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Vlad's POV
Mina is panicking while she is finishing the remaining food to be made. I give her some fresh ice coffee and some fresh made strawberry blackberry French toasts since she has been baking since 6 am and it is now 12. She needs to eat and get some rest as soon as she is done cooking. I can tell Mina is exhausted and got hardly any good sleep by the look in her eyes.
Mina adds several mixing bowls into the sink and I wash them and put the dishes away so she doesn't have to worry about any cleaning when she is finally done. I am trying to help her not to stress about her mother coming over but I know that no amount of words can settle her.
I know something that can help her as I begin to massage her shoulders and upper back. She lets out a pleased moan as my fingers relief her muscles. I can feel at least three stressed knots. I gently work on them before I dig deep into those knots to help increase circulation, and blood flow.
Mina stops any sort of baking, finally starts eating her food and drinks her coffee while I massage her shoulders and upper back. She deserves this. And I cannot help but laugh in how many times she tells me, "Vlad, thank you so much. You are amazing. Please don't stop."
"I won't, Mina." I say without trying to laugh in how she says it in the massage drunk state she is in from the massage.
When she is done eating, I manage to get two of the three knots out of her. The last one is a stubborn and naughty knot to get rid of. I ask Mina to sit down but she refuses and needs to finish cooking. I turn Mina around so she can face me.
"Mina, I haven't even met your mother and I already don't like her. I see how stressed out you are in just her coming over for one dinner. I would rather cancel her coming over all together. But she needs to know that everything with Michael, with is going on between us is what you want in your life. She cannot live her life through yours and needs to get her own life. She will learn that today one way or another."
"Now please, go upstairs, take a nice shower or bubble bath then get some rest. I will finish the rest of the cooking and it will be exactly like it is suppose to be. I promise. And I am not taking no for an answer. Now go on." I tell her before she can even attempt to keep on cooking and stressing even more.
She knows she cannot argue with me when she starts to untie her cooking apron and sets it down on the counter. I chuckle in seeing some flour on her cheeks with her blonde hair in a small messy bun and the smells of cinnamon, sugar and vanilla coming off her in waves. Mina smells like a bakery shop. And she looks adorable. I like it.
Our hands come together as do our lips. She sighs when kissing me. I wrap my arms around her, bringing her so close that there is no space between our bodies. She feels so warm and good this close to me that I feel warm and good.
I begin to feel my body react to her but not in the vampire way. It is definitely the human way. Mina stops kissing me and looks down with a grin on her smile. "Well hello."
I bury my face into her shoulder in feeling embarrassed with myself since this is the last thing I want on her mind or mine. With all of these flashes of being human, I have been wondering if I will actually get to be physical with her as a man, not a vampire. I would definitely rock her world hard with my vamp sex but I would drain her dry in the process. That is the last thing I want when it comes to Mina.
"Vlad, it's ok. It is a normal reaction of the body and I'm pleased to know that you are attracted to me on that level."
I grin and bear my teeth in her words to me. I am extremely embarrassed that she noticed however grateful that she sees it like it is, a natural reaction than me acting like a pig such as other men of this century act toward women. Most men of this century see women as a piece of ass, something to just have a one night stand or short term relationship with or to cheat with whenever they feel like it, never the proper thought of someone to spend the rest of their life loving.
"I am grateful that you say this because I know you must feel afraid of intimate moments due to that bastard that shall remain nameless." I say without utter Michael's name out loud.
"Yes, however I will not allow his monstrous acts to hold me back in how I feel to someone I care about and I care about you, Vlad." She says wrapping her arms around the back of my neck.
"I couldn't agree more." I smile in how she is looking ahead, not behind. But she does need to address what happened to her at some time. Not today since today is a day to have fun with food, music and loved ones.
We kiss each other when suddenly there is a knock on the door. We both freeze wondering who it is until we hear her voice, "Alright, lovebirds, stop kissing and open the door." Lucy shouts from outside the front door.
