Chapter 27: Chapter 27

Dimitri

I drove carefully across the freshly snow"covered road towards my parents' house. I would arrive in a few minutes if I continued at that speed. It was December 24th, but unlike the rest of the world, we were not preparing for Christmas Eve, but for my brother's birthday.

I looked at the parcels that I had gotten on my last trip to London, I hoped he would like the present.

As soon as I parked the car at the garage door, a message notification arrived on my cell phone. I sighed before opening the picture that Blair had sent me.

In the picture she was smiling on a swing in the ocean, wearing a colorful bikini, barefoot, and with her hair loose.

It had been twenty days since we had last met. She was constantly being sent to the Caribbean and South America, while I remained in Europe.

I was about to answer the message, when Maria knocked on the car window, startling me. She opened the door and settled into the passenger seat.

" Aren't you getting in? " she asked.

" Yes, I was just…”

" Talking to your amazing new girlfriend? " she teased me.

" The last time we saw each other was on my birthday, now she's in the Caribbean.”

I showed the photo to my sister, who sighed in front of the turquoise sea.

" Is it too late for me to become a flight attendant too? " she asked with a pout.

" And are you going to abandon your adorable children? " I teased her.

Maria was a speech therapist and worked with special children.

" You're right, I couldn't live without them.”

" Let's go inside," I declared, opening the door to go downstairs, picking up the presents from the back seat.

" Did you bring them? " Maria asked, helping me with the presents.

" I wouldn't forget.”

Last year I brought a handmade moisturizing cream for my sister. I found it in a small boutique in London. Since then, I am obliged to renew her stock every time I visit the city.

" You are the best brother in the world," she hummed.

" I know, but since today is the other brother's birthday, we can keep it a secret," I winked at her, getting a laugh in return.

" What did you get him? " she indicated the large package I was carrying.

" A portable clipboard and a drawing kit, things that will come in handy in college," I explained, walking through the door she had left open for me.

" This is great. He'll love it.”

My mother was in the living room and smiled as soon as she saw me.

" Dimulya, you're early " she smiled.

" I thought I was late, they told me it would be at seven, and it's after eight," I commented, placing the presents on the sideboard.

Maria soon identified the bag of her cream, and threw herself on the sofa, opening the package.

" Is everything ready yet?”

" Ready? Yuri invents something new every minute. Mama has almost finished the pirozhkis.”

" Since when does Mama know how to make pirozhkis? I thought we would order pizza as usual, Yuri is no longer a child.”

" Since she bought some frozen ones. And we are going to order pizza, but he insisted that Yahantovs are very fond of pirozhkis " Masha explained, putting me on alert.

This information caught me off guard; I had not known the Yahantov family since before my breakup with Olga. My former father-in-law and mother-in-law were not at all pleased with our decision to live together without getting married, let alone when our relationship came to an end.

" Are Boris and Irina coming? I thought it would be a simple celebration," I alternated my gaze between the two.

My mother was the first to speak up.

" Your brother insisted it was a special celebration, it must be because of his age," she shrugged.

" Turning eighteen is a rite of passage, he's already a man," Masha joked.

I picked up one of the bags I had brought and handed it to my mother, who quickly took care of opening it.

" Dimulya, you don't have to, I already have all the countries," she took out a small snow globe from the bag.

" This is from Blair's town, you don't have it yet. And I didn't have these perks for my birthday," I tried to hide my discomfort.

" That's because you were in Belgium with your girlfriend who is already sending gifts to her mother in law," Masha scoffed.

" Thank her for me, and when are we going to meet her? I told your father and he got curious " my mother asked, looking for a place for the new ornament.

" I don't know, I don't even know when I'll meet her again. When did Dad come back?”

My father was a sales representative for a large hotel chain, so he traveled a lot for work. We grew up with this routine, and maybe this is the reason why I don't find my own work routine so strange.

" He arrived this week, and now he has gone to get the Yahantovs at home.”

I couldn't help a slight frown when I heard about our guests.

" It's been almost two years, Dimulya. Everyone is over it," she assured me, but I was not so sure.

I nodded, pulling away as I remembered that I hadn't replied to Blair's message.

"Today you won as best seen. I'm jealous."

Blair didn't reply right away, causing me to turn my attention back to my family, helping her with the last details of the celebration.

" So, are you really liking this girl? " my mother asked as my sister left us alone to take a phone call.

Blair had texted me that she would take a shower and then call me back.

" Blair is amazing, it's been a long time since I've felt this happy. But I don't know if I'm going crazy trying.”

" And why would you be? It's about time you found a good woman and started a family.”

I sighed at this comment. It was unusual for a man of my age not to be married, but I preferred to wait until I found the right person.

" Maria is a little younger than me and also not married," I tried to take the focus off myself.

" But she is dating, and I hope that will change soon.”

This information surprised me, and my mother seemed to have realized this, as she soon amended it.

" He is a good guy, you will meet him today. And we are talking about you. Don't you miss having someone to come home to?”

Yes, in the last few days I missed something else when I entered my apartment.

" That's the thing, I don't know if she would accept to make this country her home.”

My cell phone started ringing and I couldn't help but smile a little when I saw Blair's picture on the screen.

" Well, I can't say whether it will work out or not. What I do know for sure is that it has been a long time since anyone has put a smile like that on your face.”

My mother remarked, turning her attention back to her chores.

" Do you want to meet her?”

"Do you want to introduce me to her now?”

I winked at her, then took the call. At first I paid attention to Blair's smiling face as my mother ran a hand through her hair.

" Commander, look at this" she waved two small bottles in front of the cell phone camera.

" What am I looking at? " I questioned.

" The newest souvenir of my house. Or rather of ours. Because I made one for you too.”

My mother gave me an amused look, still out of the camera's range.

" Today I visited a beach that had pink sand, can you believe it? So I bought these little bottles ones, put in some sand and a little shell, look " she brought the camera closer to the pot, pointing to the little shell.

" So you also made one for me?”

" Well, I thought it would be a good reminder of a nice, sunny place. You should put it in a conspicuous place in your apartment, so that you can endure the Russian winters with a little more happiness.”

My smile was complete at his statement.

" And will this help keep me warm? " I tried to sound disbelieving.

" At the very least it will remind you of me wearing only…”

" Okay, I want you to meet someone! " I interrupted her before the situation got awkward in front of my mother.

I pulled her to my side, putting my arm around her shoulder as Blair alternated her gaze between us.

" Blair, this is my mother. Mom, this is…”

" Dimulya, I had no idea your girlfriend was so beautiful.”

" It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Voitovich. Or should I call you by another last name?”

" No, my mother has no patronymic " I found her confusion amusing.

" But you should call me Joanne, Blair. My son talks about you a lot.”

" Please tell me he didn't tell you the story about the wedding," she groaned, making my eyes widen.

That's the last topic she should touch on with my mother!

" Marriage?”

" Dimitri has been harping on this subject for the past few days, and I'm starting to think it's for real.”

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath at that comment, while Blair looked very pleased with her personal revenge for all the times I had embarrassed her on the subject.

" Really? Ahhh dear, he surely means it, Dimulya would never joke about such a subject," my mother assured her with satisfaction.

If I end this call with the wedding scheduled, I will kill Blair!

" I was beginning to worry, but it's good to know that he's met someone who is able to understand and accept his work routine.”

Blair gave me a surprised look when she realized that my mother was taking the whole situation seriously.

" I'm sure he will," she forced a smile.

" And when you guys want to make it official…”

" All right, I'm going to get my cell phone and get out of here before I finish this call as a married man," I warned, kissing my mother on the forehead and pulling away.”