"So, how was the turkey?" I smirked, imagining the dry slabs of meat that were served every year at the academy. Even on the lucky years that I tagged along with Lissa to the Dragomir family home for Thanksgiving, it hadn't been much better. Rhea, bless her soul, wasn't the greatest of cooks. She could make a mean tower of banana chocolate-chip pancakes, but anything outside of breakfast was hit or miss. Still, there wasn't much that couldn't be made palatable with gravy.

Olena's cooking, however, made me realize just how delicious the meal could actually be. Who knew I'd have to move to Russia to find it? I had casually mentioned a little while ago that Thanksgiving was one of my favorite holidays (because, let's be serious, how many holidays were almost defined by gorging yourself on large quantities of food without judgment), and she had taken the passing comment to heart. I had come home from work only to find a full spread with all the traditional goodies, from stuffing to green bean casserole. Some dishes had to be altered a little bit, but for the most part, it was all familiar and heartwarming.

It wasn't just the food, though. It was the people gathered around the table with us. Because it wasn't a Russian-based holiday, Paul and Vika were still at school, but everyone else was there. They didn't stop at family, either. Mark and Oksana had joined us, as well as my father and his twin shadows. Even Max had been invited along with his mother. I had only met the woman a few times, but she was always very sweet. I'd say that her only fatal flaw was that she was determined that Max and I would be "very cute together" and was constantly trying to set us up. It didn't matter how many times both Max and I would protest or tell her that I was happily dating someone else, I think she always held that hope inside her. Or maybe it had nothing to do with me, and she just wanted to see Max start settling down with whatever woman happened to be closest. Poor guy wasn't even twenty-two, and his mama wanted him married with one kid on his hip and another on the way. Thankfully, she had abandoned that awkwardness for the evening, and we were able to enjoy dinner without any attempts at matchmaking.

By the time we finished dessert and had made enough paper hand turkeys to cover the entire refrigerator, our guests departed with arms full of leftovers and the promise to do it all again next year. It was only in the quiet that followed such a wonderful evening that I was struck with a strange realization: I wasn't homesick. I had spent a uniquely American holiday around a table in the heart of Russia, passing around side dishes and stories with very little English to be heard, yet I was fine. The scene might as well have been a Norman Rockwell painting signed in Cyrillic, but nothing about it felt weird. In fact, it felt right. It felt like home.

Rather than missing what should have been, I felt truly grateful for what I had. Was it perfect? Not quite. Karo hadn't been able to find marshmallows, and several important people were missing from the family table. One day, though. Somewhere in my heart, I knew that one day the holiday would be perfect in every way imaginable. One day I would have my entire family around the table. Until then, I could rest easy knowing that I was blessed with so much good in my life. I missed Dimitri. I missed my best friend and bondmate. I missed so many people, but the missing didn't hurt like it once had. I missed…but I was happy, too.

I wanted to tell Dimitri about my epiphany that evening, but the realization was still so new that I decided to tuck it close in my heart like the fragile and precious little flame that it was. Not for forever, obviously. Just for a little while longer until that little flame could burn a bit brighter on its own.

So instead, I decided to tease him with his mother's delicious meal and see if whatever Christian had managed could even begin to compare to what Olena had cooked up—something that I seriously doubted.

Dimitri chuckled at my prodding, "It wasn't as bad as you're probably imagining." I wondered if he was remembering the same canned cranberry sauce and pre-portioned slices of pumpkin pie that I knew he had been subjected to at least a couple of times while working at the academy. Perhaps as some quiet show of family-like unity, it was one of the few holidays where the entire school ate together—students, teachers, and other staff included. It wasn't like he joined me, Lissa, Christian, or Eddie at our table or anything like that, but he was still there, just like the rest of us. Poor guy; this was probably the first year he got to enjoy something other than gluey mashed potatoes. "Christian has quite the talent in the kitchen. I'm not sure how you can pass something topped with marshmallows off as a side dish, though."

"What would you classify it as? Dessert? I'm not sure it's on par with pecan pie."

His face turned oddly serious as he insisted, "Nothing is on par with pecan pie. That stuff is magical."

"Noted," I said through my laughter as I imagined Dimitri scarfing down slice after slice. I almost told him about the time I offered to help Rhea make the pies when I was eleven and forgot the eggs in the filling. Turns out, eggs are an essential ingredient to keep the dish from becoming some scary form of hot, sugary, nut-based soup. Just as I was about to tell him, though, my thoughts were tugged in a new and unexpected direction. One moment I was sitting on my bed, and the next, I was sitting on a stone bench in the garden just outside of Court's gothic church. The flowers had long gone into hibernation, but there were still red, orange, and yellow leaves on the trees, not that I was paying attention to such things. Or should I say that Lissa wasn't paying attention. No, her full focus was on Christian, who was kneeling in front of her.

I should have pulled back and let them have this moment in private. In fact, I could distantly hear Dimitri's voice somewhere in the background calling out to me. But my excitement at what was unfolding was just too good for a nosy friend like me to pass up.

"Shhhh," I hissed, waving my hand blindly to hush Dimitri as I continued to watch the events unfurling in my mind. Thankfully, the bond only worked one way, so I didn't interrupt anything as Christian nervously started to give what seemed like a well-practiced speech.

"Lissa, never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined getting the chance to fall in love with someone like you. Someone who is not only beautiful but also sweet, considerate, and so incredible that I have often wondered if you were actually an angel in disguise. Why you ever gave me a second glance will always be a mystery to me, but I will always be grateful that you did. I knew I loved you the first moment I saw you in that church attic. My life has been full of ups and downs, but nothing has ever shifted my entire world on its axis like the first time I saw you smile." He paused a moment, the nerves he had shown a moment ago melting a bit as he watched Lissa carefully. I couldn't see her, of course, but I could feel Lissa's heart racing with every word. Christian's eyes softened. "That smile. Right there. I'd move heaven and earth just to see you smile."

I wiped at my cheek, wondering if the tears I felt were mine or Lissa's. Both, probably. As much as I teased Christian, he was really knocking it out of the park.

"Vasilisa Dragomir, I swear to you now that I will make it my mission in life to give you a reason to smile every single day. I promise that I will live to make you happy and give you everything you could ever want in life if you will only give me one thing in return." He swallowed before pulling a burgundy box from his pocket. Opening it carefully, I saw what frankly had to be one of the most incredible rings I had ever seen in my life. It was fit for a princess, that was for sure. I waited on bated breath as Christian continued, his voice shaking slightly as he asked, "Lissa, will you marry me?"

Instead of answering, Lissa sprung up from the bench and into his arms, not only giving Christian his answer but giving me a clear sign that it was my time to peace outta there. It took a little effort with how heightened Lissa's emotions were, but I was eventually able to pull out of her mind and back to my own, only to see Dimitri staring at me through the phone with an intense look of concern.

"Roza? Is everything okay?" He obviously knew that I had been pulled into Lissa's mind, and he looked like he was about half a second from rushing out the door to find his charge.

"Everything's fine, Comrade," I said, reassuring him quickly. "Better than fine, actually. It seems that some congratulations are in order for a certain happy couple."

"It's just so pretty." Lissa turned her hand this way and that way, letting the diamond at the center of the ring flicker in the light. She must have sent me a dozen pictures of it already, but she was obsessed with the sparkly trinket. Personally, I found it a little too big and flashy for my tastes, but for Lissa, it was perfect. Christian did a great job. Lissa suddenly squealed in a pitch that was almost as high and bright as her smile. "I can't believe he actually proposed!"

"I'm not! Took him long enough." I was only half joking. I had no doubt that Christian and Lissa would end up together. I might not have approved initially, but I had to (reluctantly) admit that Christian really was a good guy. More importantly, he was good to Lissa. Good for Lissa. He kept her grounded. He gave her a safe haven away from the insanity that was her public life. He supported her without any ulterior motivations. He didn't give a shit about her title or status or what it could do for him. He just cared about her. Her happiness. Her wellbeing. All that mattered to him was Lissa. Not Princess Dragomir. Just Lissa.

What else could I ever want for my best friend?

That being said, being engaged at nineteen was a terrifying thought, and I sincerely hoped that the surprise turn of events didn't give Dimitri any ideas. I was nowhere near ready for something like that. We hadn't talked about anything long-term yet. How could we when we were still trying to figure out long distance? Still, I knew Dimitri. Eventually, we'd have to have that conversation. I just hoped that I could put it off for a little while longer.

"So…are you two going to have a long engagement?" I asked, trying not to let my anxiety over mine and Dimitri's future leak into the future Lissa was making for herself. "Do you have a date yet?"

"No date yet," she admitted, though there seemed to be a strange sadness to her words. For a moment, I wondered if she was upset that a wedding date hadn't been set yet. I wanted to tell her that it was alright and there was no rush. After all, she had only been engaged for a little more than a week. It wasn't like she had to get a dress or hire a caterer right away. It wasn't until a moment later that I realized it was something a tad more significant, however. "Tatiana wants us to have it in late spring. Early summer at the latest. She said it would be a good kickoff to 'social season' or some nonsense like that." She used her fingers in quick quotation and rolled her eyes, but I could see that it really was a sore spot for her.

My brow furrowed as my friend's frustration rubbed off on me. "Well, what do you want? It's your wedding, not hers."

Lissa's harsh, bitter laugh surprised me. "I'm starting to think it isn't actually my wedding. When Tatiana initially offered to help with planning, I was so grateful. The thought of doing everything on my own was daunting. I always miss Mom and Dad and Andre, of course, but missing them hurt for the first time in a long time. I'm getting married, and they never even had the chance to meet my Christian. So it seemed kind of Tatiana to go out of her way to support mine and Christian's marriage. I felt like her unspoken blessing, but now I'm beginning to think that I'm just being used as a pawn in another one of her political games. I've barely had any say in anything so far! I told her I wanted to wait until fall at the earliest, but she insisted that wouldn't work because many of the international dignitaries would be busy in the fall. Then she said that we couldn't wait until next spring because people's excitement for my marriage would start to wane if we waited until next year. I asked why that should matter, and she looked at me as if I had told her the sky was green."

How could something both surprise me and feel expected at the same time? It didn't surprise me that Tatiana would be conniving enough to use Lissa's wedding as some sort of power move, but I guess I didn't expect her to be so blatant about it.

"I guess it doesn't really matter in the end," Lissa said with a shrug. She had started playing with her ring again, but rather than her earlier excitement, the act was accompanied by melancholy through the bond. I had wanted to tease her about her fascination with her ring before, but now I was seeing that obsession for what it really was. The ring was something that belonged to her and Christian, nobody else. Even if Tatiana planned the whole damn wedding, she wouldn't be able to dictate the ring on her finger.

I knew I really shouldn't, but I opened up the bond a little more and pulled some of that darkness away. Not a lot, but just enough to bear some of that burden with her. If Lissa noticed, she didn't say anything, which I was grateful for. I'd rather she didn't scold me. Plus, It was the least I could do. There was no way I could fix this for Lissa, but if this was what it took to make things a little easier for her, then I had no regrets. I just wished I could do more. I wished I could be there for her.

As if she could read my thoughts, not the other way around, she suddenly perked up. "Oh! I forgot to tell you! I told her that I wanted to have you as my maid of honor, and it turns out that she was already reviewing your case! Apparently, Adrian approached her weeks ago to see if things could be overturned and you could come back home!"

I didn't quite have the heart to tell her that Baia was starting to feel more and more like home now, but the news excited me either way. "Really?"

"Yeah!" Her excitement was mounting with every passing moment. "I don't think she was supposed to let it slip. Maybe it was supposed to be some sneaky Christmas gift or something. I bet Dimitri was in on it too."

I had no doubt Dimitri was in on it. Even if he hadn't actively suggested the plan, I'm sure he was well aware of it and was helping Adrian in any way he could.

"So…" I started, hesitantly hoping that maybe I could see Lissa, even if it was just for a short visit. What I wouldn't give to see her in person rather than through a dream. It was a long shot but…what if? "What did she say?"

"Nothing yet," Lissa huffed. A second later, her sunshine smile was back again. "I bet she will, though. She will. I just know it."

Lissa's assurance faded into more plans for her upcoming nuptials, and I tried my hardest to pay attention and remember every little detail. She wanted blush and olive for her colors, but Tatiana wanted gold and emerald to match the Dragamir crest. Custom insisted that she had to have full sleeves for the ceremony in the cathedral, but Lissa had been eyeing a strapless dress in one of the local boutiques. She was willing to compromise in the name of tradition, selecting something more "appropriate" for the actual ceremony and wearing her preferred dress only to the reception afterward. At one point, she asked what type of bridesmaid dress I'd like to wear, as if my position by her side was already solidified. I told her that I'd wear a pink bunny suit if that's what she wanted, but a part of me wanted to remind her that nothing was set in stone.

I wouldn't say anything, though. Not yet. I'd let Lissa have this hope, but in my heart, I couldn't help but wonder if it was all too good to be true.

AUTHORS NOTE

Hey, lovelies! Just letting you know that updates are going to be spotty for the next month or so. I'm going to be going on a road trip with my kiddos and won't have much time to write. What little time I do have will most likely be focused on another project, but I'll see what I can do to get a one-shot or something for you guys in the meantime. I really appreciate all your support. If you want to see some sneak peeks of my trip and other adventures, be sure to check out my Instagram (AndreaAndersonWrites) or Facebook (Andrea Anderson Writes).

Question of the Week: What is your favorite summer activity?