Mina and I laugh in what Lucy says. I manage to walk away from Mina and let Lucy in the house. Lucy is wearing thigh high black boots with nude colored skirt and black long sleeve shirt. Her nails match the theme of autumn as she is wearing her family ring. She has her hair down as it is hanging a little past her shoulders. Lucy looks wonderful like she always does. She has several bags of wine, food and a certain something else for us vampires to drink in the wine.
Lucy sets the bags on the counter but keeps the bag with blood in her hand. Lucy takes a moment to smell the house. She looks to me then to Mina, "I smell vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin. It smells like a sort of Krispy Kreme brothel. I like it. So how is it going?"
"Going great except the fact that I do not want to see my mother; is that so horrible? She drives me nuts. I don't want her to even be here."
Without a moment to spare, Lucy grabs a wine bottle and takes off the cork. The sound of the cork coming off echoes through the house and the cork falls to the floor. Lucy pours her a glass then hands it to her. Mina already drinks a good bit of the wine. Lucy can already see that no matter what is said or done, Mina will remain stressed about her mother.
"Mina, let's take a moment to get past this. Okay, if I were your mother, what would you say to me right now?"
"Mother, never would I catch you alive in an outfit like that." She says looking at Lucy's outfit.
"Come on, serious. What would you say?" Lucy and I chuckle a moment in her response to her first answer and we already know that her mother judges on what people wear.
"I wouldn't say anything because she doesn't listen. Since I graduated high school, she just criticizes. She has shown no affection whatsoever. She hasn't hugged me in years. I cannot do right by her and I can't talk to her. She believes I ruined my entire life when ending the engagement with Michael and left him." She says before she drinks down even more of her wine glass.
"Mina, please stop anticipating problems. Everything is going to be fine." I walk up and start massaging her shoulders and upper back again. I could feel her stress from across the room saying those words. Lucy refills Mina's wine glass.
"I don't anticipate problems with my mother. I anticipate disasters. You watch. When she arrives, she will walk through the front door and won't even acknowledge you or get your name right, Vlad. Then no matter what anyone says about you and I together, she'll find some way to complain about it."
She drinks down the second glass of wine as I tell her, "That is a problem, not a disaster."
"No, it will be when she destroys everything with her heat vision." She says beginning to slur her words, showing the wine is already affecting her.
Lucy takes the glass from Mina and tells her, "No more wine for you until later. You are a light weight after all. And Mina, she is getting older and wants to see you. She's not going to be around forever."
"Stop trying to cheer me up." Mina says before she lets out a satisfying moan from the deep tissue massage I am still giving her. Lucy and I both laugh in her response about her mother not being around forever.
If Mina knew as much as Lucy and I knew in our long lives, she would understand how short life can be. No matter how evil a mother can be in this day and century, some people can change the older they become; youth slipping away is a fickle thing.
"Mina, human beings can change." I start digging deeper to her remaining knot on her right shoulder.
"I do believe that human beings can change however none of that applies to my mother. " Mina says.
Lucy sees how worked up Mina is in just speaking of her mother. Lucy and I wonder how dreadful she must be in person for just an evening of dinner.
"Mina, I believe you may be overacting just a tiny bit."
"Lucy, she is not just critical of me. She will come down on anybody who disagrees with her; religions, politics, she will always find a way to make you the wrong party."
"Mina, go take a nice shower, a few hours nap. We will get you up when it is times to get ready for supper. Lucy and I will take care of the cooking that remains. So please go relax and get some rest while you can for today." I gently walk her toward the stairs to my bedroom while I still massage her.
Mina does not argue with me when we enter into the bathroom where she can take a bubble bath. She kisses me on the lips before I leave her to herself. I close the bedroom door behind me and head back down to the kitchen.
Lucy and I look at each other in exhaustion since Mina's exhaustion bounced off her to us. However we push it aside and get to cooking. Lucy and I use our vampire speed to get the cooking done, set up the drinks, dining table outside since it is such a wonderful autumn evening. We suspect it to be one of the remaining best autumn evenings before winter officially sets the cold into the world.
