PROFESSOR IVANOV POV
It was a chaotic couple of weeks as Callie packed up her house then got Vera settled in her new space.
My Anya and I agreed it was a lovely assisted living facility with kind workers and spacious apartments. This was the right choice, especially considering how invasive Vera's next surgery would be. It was safer to keep medical care on hand due to how much worse her health had been lately.
Callie already juggled so many meetings and appointments to make sure her plan of care is properly executed. She organizes medications, knows when its time to head to the hospital, and has spent most of her life as a caretaker for her Mama. The medical team was able to move up the timeline for Vera's surgery which made for an even busier time but that never bothered Callie.
She handles everything without complaining even once.
It was a beautiful thing to behold. Anya commented once on our drive home that she could only hope to be cared for like Vera is through so many years of uncertainty.
Val got the moving truck set with the help of Dmitri, Mike, and Callie while Anya and I took a car load of personal affects over with Vera as we helped her move in. It only took an entire Saturday morning to get all of her things moved and organized, with Amber arriving at lunch to bring everyone sandwiches that we enjoyed in a beautiful courtyard outside Vera's room.
There were large oak and maple trees as well as a well tended garden that held rose bushes amongst other flowers and bird feeders. A few picnic tables were spread throughout the area so we chose one and unpacked everything Amber brought along. Mike pointed out 2 squirrels that were chasing one another which reminded Callie of the Disney movie "The Sword in the Stone" when Merlin and Arthur shape shift.
Amber confessed that Mad Madam Mim was her spirit animal which had all of us in stitches. Vera was wiping away tears as she laughed silently, the joy in her eyes clear without a sound needed. It did my heart good to see her and Callie so happy in spite of so much change.
We agreed our lunch was like family dinner but at noon and in a new place. Nik texted that he was spending time with Kelly and would not be joining us but no one let that keep us down. He understood that our normal Saturday night family dinner was being canceled for the week due to everything going on.
Callie has been in good spirits, especially considering how big these changes are for her personally. I know she is relieved that her Mama will have medical care available at all times. While she has done her best, at this time it is impossible for her to cater to everything Vera needs. The surgery will take a couple months for recovery if everything goes smoothly and there is no guarantee it will cure some of the issues they currently face.
Once Vera was settled my wife and I headed home while our boys went their separate ways. Val and Callie headed back to her house along with Mike and Amber so they could get things loaded to move into her apartment the following day.
She promised she would invite us over once her new place was organized but insisted they had things covered. While I wanted to give as much help as possible, I knew Valentin and Mikhail were going to make sure Callie was okay. Dmitri and Keira had plans with her family and apologized for not being available but everyone reassured them it was not a problem.
The next afternoon we were sent a photo with the 4 of them at Callie's new apartment eating cupcakes brought by Amber. Callie had a bright smile on her face while Val had his arm around her and was also grinning. There were beer bottles around and I noticed a stack of boxes that Mike was leaning against, but it was obvious how happy all 4 of our kids were.
"Oh, they are such lovely couples," my Anya cooed as she looked at the picture. "I knew Callie and our Valentin would find their way to one another eventually."
"It was destiny, my love. You are right." I smiled, swiping to see a picture from Mike of Val helping Callie move her new couch in the living area. He added the caption that, "Callie has a vision and we're just here to make it happen."
"Sounds like our Callie. She knows what she wants and how to get it," I said with a chuckle. "I am so happy to see her and Amber grow close. It seems to be helping Val and Mike, too. I know Dmitri is gaming with Val when he has the chance and Nik has even joined them a couple times at the sports bar our boys like going to."
"Now I hope they have the chance to relax. Val works too hard as it is. I know everything will be stressful when Vera has her surgery in about a week, but at least he can be there to support her while we do the same. Our Dochka has brought our boys together more than I would have ever hoped."
"You're a wise woman, Anastasia Petrovna Ivanov. Very wise."
My wife gave me a warm smile, "Ah, the most wise thing I ever did was marry you, Dmitri Mikhail Ivanov. Our sons are the joys of our lives and now we finally get the daughters I always hoped for."
Monday morning when Callie arrived at the office she had a cold brew coffee for me along with her iced chai. "Morning, Professor," she said with a grin, handing over my drink and leaving a fresh bag of iced animal cookies on our side table.
"Good morning, Oomnyashka. How is your apartment coming along?"
She grinned while landing in her desk chair, "Everything is there, at least. We ordered pizza yesterday afternoon with Mike and Amber that we ate on the floor after unloading the moving truck. I have a ton of work to do with organizing but Val has a spare key and offered to help build bookcases while I am out today."
"My Son has a key to your new place?" I asked with an eyebrow raised, attempting to intimidate her.
Naturally it did not work.
Callie rolled her eyes at me and shrugged, "Love makes those decisions easier to manage, don't you think?"
Now I was speechless.
Love.
I knew Val loved Callie and had for a long time but hearing her say the word so casually was a shock. Instead of causing a stir thanks to her admission, though, I nodded then asked, "So, everything out of your old home okay?"
"Yes. It was tough but last night after getting the truck dropped off Val and I went back and made another pass through every corner of the house. There is a cleaning crew coming this week then the new family takes over this coming weekend. It felt good to finish the job so we will just take things a day at a time while I adjust to my new apartment and prepare Mama for surgery on Friday. I am glad they were able to move the date up a bit after her recent issues. It's stressful but will be better long term."
Callie stood with her laptop bag and a stack of papers to hand back to students as well as her drink. "See ya in there, Professor."
I considered her words and how unsettled I would feel in her shoes. Callie is an expert at setting aside her feelings so the focus can stay on whatever is deemed a higher priority.
My phone vibrated and I noticed a text from my love.
ANYA: This little apartment Vera has really is so perfect, Dmitri! She has counter space to do some baking and can use a shared kitchen for projects if she wants to make anything specific. We already have cinnamon roll dough slow fermenting in the fridge and are going to watch something on Hallmark Movies and Mysteries while we enjoy some iced tea. Hope your day goes well, my love!
I grinned at the screen and could not help but feel even more affection for my sweet wife.
Now I can get back to work and finish this school year strong.
