I spent the rest of the night in my bedroom. I lay on the bed, facing away from the door, not wanting to interact with anyone. I wasn't sure how long I had been lying there when there was a knock on my door. It creaked open a few moments later.

"Rose?" Karolina asked.

"Yeah?" I said, trying to hide the fact that I was crying from my voice.

"Dinner's ready," she said, perching on the bed. I didn't look back at her.

"Thanks, but I'm not hungry," I said.

She didn't say anything for a moment, and when she spoke, her voice was soft. "You need to eat something for the baby. Do you want me to bring you a plate?"

"Okay," I said, compromising. I didn't want to be around the rest of the Belikova family, but I knew Karolina was right.

"Dimitri will be back soon," she said, misinterpreting my sadness.

I only nodded, not wanting to get into it with her. I felt the bed shift as she stood.

"I'll be right back."

True to her word, Karolina returned a couple of minutes later. I heard her set the plate on the desk, and she verbally confirmed that that was where the plate was before she left the room, the door shutting behind her. I managed to eat the food before it got too cold, and I found that I was hungrier than expected. After I finished, I brought the plate back downstairs. I avoided the living room as I did so and washed the plate quickly before returning upstairs.

I continued being more withdrawn as we got closer to Christmas. I kept updating Lissa with bump pictures, and true to my word, I sent them to Dimitri, too. He often wasn't quick to reply since between the time difference and Dimitri being on a nocturnal schedule, I often caught him in the middle of his shifts. His replies would usually come hours later, and I tried not to linger on them. I'd answer his questions, which usually consisted of new symptoms I was experiencing and general questions about the baby, but I didn't respond beyond that, unable to keep opening myself to being pushed away again.

"Can I convince you to come here for Christmas?" Lissa asked during one of our phone calls at the beginning of December. Winter had set into Russia, and I was officially freezing. I knew that Court wouldn't really be that much warmer, but part of me still considered.

"No," I said finally. "I don't want to risk being around Court."

"I understand," she said. "The Council will be on a break in a couple of weeks, and we won't pick up until after the new year starts. Maybe I can get away with staying for longer than a day this time since the majority of my queenly duties will be put on hold."

"I would love to see you," I said. "But don't feel like you have to come."

"Rose." She didn't have to say anything else. I knew she thought I was being stupid. "I'm coming to visit my best friend. Christian's going to come, too."

"And Jill?" I asked.

Lissa was silent for a moment. "She might want to spend time with her mom and stepdad. She hasn't seen them much recently. But I'll ask her."

"Only if you're comfortable with it," I said.

"What about your parents?" Lissa asked. "Have you talked to them recently?"

"No," I said. "I would be surprised if they knew that I wasn't at Court."

"They know," Lissa said. "They were here during the election."

"Ah," I said, frowning. "I'm surprised that Abe hasn't tried to find me."

"He has been," she said. "I've told Hans not to tell them. I think he would never expect you to go back to Baia, and that's the only reason he hasn't searched there."

"My mom will be pissed when she finds out I'm pregnant," I said. "She wanted better for me."

"I mean, in your defense, you didn't really think your actions would lead to you getting pregnant, so it's not like you were irresponsible."

I rolled my eyes as I smiled. "She won't see it that way, especially since I'm not with—"

I cut myself off, not wanting to finish my sentence. Lissa knew me well enough to know what I had almost said, though.

"Have you actually talked to him?" she asked, a hint of exasperation in her voice.

I shook my head, knowing she couldn't see me. "He's made it clear that he's not interested in me like that anymore."

"Did he actually say that, or did you assume that's what he meant?"

"Lissa, if there's something you want to say, just say it," I said. "No point in beating around the bush."

"You need to actually talk to him," she said. "You've barely had a real conversation with him. He probably thinks you want nothing to do with him outside of the baby."

"He made it clear—"

"Yeah, yeah," Lissa said, cutting me off this time. She changed the topic, knowing that she wasn't going to make any progress with Dimitri anytime soon. "I'll invite Jill to Christmas if you invite your parents."

"Fine," I said. She knew how hard it was for me to turn down a challenge.