Lucy and I go outside to the dinner patio. I have a basic black table and chair setup however Lucy works her magic and sets it up like a Feast of Autumn. Lucy puts a white table cloth over the outdoor table, placing three different flower vases down the middle of the table. The flowers screamed autumn with the red, orange and yellow mix of flowers in the gold vases that match well with the gold plates, silverware and dinner placements.
My back outdoor patio is becoming something you would see out of a designing magazine. Lucy adds a mixture of white, orange candles and pumpkins on the remaining spare space on the table. When she is done with the main dinner table, she sets up the side tables with open bibles and autumn flowers lying on the top middle of the Bible. I look down wondering what Bible verses are on the open page. I read through the open pages and come across one main verse that spoke out to me that most for today of all days. I see that it is on Psalms 95:2.
'Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving, let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise.'
I smile while brushing my fingers right below the words of the Bible verse. I reach into my pocket to pick up a red jewelry necklace bowknot box. It is also velvet. I stare at it knowing I need to talk to Lucy about this before I can even think about giving this to Mina after the dinner along with another gift I have for her.
"Lucy, can I talk to you for a second?"
"Sure. What is it?" She finishes the last touches to the tables and walks over to me seeing the red bowknot box in my hands.
I open it to reveal what is inside to give to Mina. Lucy has wide eyes to what is inside the box. She then uses her hands to close the box, still remaining speechless in what I want to give to Mina.
"Vlad, it is been almost two months. Are you sure you want to give her that?" Lucy points to the box.
"Yes, I know it is early to do this sort of thing in any relationship however I feel like it is a good time to do so while things are going really good for all of us."
"You are not wrong about that. Things have been going good but there is one important thing I need to you to know if you do this. And you need to be sure about this down to your bones. If you give Mina that, it shows to the entirety of Supernatural world that she is fully yours. To Mina, you are just Vlad, the horse barn owner, the man who helped her when she never asked for help and much more. But beyond that, you are still Dracula Son of the Devil courting the very reincarnation of your wife, Mirena."
I sit down putting the box back into my pocket. I brush my right hand against my forehead as Lucy's words sink in deeply. Lucy kneels down to be face to face with me. Our hands come together as our eyes remain locked in what Lucy is going to say next.
"Vlad, Mina asked about Mirena when we went shopping. She caught that detail when I called her Mirena when I first met her."
"What?" I say in response. I never expected Mina to catch on to any of that.
"Yes and she asked about our past relationship. Mina surprised me quite a bit that day. She is far smarter than we give her credit for. I think it is best if we never understatement her again."
"What exactly did she ask about in those subjects?"
"I told her that it has been years since we were together. And out of honesty, I gave her the honest answer since the 19th century in a joking way. As for Mirena, I only told her that the rest was up to you to tell Mina when you are ready. I highly recommend that you tell Mina about her before you give that box to her."
I shake my head yes to Lucy knowing I do need to truly consider what it will mean to whole Supernatural world if I give her this gift. I look down placing my head in my hands and should have known better to think this through than to give her the gift to her like it was any other gift. Thankfully I have Lucy's honest council. I knew she would cut right to the point like she always has and will do.
My eyes stare at Lucy in gratitude and I give her a small smile. "Thank you, Lucy. I know I can always count on you for anything."
"And don't you forget it, Vlad. Now let's get everything else set up for the arrival of Mina's disastrous mother." She says standing to her feet with a happy grin.
I let out a huff knowing that what is ahead will not be easy with her mother. I stand to my feet then help Lucy with everything else. We get done within the hour. The only thing that needs to be done is putting the pies into the oven around 5 pm so when Mina's mother arrives, the pies are freshly baked for the dinner.
Lucy and I sit down on the couch with a glass of wine with a blood bag split between the two of us. We look to see that it is about to be 2 pm. I stare at the red wine mixed with blood wondering if drinking any real blood will delay the impossible in that the fact that I am becoming human. I lean my head back on the couch as I watch Lucy drink the wine but not like she usually does. It is almost like it is just another drink for her, not the next best thing.
"Lucy, I noticed you do not drink the red like you usually do. What's going on?" I question her.
"Well it is quite a strange tale to be honest. That night when the incident with Michael happened, you and Draven left the bar, I stuck around to have a few more drinks when I met someone."
"Oh, really? How was he or she that night?" I ask in curiosity. Lucy certainly has always interesting one night stands.
"He was unexpectedly delicious, full of flavor. He was different." She says with an almost happy smile on her face. I have never seen a smile such as this one on her face in the long years I have known her.
"How different?"
"He knew I was a vampire within the first few heartbeats we spoke and he treated me like a woman, not a vampire. He willingly opened his veins to me." Lucy says setting the half filled wine glass down.
"You did not ask him at all? This was willingly?" I am in shock since most of the time I had to ask for consent to have blood from my vampire brides or I just took blood whenever I feel the urge to do so.
"Not once, no. I never had that before. It was refreshing and that is what made his blood so good. It tasted unlike any other blood I drank. And in the morning, when I woke up he was gone but he left me a note with a yellow rose and two wine glass filled with more of his blood. I took my sweet time drinking the glasses. It was a sweet flood, Vlad. I'm beginning to crave him..."
Lucy almost seemed like she was in love with his blood alone in how she is speaking about the blood alone. I am in a bit of disbelief that blood like that can affect her but I see it with my own eyes and I have to believe it.
"Lucy, you are fully aware of the dangers of truly craving someone. It can drive you mad just like it did for me in my Monstrous Love. Please be cautious around him. Do you plan to see him again?"
"I actually wish to see him again; however I am not so sure I will due to his line of work."
"Ah. The long distance stuff, it is hard to work with long distance in this century. However you and I are not from this century. We can make it work due to our long lives and hand written letters."
"It's nothing like that, Vlad. It is the fact of who he works for."
"Who does he work for?"
"Take three guesses." Lucy says with no sarcasm at all.
I stare at her wondering what his job could be that would make it impossible for things to work between them even seeing each other. I think of a few things but more funny. "Is he a Blood or a Crip?"
Lucy slaps me on the arm while laughing in my answers. "I'm kidding, kidding. He is a travel agent or an undercover FBI agent."
"No to both. What is the worst job within the supernatural world that a being can have and never leave? And the worst kind of being to vampires?"
I immediately know what she is talking about and stand up in horror of what this could mean for her. I begin to pace to keep calm in what she said about this man. I am about to speak but nothing can come out of my mouth. I grab my glass of blood red wine and take it all in one go. Lucy presses her lips together knowing how bad this situation is.
"Lucy, how did this happen? You and a wolf? Out of all things to have sex with?" I try not to shout so Mina can remain asleep upstairs and not wake up to my shouting.
"Vlad, I did not know until after we did the deed. He passed off as a caster more than a wolf. He didn't smell like a common supernatural wolf. And the second he told me, I pulled out my gun, not a single use of my powers against him. He was about to walk out the door when I questioned him."
"Questioned him?" I process the fact that Lucy slept with a wolf.
"I asked him when he got to town since you have been seeing that wolf lately. I wondered how many vampires he directly killed; he only killed ones that were risking the exposure of vampires to the human world or attacked innocents. He only has enforced the laws of the Council in the right way; he promotes law and order when it is needed. I listened to his heart rate; it never went up or down. Honesty is the only thing that came out of his mouth."
"When did he arrive?" I wonder right away since I have been seeing that wolf. Could he be the wolf haunting me?
"He arrived a few hours ago that night. We had some drinks, went dancing then did many things on the bed, floor, against the wall, living room and balcony of my place. We stayed up for a long time before we went to sleep. It was maybe around 4 am when we finally went to sleep after talking. When I woke up, he was gone. He only left a rose and letter with the two wine glasses filled with his blood. I burned his letter so there are no ties that we ever met or together. I covered my tracks as he covered his."
I glare at her in horror because it does not matter how much anyone covers their tracks, the Supernatural Council always finds what they are looking for. No matter how well covered the tracks were for Serena and I. We learned the awful way when caught.
"Lucy, your careless behavior will have an end result. There will be a reckoning." I walk over, grabbing her by the wrists in terror of what she has done and that the Council could walk in any minute to do what they do best.
"Vlad, what happened to you and Serena was in 1648. It is 2014, times have changed. Why would the Council be furious of a one night stand between a wolf and vampire? They have not one single reason to be. No vampire can have a child. That entire hybrid of a vampire and werewolf or human mix is shit, especially in movies like Twilight. It is the stupidest shit a writer would come up with except in Underworld Rise of the Lycans; the only decent film in mention of the hybrid subject. All in all, you are well aware of this."
Lucy pulls out of my grip and we both walk to the outside patio so we don't risk the chance of waking Mina up. I close the door behind me with anger boiling inside me in how Lucy is taking all of this like it is child's play. This is far from child's play.
"Lucy, they are dangerous. One of the last things I want to see is you vanishing and having to look over your shoulder for the rest of your long life or whispers that you were burnt to ash or staked in the heart while your loved ones are helpless to do anything." I do my very best to contain myself from shouting at Lucy.
"Vlad, we already do look over our shoulders in our lives so the humans do not learn of our existences. As for the Council, their concerns are on other things happening in the rest of the world than a vampire and wolf having sex. Like vampires actually killing innocents, risking the whole supernatural world to the humans."
I brush my fingers through my hair and tell her, "Lucy, they set certain rules and they expect those rules to be obeyed. You know that, everyone knows that. The impact of what you did can do more damage than you believe there could be."
Lucy stares at me and knows there is nothing she can say to get me to calm down about all of this. But she glares at me like a woman about to pull a trigger of a gun on someone.
"You are one to talk."
"What are you talking about?" I wonder what she is talking about.
"Mina is what I am talking about. Now she is a nice human and I will protect from things in the human world. Mina is worth protecting against that abusive blood bag and her mother if I have to in what I investigated into her mother. However that will be for dinner if it is needed. Back to Mina, she is a good person but..."
"But what, Lucy? Spit it out!" I wonder in anger of what Lucy is about to utter out loud about Mina.
"She is a human, you are a vampire! The fact that she looks exactly like your wife, Mirena is one of the biggest risks of all; Mina being around us is an impact alone. What if she is to learn who we truly are? What if she has a complete meltdown, tells all? The humans learning of us is dangerous, we would be lab rats or killed in an all out war. Or if the Council were to get knowledge of Mina speaking to anyone about the truth of us, they would kill her, make it seem like she ran away or dropped off the face of the earth. Would you risk all of our lives or the lives of others in the world for her? Or her life in just being around her? Did you ever think about that, Vlad?"
"Yes, I have. And I thought of the risks. It has never happened and never will, Lucy." I try to assure her of this.
Lucy walks closer to me that she is face to face with me. She reaches into my coat pocket, grabbing the necklace box opening it. Her eyes look inside the box is the very same cross pendant necklace that Mirena wore around her neck.
Lucy closes the box and slams it up against my chest. The gleam of her family ring shines like a shooting star next to the cross pendant dangling out of the box.
"Never happened? Oh, wait. You nearly did so with Serena Van Helsing. You chose her above all of us; Marishka, Draven, and me. You did it before; you can do it again without a thought to spare. Everybody else be damned. You are the one who needs to be careful." She whispers to me with a hint of hatred of my past before walking away. She goes back inside while I remain outside.
I stare down at the cross pendant necklace as I sit down on a patio chair. I lean back realizing how right Lucy is about my situation compared to her situation with the wolf. I truly do need to consider all of the risks of Mina being in all of our lives. My eyes remain locked onto the cross pendant, studying its design. I know this necklace would never go on the market for a great price. But this necklace means the world to me compared to everything I collected over the years.
I brush my fingers over it, remembering when Mirena took off it, placing it in my hand. I close my eyes remembering that very night after the Turks informed me about Sultan Mehmed taking 1,000 boys for his Corp. Mirena places the cross necklace in my hand. Her soothing, beautiful voice goes through my mind like a flood.
'You told me that you and Mehmed were once like brothers. Were you to ask, isn't it possible he might show you some mercy?'
I put the necklace back in the velvet box then walk inside. Lucy does not look at me while she gets the wine bottles and some of the desserts set up. I go inside my own church and do like I always do, lighting up the candles. I look at the open Bible and reach for the hidden draw underneath the top shelf. I place the box in there then close it back up. I realize I need to consider the safety of everyone and Mina's until I get my human flashes sorted out.
I kneel down before the cross and begin to pray to God. I pray to him in full knowledge that God only knows what I have been through and what they say about me. And only he truly knows how all of this is killing me. God only knows and only he can turn my darkness into dawn.
Mina's POV
I exhale in finishing my touch of red lipstick. I am so happy that I got some shut eye and took a nice bath. I would have lost my mind sooner over the dinner if I didn't do so. I feel so nervous to be wearing the red dress I got when shopping with Lucy for the Feast. I want to wear it as a sign of new beginnings for everyone in my life. And that is exactly what this Feast will do for me even if my mother does not see it.
I rub my hands together, grab a small box and head down stairs when I hear Vlad greet Luke into the house. I begin to head downstairs and stop when I see Vlad greet Luke at the door. I chuckle when I hear them pick on each other in a fun way.
"Vlad, your place looks amazing with these other colors rather than just black. You really need to update your favorite color and some changes into the interior design of your house."
"Says the man wearing- What is that, a quilt?" Vlad points to Luke's sweater that has a mix of dark red, off white and orange color. It truly does look like something made out of a quilt.
I chuckle a little when I hear Luke say back, "Oh, sorry. I didn't get the memo to dress for a funeral."
Luke mess with his all black sweater, pants and dress shoes Vlad is wearing for the Feast. I admit that Vlad wears mostly black almost like his life is a funeral but the color black looks really great on him. Lucy even confirms of Vlad wearing black all the time. Lucy grabs the bags Luke brought in and cheers in more bottles of wine and liquor for us to drink during the Feast.
Luke and Vlad mess around with each other for a bit longer and when they finish picking on each other, I begin to make my way down the stairs, Vlad and Luke freezes at the sight of me. Lucy gives me a small wink as I walk down the stairs into the living room. Vlad grabs my hand, kissing the top for a brief moment.
"Wow... Mina, you look ravishing. I know how much you adore plush pink however red looks wonderful on you."
"I agree with Vlad, Miss Mina."
I blush in their words as our hands wrap around when Lucy puts on some music. Lucy plays a song I never heard but so far I like it because of it being more old school blues than recent kind of music. It is the song of Hound Dog by Elvis but a different version. The singer is known as Shonka Dukureh. Her voice brings such a power to the beat of the song.
Vlad and I dance to the song. Lucy drinks while dancing. Luke stares at us, enjoying the show of us dancing as he drinks his wine. I sink into Vlad's arms dancing. I could stay in his arms all day, dancing, listening to such good music. It helps me forget awful things that have happened. I begin to let myself go when I can feel Vlad's body against my body. I place my hand over his heart and he smiles, resting his hand on top of mine.
We smile to one another feeling the sound of my heart beating. We go off the beat of my heart dancing. I rest my head on his shoulder and he rests his head on top of mine. We begin to sway back and forth listening to songs, Let's Not Pretend by 16 Frames, All I Need by Within Temptation, and Til Death Do Us Part by Kait Weston.
After those songs, a song named Tutti Frutti sang by Les Greene. We all just dance like a bunch of goof balls, no caring how we dance to the song. Vlad spins me out then spins me back into his arms. Lucy sings along with the song like she is performing in front of thousands. I can tell she likes the old school music of blues and rock more than music made these days. I honestly don't blame her, it is wonderful music.
