Where Is Your Heart?

Your Breath Smells Bad

RPOV

Dimitri and I sat together on the couch with Aleksandr for quite awhile. We talked a lot about how we were going to set up a schedule before I went to court. We decided on him getting Aleksandr in the afternoons and staying the night two nights out of the week. The rest of the time Aleksandr would be with me. If Dimitri wanted to spend extra time with Aleksandr, all three of us would be spending time together. I agreed to Dimitri wanting to be a couple again. I would try as long as we took it slow and didn't rush into anything. I'm still shaken from him leaving, but I still love him.

I was walking back to my dorm, for the last night, to put Aleksandr down for bed. It had been a long day and I was exhausted. I unlocked the door and the first thing I did was put Aleksandr down in his crib. I went into the bathroom to pull my hair up. I couldn't seem to find my brush and fished around for it. I looked through all of the drawers and under the sink. I remembered putting it down in the bathroom, but not exactly where. I finally found it sitting under my hair dryer and flat iron. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail, put my brush back in the drawer, and walked back out into my room.

I gasped and almost screamed when I saw two people standing by the door. "Jesus Christ! Why are you here?"

"Well, excuse me for coming to see my daughter."

I laughed. "Janine, I recall you saying that I was a disgraceful daughter and that you never wanted to see me again. If you don't mind me saying so, you can get the hell out of my room." I smiled a sweet-evil smile.

"Rose, I know you're mad at me. But I would like to make it up."

"And how are you going to make up 18 years of you not being in my life? You couldn't even do something as simple as sending a card. You never actually took time out of your schedule to spend time with me. The only times you came here was because your charge was here. Too little, too late, Janine. Get out of my room." I couldn't believe she had the audacity to come and talk to me after all that she has said to me.

She sighed. The man next to her shifted his feet, as if he was getting impatient. "And who the hell are you?" He glared at me.

"Don't you be talking to me like that, little girl."

I snickered. "I'm no little girl, old man."

Janine touched his arm and started to direct him out of the room. "Let's go, Ibrahim." He pulled away.

"No, Janine. I've waited 18 years. I'm not waiting any longer."

"What are you two talking about?" I asked.

The guy that looked like a mobster, with his flashy suit, tie, and gold jewelry said, "Rose. I'm sorry for not being as involved as I should have been. But with my kind of work, we thought it was best that I wasn't involved. And-" I cut him off.

"Let's get to the point. You're saying that you're my dad. I don't care or want to hear any of your excuses. Both of you don't get to just come into my life and act as if everything is okay. I'm an adult and I can take care of myself. I have been for the past 18 years. Now why don't you do everyone a favor by getting the hell out of my room." They both finally left after standing there for another minute. I picked Aleksandr up and put him right up against my side, so he was snuggled in. I needed to feel like I wasn't alone and having Aleksandr lying right by me made me feel a hell lot better.

Next morning...

I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing with a new text. I checked and found that it was Dimitri.

Dimitri: I was at a meeting this morning and saw your mother. Did you guys talk yet?

I texted back with a short reply.