"I guess we'll be having a big celebration then," she said.

"The house next to the Belikovas is up for rent right now," I said. "You could set up there so that you have your own space, and we didn't overload the Belikovas."

"I'll get my assistant to set it up," Lissa said. "I have to run, but I'll talk to you soon!"

We said our goodbyes, and I trekked downstairs to let Olena know the plan for Christmas. She was excited to see Dimitri again and was fine hosting Lissa again. I let her know that Jill could also be potentially coming, and then I let her know that I would be inviting my mom and Abe. As soon as I said his name, her eyes went wide.

"Zmey's your father?"

I nodded. "I found out after I got back to the Academy earlier this year. Trust me, I was shocked, too."

Olena laughed a bit. "I can see it. You have some similar qualities."

I frowned. "I don't know if that's a compliment or not."

Olena didn't elaborate further, but I saw the small smirk on her lips before she turned away.

Another two weeks passed, and Christmas was less than a week away when I picked up my phone to call my mom. I hadn't wanted to risk reaching out to her too early in fear that she and Abe would come immediately rather than wait for Christmas.

She answered on the third ring. "Hathaway."

"Hi, Mom," I said.

"Rose?"

"Yeah, it's me," I said. "Sorry for dropping off the face of the earth. There's been a lot going on."

"I'm surprised you would leave Lissa again," she said, her voice suspicious.

"Like I said, there's been a lot going on. I was calling to invite you to Christmas. Lissa and Christian are coming to visit, and I told her I would invite you and Abe."

"Are you going to explain what's been happening? And where you've been?"

I fidgeted, but nodded, even if she couldn't see me. "At Christmas, I'll explain everything."

"I'll see what I can do," she said. "Last I knew, Lord Szelsky was going to Court to visit Princess Ariana, so I should be able to take a couple of days."

"Can you tell Abe?" I asked.

She chuckled. "Too scared to talk to him yourself?"

"Something like that," I said. "If I call him, he'll probably trace the call and show up tomorrow."

"You're not wrong. He's been worried. We both have been," she said. "I'll take care of him. Where are you?"

I bit my lip, debating if I should tell her now or not.

"I promise we won't be there until Christmas Eve," she said, breaking the silence stretching between us.

"I'm in Baia," I said finally. "At the Belikovas."

My mom didn't say anything, and I knew I had probably confused her.

"I'm training some of the dhampir women here and encouraging them to work as guardians for a couple of years," I added.

"Okay," she said, though I could tell she wanted to say something more. "I'll see you soon, Rose."

I spent the next week fixing up everything in preparation for everyone's arrival. Decorations had been up for a while, but I continued helping keep the house clean, and I helped prepare for the Christmas dinner, too. I also helped Lissa's assistant get everything set up with renting the house next door. Viktoria and I had put up a tree and more decorations at the house earlier this week, and together, we had made sure everything would be in order there. I moved my things over temporarily so Dimitri could take the bedroom I had been staying in. The Belikovas only had one spare room, and I knew they'd want Dimitri to be as close as possible. When I first suggested the idea, Olena tried to protest, insisting that I didn't have to move my things. I could see how much she wanted to be close to Dimitri again, though, and I moved my things early in the morning the day before everyone was arriving, before Olena could protest again.

I woke up late on Christmas Eve and took my time getting ready. My stomach had popped a bit over the past few weeks, and while I didn't look six months pregnant, it was definitely unmistakable now. I had felt the baby starting to move a month ago, and it still freaked me out a bit whenever I felt it. Sonya agreed that it was a weird sensation, while Karolina talked about how much she loved being able to feel Paul and Zoya moving.

After showering, I dressed in a pair of fleece leggings and layered a thermal long-sleeve under a sweater, keeping me extra warm. I had been having bouts of chilliness, and layering my clothes seemed to be the only thing that helped. I slid on my winter coat and a pair of boots before crossing the snowy yard to the Belikovas. A pair of slippers were waiting at the door for me, and I quickly exchanged my boots for them. As I walked toward the living room, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror by the entryway and couldn't help but admire my appearance.