When we finish dancing, we both go outside to see it is still cloudy out. I was hoping for the sun to be shining however I would prefer decent skies than raining. We both seat down and I exhale in being so nervous with what I am about to talk and give to Vlad. I exhale in holding a small box.
"You are quite nervous, Mina. Is everything alright?"
"It is a good nervous. I wanted to give you something. I know it seems a bit too soon and maybe even a little strange since we have only seen each other for almost two months. But I wanted to give this to you." I tell him and open the small box.
The box reveals to be a wrist watch, all black and old school, vintage kind of watch. Vlad looks at the watch in amazement and smiles. "This is astonishing. Is this a 1960's watch?"
"Wow." I respond in the fact he knew the year of the watch. "Yes, it is. It belonged to my grandfather. My father got it from his father. It is almost like a family heirloom and since I was the only child, he gave me the watch and wanted me to give his watch to someone deserving of it, a good man in my life. And you are a good man, Vlad. I want you to have it."
Vlad shakes his head no in what I just said to him. "Mina, I do not deserve this." He has a look of sadness on his face.
"Vlad, I would very much like it if you have it. You have helped me through so much, never asked for anything in return. You defended and helped to show that I am alive and I can stand on my own two feet before anyone can try to take away my strength. It is a glorious feeling to have. And if my father was here, I know he would like you right away. I want you to have this watch. And no matter what happens between us, I still want you to have this watch." I take the watch out of the box, hearing the ticking of the watch.
I gently grab his left wrist, wrapping the watch around his wrist. Vlad does not argue with me and admires every detail of the watch. I smile seeing my father's watch on a man I truly care about, even in the short amount of time I have known him.
"Mina, you don't have to answer this question if you do not want to. However if you are open to it, may I ask you something important?"
I already knew where this was going and I tell him, "You want to know about my father." He shakes his head yes.
I sniff for a moment to gather the words to tell him this. I want to tell him because he was been so patient in allowing me to tell him when I am ready. And I am ready to tell him.
"My father and I did so much together. He is the one who taught me how to drive, especially muscle cars from around the world. It was our thing together just like cooking was for my mother and me. When I was in high school, my father and I were out in the town spending time together. And on the way home, a homeless woman held a gun at us, and shot my father in cold blood. The homeless woman fled and my father died that night on the operating table."
I look down recalling that night and the amount of blood from his gunshot wound. There was so much blood everywhere when I was crying as loud as I could for anyone to help stop the bleeding. I place my hand over my mouth already feeling the tears filling my eyes; the loss of my father hitting me like an oncoming train no matter how much time passes. Vlad wraps his arms around me. I rest my head on his shoulder letting out a few sobs.
"Did they catch his killer?"
"Not exactly; by the time she was found, she overdosed and was dead by the time she was found. I never got to find out why she pulled the trigger. My father was a doctor and a man of science in his spare time. He was a good man with no enemies. He helped people in anyway he could and when he could. Out of thousands of people in the city, she killed my father. I went over the edge after his death and my mother changed after he died. All she cared about was how we were going to be taken care of, where I go, who I am with and nothing else mattered."
Vlad listens to every word I tell him, processing everything. His hands rub up and down my back comforting me. The more he does this, the more weight I feel lifted off in telling him about my father. I bury my face into his shoulder.
"I am so sorry, Mina. I'm so sorry." He embraces me more that it feels like the comforting feel of a blanket wrapping around me. We remain quiet as the sounds of birds chirping, the mixed colored leaves falling to the ground. I stare upon the off white and orange pumpkins set here and there on the patio.
It is almost like I can smell the autumn dancing in the breeze; the sweetness of pumpkin and crispy sunburnt leaves. I could nearly fall asleep to the lullaby of the light breeze leaves. I feel at peace in telling Vlad about my father. It is almost like the weight came off me, falling like an autumn leaf to the ground.
Vlad and I look at each other. He brushes some of my blonde hair behind my ear. He gives a small smile, running his fingers through my hair. I smile in how much he likes my hair growing out. He sees it as my life coming back to me the right way. He describes my hair like the sunlight shining through a dark cloudy day.
"Is it alright if I tell you something about me?"
"Vlad, you don't have to if you don't want to." I tell him. I want him to tell me when he is ready to do so. However if he is ready just like I was about my father then I am more than willing to hear about his father. I shake my head yes for him to do so.
"I do envy the relationship you described between you and your father. I know envy is a terrible sin but I feel it all the same. My dear dead old man was an ex army man, major old school. When I was young, he enforced me into the army. In some ways, he felt like he had to prove his loyalty. But the truth is, I felt like nothing more than a sort of royal hostage. I was scared and terrified but I wanted to make my father proud. In the end, I learned how to pray, talk and fight a certain way like they wanted in the army. I was worth almost a thousand boys in the kind of army I was in. But I never got to find out if my father was proud of me in the end. He died before I could ever know; same for my mother before I returned home."
I stare at him in seeing some sadness and regret of never knowing if his father was every proud of him. I place my hand on his cheek. He presses his lips together then grabs my hand.
"I'm sorry, Vlad." I tell him, wishing he could go back and find out if his father was proud of him, to say goodbye to his parents.
"It is alright. I'll never know about my father. Although my mother loved me from the moment our eyes meet to the moment she closed them. But my point is, I know what it is like for a parent to have plans, expectations for your life. But sooner or later, every parent or guardian needs to learn that our future is our own."
We smile then our lips come together for a few moments but then we get interrupted by Lucy shouting for the games and drinking to begin.
"Alright, lovebirds! Get your selves in here!" Lucy shouts.
Vlad and I laugh in Lucy calling us love birds again. We head inside with our hands locked together. I admire my father's watch on Vlad's wrist. I know I gave his watch to a good man. Nothing or no one will ever change my mind about this.
We all begin to play several rounds of the card game, War. However at the end of the game, whoever loses the game has to take a shot or drink their entire glass of wine. We each lost a game and took some vodka shots. I am not big on shots but I do so in how much fun I am having with them. We continue to have a great deal of fun.
I wondered why Vlad planned for Lucy and Luke to come early; now I know why. We get to have a blast before my mother arrives. And in that way, the entire Feast won't be ruined. I groan in losing another card game, War. I take a shot. It has a terrible taste to it which is why I try to down it as quickly as I can. I set the shot glass down when Vlad and Luke take a turn in the card game.
Luke attempts to switch the deck of cards with Vlad. However Vlad does not do so. Lucy and I laugh in how they play the game. They make it so serious and funny all at once. I smile having some wine, already feeling the effects of the wine and liquor I have had already. I exhale to collect myself, setting my wine glass down. I know I need to take it easy before my mother even arrives. They are halfway through their game when suddenly Vlad and Lucy look toward the door. Then there is a knock on the door. We all look at one another in dread of the fun being over in my mother's arrival.
Hey everyone. I hope the chapter was a really good. I wanted to give a shout out to a singer who passed shortly after the film, Elvis came out. Shonka Dukureh. She had an amazing voice so I wanted to share it in my writing even though the song was made in 2022, not in 2014 where the story is set in. Please listen to her songs, she was amazing. I'm grateful her voice was heard around the world before her passing. Rest In Peace, Shonka Dukureh.278Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaUhQOQH4b
The next chapter is being worked on now. And a small heads up, Mina's mother will be a piece of work when you read it.
Update on Barkley. He is doing far better and passed flying colors with the vet during his checkup. Asher and I were so worried for him, hardly got any sleep when Barkley wasn't feeling good. Thank goodness for how far medicine has come in the vet world.
I hope everyone is doing well. Please keep your prayers with the Hurricane going for Florida, the aftermath of the Floods in Texas and the Ongoing War of Ukraine & Russia. Have a good day everyone! - Author's Note
278Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMC4NEkY0qv
