Chapter 56: Chapter 56

Blair

When I opened the door, I bumped into Masha, who was sitting in the armchair outside.

" Did he sleep?”

" Fortunately yes, unfortunately he didn't sleep fast enough to avoid embarrassing me," I sighed.

That remark drew a laugh from my sister-in-law, who stood up and walked me to the cafeteria.

" I could cheer you up and say it wasn't so bad, but if I were you, I'd be looking for a way to teleport myself from that room straight to the nearest airplane.”

" That's very encouraging!”

I replied with a smile on my face.

" Come on, you better eat something before he wakes up and wants to cook for you.”

" Please don't bring that up," I laughed beside her.

" I'll never let you forget this," she assured me.

After getting a few packages of leek chips and two cartons of juice, I returned to Dimitri's room, watching over his sleep while I ate.

A few hours later, someone knocked on the door, and then came in. I felt my face heat up at the sight of Joanne, I couldn't help but remember everything Dimitri had said earlier.

" He's still asleep, I thought I might be able to see him awake before I go," she declared, watching him with a loving look.

My mother-in-law approached her son's bed, stroking his head as she said something in Russian to him. I felt a little out of place, as if I were invading an intimate moment, and was about to get up and give them both some privacy when she turned to me, seeing the packet of Chips that I had left halfway down on the sideboard.

" Great, you've eaten. Dimitri won't have to cook," she scoffed.

If before I felt embarrassed, now it was as if I was literally going to explode with embarrassment.

" Joanne, I'm sorry for that.”

" I'm just picking on you, Blair. Don't worry, it's not like we imagined that nothing happened between you," she tried to reassure me.

Well, even if they did, they didn't need to hear it. I nodded, not wanting to add anything to the situation, and Joanne soon turned her attention to her son.

" Although I would rather not know certain details that were revealed, I was glad," she declared after a few seconds.

Great, the woman has gone crazy!

" He was devastated when you left," she declared without looking away from her son's face. “My smiling, playful boy ceased to exist the moment you got into that cab.”

I looked away, feeling the weight of her words on me at that moment.

" I see he wasn't the only one who felt it," she sighed, turning away from the bed and coming toward me, "I have something for you.”

I stood up, frowning as I saw the woman remove the small point of light she always wore around her neck.

" Here, I want you to take this and give it back to me after your wedding," she held out the necklace.

" What?”

" This necklace was the gift Yaroslav gave me for our first Valentine's Day after we were married. I want it to be your "something borrowed" " she put the thin chain in my palm and closed it.

I stared at her dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond.

" Joanne, this must have great sentimental value, I couldn't possibly....”

" I want you to accept it! I know you will take good care of it, and besides, it will be a symbol of good luck, maybe you'll forget the fiasco that was your first Valentine's Day," she winked at me before walking away.

" Thank you," I could do nothing but say thank you.

" Yuri is taking Masha and me home. You can come with us if you like, my husband is spending the night with him tonight," she proposed.

For a moment disappointment overcame me. I had hoped to spend the night there with my fiancé, but I couldn't go against his father's plan.

" No, I'm going to Dimitri's apartment... soon our apartment. I'll try to make some room for my things, your son has too many clothes," I joked.

" When are you moving out?”

" Now that he is out of danger, I'll get on the first flight I find, I need to pack my things and try to find a tenant," I started to narrate my plan, "I want to be back before he is discharged."

" Sounds like a good plan. And don't worry, I will come once a week to cook for both of us," she winked, making me laugh.

Joanne kissed her sleeping son on the forehead and left after saying goodbye to me. After a few minutes Dimitri began to stir in his sleep, waking up panting and looking around.

I stood up, placing myself beside him to hold his hand.

" Hey commander, you got plenty of sleep," I laced our fingers together, frowning as I saw his startled look fixed on me, "Dimitri, are you okay?”

He shook his head slowly, closing his eyes and laying his head back on the pillow.

Although his attitude was strange, I decided to give him a break, contenting myself with stroking his face in an attempt to comfort him. It took a while before he was willing to talk to me.

" Can I ask you a question?”

" Of course," I assured him.

" How bad was the accident? No one wanted to tell me anything about it after I woke up from surgery," he looked at me, causing me to take a deep breath and let go of his hand.

After making room for myself on the edge of the bed next to him, I took his hand again, thinking about how to start telling him everything that had happened.

" On a scale of one to ten, I would say it was a four.”

" Four…”

For a moment I thought about changing the subject, but as I looked at Dimitri I knew he needed to know.

" Many people were injured, some didn't make it, but the accident could have been much worse if you weren't such a good pilot.”

He looked away, looking as if he didn't quite agree with what I was saying.

" A good pilot wouldn't have made a mistake like that.”

I frowned, not understanding what he meant. Does he think he went on the wrong track?

" Mistake? You didn't make a mistake, Dimitri.”

He gave me a confused look.

" The flight controller sent you to a landing track that was already in use. If it weren't for your skills as a pilot, the accident might have been a ten, eleven maybe. But you managed to avoid the worst," I explained, leaning over and kissing his cheek.

" I dream of the screams and cries for help from the passengers," he gave me a desperate look, "I could hear them screaming and I couldn't help!”

I felt my chest tighten, and laid my head on his shoulder, caressing his hand. I couldn't imagine how traumatic it was for him to go through that situation.

" You said that some people didn't make it.”

" There was no loss among the passengers," I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself as I broke the news of the death of his colleagues.

" Among the crew? " he asked.

I just shook my head affirmatively, not having the courage to look in his direction. I heard Dimitri take a deep breath before asking his next question.

" Who?”

" Three flight attendants and your co-pilot," I declared, staring at the wall in front of us.

Dimitri remained unresponsive, I looked in his direction when I noticed his altered breathing finding him shedding silent tears.

I closed my eyes, laying my head back on his shoulder, stopping my tears from coming out.

" It was only his third flight " he collapsed.

" I am so sorry, Dimitri.”

It was the only thing I could think of to comfort him. I stood there, hugging my fiancé, waiting for him to shed all the tears he needed to shed to get over what had happened.