My hair had grown longer and healthier thanks to the prenatal vitamins that I had been taking, and it was shiny and sleek. My sweater was bulky, but, from the side, it was undeniable I was pregnant. When faced forward, though, there was enough of an illusion that I didn't look pregnant. I was curious to see how long it would take for my parents to realize that I was pregnant when I saw them, and part of me was dreading their reaction.

Part of me was also dreading seeing Dimitri again. I had continued to keep my distance over the past couple of weeks. I still sent him weekly updates, the same as the ones I sent Lissa. Even though I rarely responded outside of answering his questions, he continued to respond in the same way as he first had, with sweet messages and appreciation for the miracle I was carrying. I had to actively remind myself each time one of those messages came through that he didn't want to be with me. That his love for me had faded.

Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as we got closer to when Lissa and Dimitri would arrive, and it took me a second to realize that it was the baby moving.

A small laugh escaped me. "You're active today," I said, cradling my bump. I enjoyed spending time each day talking to my son. "Are you ready to hear Daddy again?"

Dimitri had sent me a few voice recordings of him talking to the baby for me to play to help get him familiar with Dimitri's voice, and I enjoyed playing those recordings more than I would ever admit. The baby moved again, sharply kicking me.

I winced. "He'll be here soon," I said, rubbing the spot where he kicked me as I moved into the kitchen. Olena already had breakfast later, and I gratefully took the plate she was offering.

"You didn't have to move," she repeated as I started to eat.

I shrugged. "Well, no point in me moving back," I said, smiling. "Last I knew, Dimitri isn't going to be on duty, so there's no reason for him to not stay over here."

"You aren't on duty either," Olena reminded me.

"I know," I said, eating another bite of the blini Olena had made.

I was almost done with my plate when the baby started moving again, almost as if he could sense Dimitri's impending arrival. Sure enough, less than thirty minutes later, I got a text from Dimitri confirming that they had just landed in Baia and would be at the house in less than fifteen minutes. I updated the rest of the Belikova family, sending Olena into a flurry to make sure everything was perfect for Lissa's and Dimitri's arrival. I had tried to reassure her that Lissa wouldn't mind and would expect a house to look lived in, but she didn't listen. I helped her tidy up the kitchen while Viktoria tackled the living room, making sure every blanket was folded up and put away.

Karolina pulled out extra chairs to put in the living room, ready to host a large group. Lissa was traveling with her full guard this time, something Hans and the Council wouldn't budge on since she was scheduled to be here for a week. I knew they would work in shifts, with the exception of Dimitri, but that everyone would be prepared to jump into action if needed. Something else that they wouldn't budge on was getting wards laid around the Belikova house and the neighbor's house where Lissa would be staying. A group of Moroi had come out a couple of days ago to lay the wards, though they weren't told what it was for. Strigoi often didn't attack dhampir communes, but there was still a risk of an attack that the guardians weren't willing to take.

I watched out the window as a convoy of black SUVs came down the street. There were five in total this time, accounting for the larger group that was traveling with Lissa. I stood, giddily waiting for her to make her way into the house, and as soon as she stepped over the threshold, I threw myself at her. She laughed, wrapping her arms around me.

"I've missed you!" she said as we separated. "And you've finally popped!"

I nodded, resting a hand on my stomach. "Yep, there's no more hiding it now."

Christian came in behind her, and I surprised both of us by also pulling him into a hug.

"Wow, Rose," he said. "Your maternal side is already coming out."

I hid my smile, shoving his arm. "Shut it, Sparky."

He didn't bother to hide his smile. "It's good to see you."

Two of Lissa's guardians followed her through the door and shut it behind them.

"Where should we put our shoes?" Lissa asked.

I gestured to the door. "Out of the way of the door is fine."

I tried to glance out the window, and Lissa grabbed my arm. "He's helping the rest of the guardians put our bags in the other house. They wouldn't let us help."

I caught one of her guardians hiding a smile at Lissa's tone, her frown evident even with her back to him. I shook my head. "Liss, you're the queen. What did you expect?"

She didn't answer as she dragged me into the living room. "Tell me everything new!"

