Lissa took the news a lot better than I did, but was supportive and sympathetic. She ran her fingers through my hair as I rested my head against her shoulder. She kissed my forehead and sighed quietly.
"Oh, I have something for you," Lissa said after a few minutes and stood up, walking towards her bedroom. I heard her closet door open and the sound of her safe click before she came back out. I watched her curiously as she sat back on the couch, extending an envelope to me.
"What's this?" I asked as I opened it and pulled out the piece of paper inside of it, my eyes widening as I read it.
"I got my first installment of the estate," she said and I felt like I was going to vomit looking at the certified cheque in my hands.
"Liss," I whispered, "I can't take this. This is your inheritance."
"No, this is your inheritance. My grandparents fought against you getting a portion of the estate, so I took it and wrote a cheque for your portion from my account."
I shook my head again and licked my lips, trying to find the words but I couldn't.
"Listen, you're having a baby. Take the money. If my parents were alive, they'd want you to take the money. They started an account for you, but my grandparents liquidated it with the rest of the accounts and pooled it into the estate. This is a fraction of what was in that account. I contacted the lawyer my grandparents used and asked to see all the documents, stating that I felt they weren't following the wishes my parents made. You were named in their Will, and my grandparents contested it. Please, take it. And when I get my next installment on my thirtieth birthday, there will be another cheque," Lissa said quietly, her voice almost grave and empty as she spoke.
"Why would they do that?" I asked.
"Because my grandparents are bigots who think that family is only blood, and that because you were a foster that my parents became fosters for, that you didn't count. But you did. I saw the Will. I saw your name many times."
I bit my lip and shook my head, whispering a thank you as I folded it and put it into my pocket. Lissa smoothed her hair back.
"Is that why you've been so distant with them? Because of this?"
"Partly. And they're trying to control my wedding. Trying to dictate where the ceremony is, what kind of dress I wear, who is in my party. What if I don't want a church wedding? Maybe I want to have a ceremony that Christian will also enjoy? I mean, it's not just my wedding. It's his wedding too. Maybe I want to wear a simply wedding dress, or a sparkly dress that shows off my figure? Maybe I want my pregnant best friend to be standing beside me as my maid of honour, even if her child is born out of wedlock," Lissa said, starting to rant but I ran my hand over her arm.
"Liss, breathe," I said after a moment. Lissa nodded and sucked in a deep breath, licking her lips.
"It's not what about what they want anymore. I'm not kid, and I haven't been in a long time. We both had to grow up really quickly after that accident," she said quietly, tucking her hair behind her ears.
"I know," I whispered softly. Lissa's brows were furrowed as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"How have you been feeling? I know that you were feeling sick for a bit," she said as she turned to look at me.
"What?" I said.
"The flu you couldn't shake, the food poisoning. That was most likely morning sickness," she said and I clued in.
"Oh. Yeah, um, better. I'm tired a lot, but Mrs. Castile said that it should get better as I hit the fifth to sixth month. I haven't really noticed much else, I mean my boobs hurt and I had to go buy some more bras. I haven't had any real crazy cravings, but all I want to eat is cottage cheese and peaches."
"You hate cottage cheese," Lissa laughed.
"I know, but I can't get enough of it. I find if I put it in the blender, the texture isn't as much of an issue," I said, "But like, I literally want it everyday all day."
"I've heard cravings can do that."
"And I mean, like intense. If I don't have it, I feel like I'm gonna go crazy."
Lissa smiled at me sympathetically. "And your belly?"
I smirked at her and leaned back against the couch, pulling my shirt up so it rested near my ribcage. Lissa smiled as she looked at my bump, gently putting her hand on it.
"I expected it to feel really hard," Lissa chuckled.
"It does and it doesn't. Like, I feel really bloated all the time. Remember when you had your appendix out?"
Lissa nodded. "Yeah."
"That's what it feels like," I said with a chuckle. Lissa made a face but rubbed her hand gently over my stomach.
"It's so cute," she squealed quietly and I pulled my shirt back down, smoothing my hand over it.
"How is Dimitri handling the idea of being a dad?"
I smiled. "Good. I think that he's counting down the days until the tour is over because of my pregnancy though. Doing the whole tour now would be a lot on me, and Mrs. Castile wants me to take things easy."
Lissa nodded and tucked her hair behind her ears.
"So, I know that my wedding isn't until next year…but I was thinking about going to look at wedding dresses soon," she said gently, a timid smile on her face.
"Oh yeah?" I asked with a smile, "When were you thinking of that?"
"Whenever it works best for you?" she asked and I smiled at her, gripping her hand gently.
"I can't wait," I whispered excitedly.
While I had gone to a few of the more local concerts, once the tour took Dimitri past state lines, I stayed behind. It was too much for me, and Andrea wanted to monitor me closely. And while it felt like I hadn't seen Dimitri in months, it had only been five weeks.
I wasn't sure if I had completely sold Andrea, but she tapped her nails against the table as she read the text that had come through.
"Alright. I have managed to get four days," Andrea said with a smile and I fist-pumped the air. I had all but begged. Actually, no, I did beg. I bribed. I told her that I would pay for her plane tickets and her hotel room, but I just wanted to see Dimitri and support him.
It was tricky planning it without him finding out, but between me, Tasha, Ivan, and Maria, we made it work. I had always wanted to go to Chicago, but now I was getting to go!
I was sitting at the table, my menu standing up to cover my face. Andrea smirked beside me as Dimitri and Tasha came into the restaurant. The band was already here, the three of them snickering away as they waited for Dimitri.
Dimitri looked exhausted as he spoke to Tasha, stopping for a moment to find an empty chair. He noticed that Andrea was at the table, and I watched him furrow his brow before I leaned around the menu with a smile.
"Hi comrade," I said with a laugh. He smiled and I watched his body almost sag.
"You sneaky devil," he said as I got up and walked around the table to hug him. He groaned quietly as he hugged me, tucking his face into my hair. I sighed quietly as I hugged him, feeling some of the weight over my body leave.
"God, I missed you," he whispered in my hair, pulling back enough to kiss me. I hummed against his lips and kissed him back.
"I missed you too," I said softly, leading him to the empty chair beside mine. We sat down and I leaned back against the chair. He draped his arm over the back of my chair and rested his head against mine, a quiet sigh slipping through his lips.
"How long have you been planning this?" he asked.
"The last few days. It's been tough, but I wanted to see you. We missed you," I said tiredly, "I thought you could use a good night's sleep too."
Dimitri kissed the top of my head before looking over the menu, and ordering a beer when the waiter came to the table. I scanned the menu, taking notice of a few things that caught my eye, but I heard Dimitri chuckle on one page of the menu. I raised a brow at him and flipped to it, finding exactly what he was laughing at.
"What is so funny down there?" Ivan asked.
"I already know what Rose is having," Dimitri said as he closed his menu.
"How?" Ivan asked.
"Because they have pub-style fish and chips," he said and I grinned at him.
"I have had fish and chips at least once or twice a week for the last three weeks," I said with a blush, "Even if it smells gross, I've been eating it."
Dimitr stroked the back of my head while Andrea laughed at me.
"At least it's high in fatty acids and vitamins," she said, "I've had patients that have eaten some truly awful things for them during their pregnancies."
"Are you still on the vegemite and peanut butter sandwiches kick?" Ivan asked while making a face. I snorted.
"Much to everyone's disgust, yes."
Ivan gaged and looked back at his menu, his face looking like he sucked on a lemon. I looked up at Dimitri and smiled at him again, simply happy just to be sitting next to him.
I scrunched the water from my hair as I walked back into the bedroom, smiling softly at Dimitri. I had already dressed for bed and was now trying to get my hair as dry as possible. The hairdryer in the bathroom was busted.
"You look different," he mused from the bed, his arms bent behind his head.
"How?" I asked, humouring him.
"You just do. Your face is a little fuller, and you've got a glow to you. And there's the obvious."
"The obvious?" I teased as I draped the towel over the chair.
"Your boobs look fantastic."
I choked on my laughter as I climbed on the bed, laying on my side next to him.
"I know; I'm a cow," I snickered, laughing against his lips as he cupped the back of my head and kissed me.
"Moo," he laughed and the two of us cracked up, laughing while laying intertwined in each other's arms.
"But in all actuality, you look fantastic. And the little one is getting bigger," he said, his hand moving to rest on the side of my stomach.
"Mhmm. I can't really feel them yet. It's hard to tell if it's the baby or gas," I said with a snort, "But Andrea said that I should start to feel them soon. The egg implanted on the front of my uterus."
Dimitri raised a brow. "I don't know what that means."
"She said that sometimes when the egg implants at the back of the uterus, you can't really feel the baby move except from the side. She said ours is in the front so I should feel movement soon."
Dimitri nodded and rolled onto his side to face me, gently rubbing the side of his nose against mine.
"I can't tell you how happy it makes me that you're here, Roza," he whispered, "I've missed you so much. Even if I've talked to you every day."
"I missed you too," I soothed, pecking his lips softly. Dimitri sighed and shifted on the bed so that our faces were level, closing his eyes.
"I love you."
I smiled and closed my eyes too. "I love you too."
Four Years Ago
I sniffed as I leaned against the pillows, my arms crossed tightly over my chest. I didn't want to acknowledge that everyone had told me exactly what kind of person Jesse was, but I was sort of kicking myself for it.
I heard the stairs creak and grabbed the textbook and notepad off my desk, scrambling back to my bed and wiping my tears, trying to appear as if I hadn't been crying for the last hour. I opened my textbox and licked my lips when there was a soft knock at the door. I looked up and forced a small smile at Barry.
"Hi," I whispered and looked down at my notepad.
"Hi kiddo. May I come in?" Barry asked. I looked up again and nodded, closing my textbook with my notepad still inside it. He sat on the edge of my bed and set a plate of brownies on the bed between us.
"I thought you might want a sweetie," he said with a small smile. I reached for one and took a bite, licking my lips at the gooeyness inside of them. I wiped the corner of my mouth with my thumb and sniffed.
"Thanks," I said quietly. Barry nodded to himself and crossed his arms loosely over his chest.
"I heard you and Jesse in the front," he said and I nodded, blinking a tear down my cheek.
"Yeah?"
He nodded. "I know it hurts, but it will get easier. He wasn't the one for you," he whispered softly, squeezing my hand.
"You don't know that," I said almost pathetically.
"But I do. You two fought a lot."
"You and Millie fight," I pointed out.
"Yes, but the difference is that you two stew afterwards. Millie and I, even when we fight, we still love each other. We don't feel hate. And even when we fight we never go to bed angry. You know you love someone when you see all the parts, the good, the bad, the things that drive you insane, and you still love those details about them because they make them who they are."
I sniffed again. "I just feel a little stupid for not listening to what other people said."
"Oh, sweetheart. How many times do you think Andrew has had his heart broken? You have to learn from these things. Nobody can tell you who to be with, but you will know the right person. You'll feel it in your bones."
I smirked a little. "How did you and Millie meet?"
He got a nostalgic look on his face. "Woodstock."
"Like Canada?"
"No. The concert," he said with a smile, "We were nineteen. Oh, it rained something terrible one night, and the group in the camping lot next to us had a huge leak in their tent. They had come over to ask if we had an extra tarp, and there was Millie, all blue-eyed and brown curly hair drenched. I recognized her immediately as the girl who came into the gas station I worked at. And she recognized me. By the end of that weekend, we had already made plans to have dinner. It was the best weekend of my life."
I smiled. "You went to Woodstock?"
"I did. I got to see The Who and the Creedence Clearwater Revival," he said with a smile, "I knew by the end of that trip that I was going to marry Millie. We rode on the bus home together."
"That sounds kind of perfect," I whispered. Barry nodded and pushed the plate closer to me.
"Don't let one silly boy get you down. One day, you will meet the man who makes your life still in the middle of the storm. You'll meet your own Millie one day."
"You mean I'll meet my own Barry?" I asked. He smiled.
"Yes, I guess you will," he said as he stood up, leaning over the bed and kissing my forehead.
"Chin up, sweetheart. We'll still do our dinner this week," he said as he left the room. I nodded and wiped my cheeks as he walked down the hall.
Present Day
"I know that I've teased this a few times since I started my tour, but I haven't been able to perform it yet. Every time I've planned it, my partner in crime was sick…but it turns out she was just pregnant," Dimitri said, making the crown rumble with laughter and excitement.
"But tonight, I think she might be able to hold it in," he chuckled and I took it as my cue, walking quickly onto the stage with a grin, heading right for him. He turned towards me, embracing me and pulling me in for a kiss. It was more of a smouldering kiss, but I didn't care. It was equal parts show and genuine.
"I promise I'll try not to puke on your shoes this time," I teased as I pulled back, "Hello Chicago!"
There was a roar and pressure in my ears and I smiled. I could vaguely hear someone yell 'Let us see the baby!' and I laughed.
"Did I just hear someone say 'let me see the baby?'" I asked with a grin.
There was another roar and I shifted my jacket back, rubbing my hand over my bump with a grin. I couldn't see much past the stage, but I could feel the pressure in my ears from the noise. Dimitri smiled too and rested his hand against his stomach before the piano started, cuing us in for the next song. It was the first piece that we had worked on, all in one rainy day last July. It was almost like a hurricane was coming in outside, and we hung out in the studio working on the piece. The lyrics came easily, and I almost laughed every time I sang it because I said clown instead of cloud during the initial demo.
But being in the place that we're in now, the song felt even more personal.
It was the first time where I didn't feel nervous on stage either. Because while I was singing for the crowd, I was singing to him. It was easy to feel like it was just us, singing to each other and dancing to the song.
"There are moments when I don't know if it's real, or if anybody feels the way I feel. I need inspiration, not just another negotiation," I sang, smiling at Dimitri as the drum hit, spinning around and dancing to the last chorus of the song. The smile on Dimitri's face was contagious, and I could see beneath the sweat, he was having the time of his life.
When the last key played, I grinned at Dimitri, my heart feeling like it was going to beat out of my chest. I leaned over and braced myself on my knees for a second before straightening up, taking his hand when he extended it to me.
I took it and squeezed it, taking deep breaths as he said his goodnights, walking off stage with me. Once we got the wing, he scooped me up in his arms, making me squeal in laughter. I wrapped my legs around his waist and kissed him as he walked back towards the rooms that we used to get ready, setting me down on my feet.
"Thank you for being here, Roza," he said as he tucked my hair behind my ears. I rubbed my nose against his.
"I'm happy to be here."
If you're part of the discord group, you can blame Hiccupped Studios for the vegemite sandwich ;)