's your favorite, Daddy," says Natalia with a smile.
"Really what kind of cake is it?" he asks.
"Red velvet with cream cheese icing your absolute favorite."
"My girls know me so well," he says making me smile.
"We got you presents," says Natalia taking him by the hand and leading him to the living room.
"Presents," he says with a smile, "I love presents too."
Dean takes a seat on the couch and Natalia runs to get his present that she got for him and hands it to him with excitement. "Happy Birthday, Daddy!" she says handing him the present wrapped up in purple shiny wrapping paper.
"Thank-you," he says with a smile as he tears the paper away exposing a homemade picture frame made from popsicle sticks with a picture of him and Natalia in it. On one of the sticks it says I love you Daddy and I smile as he smiles at our daughter's creative gift. "I love it, Natalia," he says with a smile. "Thank-you."
"You're welcome, Daddy," she says with a smile.
"And this is from me," I say to him as I hand him a card. "I hope you like it."
"I like anything you get me," he says with a smile as he opens the card. "Hockey tickets?" he asks.
"Yes to see the Rangers vs the Flyers," I say with a proud smile.
"I love the Flyers," he says with a smile. "They had to cost a pretty penny."
"It doesn't matter how much they cost what matters is that you're happy. I got you two tickets so that you can take a friend of your choosing with you," I say.
"You don't want to go?" he asks.
"When did I ever watch sports besides wrestling? Sports are not my thing."
"True," he says. "Thank-you, Baby."
"You're welcome," I say with a smile before I give him a soft kiss on the lips. "Welcome to being 29."
"Thanks," he says, "I don't feel too old you know?"
"You shouldn't you're only 29," I say with a small laugh. "You still got it."
"I definitely do," he says picking up on what I'm saying, "and I plan to prove that later."
"Good because I have a non PG gift for you later," I say with a wink.
"Are you two talking about sex?" asks Natalia and Dean lets out a cough. "I thought so. I am 11," she says. "I know what sex is and I know you have it because you love each other."
"That's right," I say, "we do and you're right we do it because we love each other."
"Did you two love each other before I was born?"
"Of course," says Dean. "We loved each other before you were born and we love each other now."
"Oh," she says. "How did you two meet again?"
"We were paired together on a school project," I say, "I knew your dad before that but he didn't really talk to anyone."
"Why?"
"I was a loner," he says, "I didn't have very many friends," he says. "Your mom was probably the only person in high school that talked to me and gave me a chance."
"Because Mom is an awesome person and she loves you a lot. She has a big heart."
"She really does," says Dean as he looks at me. "So how about we get some of that cake now?"
"Okay," she says with a smile as we make our way to the dining room while I go into the kitchen to get the cake. I light the candles as I carry it to the dining room as we start to sing happy birthday to him before he blows out all 29 candles and then I cut us each a piece of cake.
After we enjoy some cake and ice-cream together we sit down and watch a movie together as a family before we send Natalia to bed and we go to bed ourselves. "Just so you know," says Dean, "there won't be any sleeping."
"I didn't think there would be," I say as I come out of the bathroom dressed in a black lace see through nightie. His blue eyes grow larger as he catches a glimpse of me. "In fact I think my old man has something to prove to me."
"Prove what?" he asks, "you look amazingly hot. Is it safe for us to have sex this close to your due date?"
"Yeah," I say, "it might speed things up but I am ready to get Oliver out of me. I want to hold him in my arms."
"Yeah but we still have 3 more weeks till he's due."
"Babies will come whenever they want," I say, "besides let's not talk about babies. Let's talking about you and me," I say with a smile as I take his hand into mine before I kiss his lips softly and passionately. I bite his lip softly before I pull away. "Show me you still got it," I say with a smile as I lead him over to the bed.
"You don't have to ask me twice," he says with his smirk on his face. "I'm going to take my time too."
"Take as long as you want, Baby, it's your birthday," I say before I kiss his lips again as we share another deep, passionate kiss before he lays me down on the bed as he lays beside me and continues to kiss me softly and passionately as I rub his dick through his briefs, stroking it feeling it grow and fight to be released from his briefs as his hands wander my body, his hands mastering my swollen breasts as he kisses me. He helps me out of my nightie and I help him out of his briefs before he lays me down again before he makes love to me most of the night, taking his time, bringing me to orgasm after orgasm. Pleasuring me like he's never pleasured me before. All in all I would say Dean had a great birthday. It doesn't take much to make him happy as long as he is with the ones he loves and as long as he is happy I'm happy. I live to make him happy.
*A/N: What did you think of Ana's reaction to Natalia quitting ballet? Did she handle it better than you thought? What do you think about Ana asking for honesty from Natalia do you think she will get it? Do you believe Ana and Dean make the means to give Natalia all the opportunities she needs to achieve her dreams? Do you think Ana gave Dean a good birthday? Do you think Oliver is going to shake up the family dynamic when he finally arrives? Please review and thank-you for reading.