I laughed. "Actually, first, I have a question for Christian."

He followed us and pulled Lissa down on one of the couches. I took a seat on the loveseat next to it. Christian arched an eyebrow expectantly.

I smiled slyly. "When are you going to make an honest woman out of Lissa and become king? Or at least prince consort."

"Rose!"

"It's fine, Liss," Christian said, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "All good things come to those who wait."

Christian had already told me of his plans to propose to Lissa, purely to make sure they could have a moment alone for him to actually propose during their trip. They would never truly be alone outside of Court, though they were also truly never alone within Court's wards either, especially after Tatiana's murder. Last I knew, Christian was planning on proposing in a couple of days. I continued teasing Christian but cut off abruptly when Dimitri walked into the living room.

"Hi, Roza," he said. He gestured to the open space next to me. "May I?"

I nodded, and he sat down next to me. "Do you want to feel him kick?"

He nodded and leaned over to rest his hand on my stomach. I grabbed his wrist, moving his hand to where I had last felt the baby kick, and sure enough, a moment later, he kicked again, his foot hitting Dimitri's hand. Dimitri grinned, awestruck. I couldn't help but smile back.

"How have you been feeling?"

"I've been better," I said. "He's been giving me some killer heartburn and backaches, but I've been working around it and finding solutions. Karolina and Sonya have been really helpful."

Dimitri nodded. "I remember Karolina mentioning backaches while she was pregnant with Paul. She used to take warm baths if I remember correctly."

He didn't comment on Sonya's pregnancy. He hadn't been aware of it until I had mentioned it while he was Strigoi, and he hadn't met Katya until his visit a couple of months ago. He had seemed more aware of Zoya but also met her for the first time during his last trip.

I nodded. "Yeah, I've taken a couple of those, but they don't help me as much. I don't mind a bit of discomfort, though."

Dimitri didn't say anything, still a bit distracted by where his hand was still pressed against my stomach.

"You can talk to him if you want," I said. "He loves hearing your voice."

His eyes met mine, a look of wonder in them. He slid off the couch, kneeling in between my legs. I lifted my sweater, bringing the thermal up with it so that my stomach was left bare. Dimitri hesitated, and I reached out again, grabbing his hand and pressing it against my bare skin. I tried not to flinch at the feeling of his skin against mine, and instead, I focused on the baby becoming more active with Dimitri nearby.

He began to speak lowly in Russian, his face close to my stomach. I was able to catch most of what he was saying, and translating it in my head was almost second nature by now. Russian had been spoken consistently around the Belikova household for the past month, and we only reverted to English when we had to. I continued trying to listen to what Dimitri was saying, but there were a few moments where he talked too fast for me to translate. I was fairly certain he didn't know I had been learning the language, though, and so I didn't ask him to repeat himself. He wasn't talking to me, so it didn't quite matter if I understood him or not.

I gave up my attempts to have a conversation with Lissa and Christian, and Lissa mouthed "later" to me before pulling Christian out of the room. I looked down, watching Dimitri still talking to our baby. My hand twitched, longing to run it through his unbound hair. I resisted the urge and pulled out my phone to see how far away my parents were when Dimitri saying my name caught my attention. I glanced at him again but quickly realized he was still speaking to the baby.

"—the luckiest baby. She will be the best mother to you. She's going to be the most beautiful, strong, loving, protective, amazing mother in the world," Dimitri murmured. "I'm sorry I haven't been here for you – and for her – until recently. I'll be the father you deserve, even if I couldn't be the partner your mother deserved. I won't willingly leave either of you ever again, even if I have blown my chances of her ever loving me again. I love you both so much."

There was a knock at the door before I could fully process what Dimitri was saying. Dimitri slid back, allowing me to stand up. I pulled my sweater back into place, a faint hint of nausea swirling in my stomach as I heard Olena answer the door and greet our latest guests. I could just barely make out their conversations but could hear the hint of nervousness in Olena's voice loud and clear.

My parents had arrived.

I hope y'all enjoyed this extra-long chapter! The next chapter is one a lot of you have been waiting for - in more ways than one. Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate!