The way that it should have been

Everything that she'd said made complete and total sense. And she was right, if I was going to open myself back up then I first needed to prepare myself.

"How do I go about preparing and opening myself up more babushka?" (grandmother)

"Just pay attention to what God already sends to you and do with it whatever you think that you should. The more you use your gifts the more and more powerful that they will become."

I nodded. "Thank you, babushka." (grandmother)

"You are very welcome Dimka. If you need any help with something you see, I am always just a phone call away. And Roza will most likely be right by your side. And you know that she would be more than happy to help you with that or anything else."

I smiled. "Yes, I know. Thank you again."

She simply smiled at me and nodded saying, "you're welcome Dimka."

"Can you tell me why I felt, when I first met Roza moya and Lissa, that I should have taken them and run. I especially felt that way about Roza moya." (my, my)

"That was the soul mate inside of you, Roza's soul mate, reacting to her plight. You knew that there had to be a real reason that they ran, other than the excuse that the headmistress insisted on, and now you know what that was. But that part of you did, does, and always will want and need to protect Roza above anything and anyone else. At least until yours and Roza's children are conceived, and then that part of you will expand to also include them. As for your question, deep down inside you, you knew that they were in very deep very bad trouble and that you needed to protect them, as you said, especially Roza."

"But if I knew this, then why did I hurt Roza moya, why did I push her away, why did I deny that I love her for so long?" (my)

"Because you were listening to the guardian portion of your brain. The part that the moroi insist on forcing upon we dhampir in order to try to force us to put them first. And if it weren't for that whole 'they come first' poppycock, that mentor role, the supposedly wrongness of the age difference between the two of you and the two of you supposedly becoming Lissa's guardians in the future. Would you have said and done even half of the things that you did to Roza?"

"No, no of course not. I would have insisted that we not let anyone know that we were together until I found out exactly when it is legal and then it became legal for us to be together. But I would have at least told her that I love her, I would never have pushed her away during our private time."

"Exactly, the soul mate side of you knew that some way, somehow, the two of you would be together. Your heart knew that even if your head denied it."

"I should have listened to my feelings."

"You can't change the past Dimka, all you can do is change the way that you move forward from here on out."

I nodded, "thank you babushka." (grandmother)

"You are most welcome Dimka. Just always remember, pushing Roza away under any circumstances never works or helps. It only hurts her even worse, and you heard what Zoya said. Roza can't live without you Dimka, and none of us can live without her, so you must be very careful with her heart and mind."

"Thank you again babushka, and I will I promise." (grandmother)

She smiled and nodded at me.

Soon Abe arrived, but we didn't wake Roza.

As she continued to sleep, Oksana charmed the jewelry that Abe had brought for the girls. Well, Zoya is a little girl, but Roza moya is a fully grown beautiful, loving, caring and sexy as ad woman. (my, hell)