Rose made it through the next eighteen hours on autopilot. Abe was a little suspicious when Rose asked if she could stay at Lissa's, but was satisfied when Janine had a catch up chat with Rhea and confirmed the latter was having a girls night in with Lissa and Rose and even invited Janine to join them. Rose's mother declined, but Rose did ask if she could come out to pick her up in the morning.
"Of course, what time would you like your father and I there?"
"Can you come alone, Mom? I want to spend some time just with you..."
Suspecting that Rose finally wanted to talk about how things were progressing with Dimitri, Janine immediately agreed. "We could go shopping?" Janine suggested, thinking it would give she and Rose a good chance to chat as they wandered through the mall.
"No!" Rose immediately replied. "Maybe we could do a picnic at Falls Creek?" she suggested hopefully. It wasn't far from Lissa's place, but Janine and Abe used to take her there when Rose was little.
"Ok wee one," Janine said soothingly on the phone. "What time do you want me there?"
"Whenever. Text me when you're on the way. I'll be ready."
Rose ate dinner robotically, sitting with her face pointed toward the screen as she 'watched' a movie with Lissa and Rhea. If anyone had asked her afterward, she wouldn't have been able to tell them the name or plot of the film.
"Are you alright, darling?" Rhea asked with concern as Lissa and Rose prepared to go to bed after the movie. Rose was very quiet and looked distressed, both of which Rhea had picked up on.
"Yep. Just worried about my exams and college acceptances," Rose said in what she hoped was a credible voice.
"Everyone's stressed, Mom," Lissa explained, putting her arm around Rose. "They're piling on the homework, and the exams are starting soon. You remember what it was like with Andre? Come on, Rose – no more freaking out tonight. We're going to go upstairs and talk and sleep," Lissa coaxed.
Rose gave Rhea a wan smile, feeling awful when her best friend's mother gave her an encouraging grin and reassured her she'd do fine on her exams. If only that were all she had to worry about.
Once they were settled into her enormous bed, Lissa asked, "So what are you thinking?"
"I don't know," Rose said, tears starting again. "I'm not ready for this, and neither is Dimitri! What if he doesn't believe it's his or wants me to get rid of it?"
"Maybe take a few days? See how you feel about things?" Lissa suggested, cuddling her best friend.
Rose shook her head. "I really want to talk to Mom. I know she is going to be upset, but I think once she calms down she'll be ok? She knows about Dimitri and me," Rose explained. "She guessed the next morning from the way we were looking at each other."
"I told you it was obvious," Lissa gloated, only to be silenced by a look from Rose.
"What am I going to do?" Rose whispered. "I've ruined my life and Dimitri's too!"
Driving to the Dragomir's in Abe's truck the next morning, Janine thought she ought to drive more often. They lived close enough to downtown that a car wasn't really necessary – and parking was certainly a bitch in their inner city neighborhood – but she needed to keep her hand in. She might suggest to Abe she drive his truck more often on weekends when they went out and about.
Pulling into the Dragomir's driveway, she was again grateful Rose had made such a stable, responsible friend. Lissa was a darling girl, and the Dragomirs a nice family. But Rozalia was a good girl; she chose nice friends, and her boyfriend was everything a mother could hope.
"Hey Mom," Rose said racing out the front door with barely a second glance.
"Would you like to come in for a coffee?" Rhea suggested. Janine was about to say yes when she intercepted a pleading look from Rose.
"I'd love to, Rhea, but we're in a bit of a rush today. I have next Thursday off – perhaps we could do coffee and catch up then?"
Janine and Rhea compared diaries setting it up before she and Rose said their farewells, driving down the long driveway.
"I'm not sure I can remember how to get to Falls Creek from here. Can you remember?"
"Left at the next turn. End of the road, and left again. Then at the end right onto the little track," Rose said eyes closed as though she were trying to remember the way. The truth was she was doing her best not to cry. She had seen a picnic basket in the back, so her mother had taken her at her word about a picnic lunch.
Finally pulling into the park, Rose was unsurprised to see it was empty. It wasn't exactly picnicking weather. Nonetheless, Janine took the basket over to one of the tables near the stream and brushed down the bench seat before sitting down and patting the seat next to her. The two of them sat side-by-side watching the creek. Sometimes quite deep and fast moving, it was low and sluggish in this cold weather.
Janine put her arm around Rose. "What's wrong, wee one?"
Rose turned to face her mother and burst into tears. "Mom? I'm pregnant."
Janine didn't say anything for quite a few minutes. Rose wanted her to shout, scream, cry... anything. But she sat there with her arm around Rose as still as a statue.
Just as Rose was about to say something, Janine finally spoke. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. I did four tests... All positive."
"Do you know if it's Dimitri's, or Jesse's?"
"Dimitri's!" Rose moaned. "I never did anything with Jesse or anyone else!"
"Ok. I want to know everything. The truth. All of it!"
It was a short story given Janine already knew most of what had happened.
"So why did you and Dimitri break up in the first place?" Janine queried.
"He went to a party at Lissa's while we were in Scotland. Tasha was there and kept throwing herself at him, but he kept saying no. He had too much to drink and passed out, and the next morning she told everyone they'd had sex. Dimitri was so drunk; he couldn't remember if anything had happened or not."
"Do you think they might have been together?" Janine asked, shocked to hear of such behavior from the young man she'd always thought so conscientious.
"No. I know they weren't. Tasha rang me the night before the stabbing to tell me she'd made it all up. She was jealous that she'd offered herself to Dimitri and he said no because he loved me. She admitted it to Christian, too. She was trying to turn over a new leaf which is why she rang me."
"She told you this the night before the stabbing?" Janine said, mentally putting the timeline together.
"Yes. The night after this happened," Rose clarified. "I already knew he hadn't done it. I know Dimitri, and he's just not like that. That Friday was the first and only time for both of us, and he used a condom..."
"They're not foolproof, darling," Janine said. "Especially if a young man is excited and perhaps not so experienced using them."
"What am I going to do, Mom? This will ruin Dimitri's life. Mine too! And Tata is going to go apeshit. I don't want to have to tell him."
"Firstly no decisions need to be made right now. A good meal and sleep, and you'll be feeling much better. Who knows so far?"
"Just Lissa, but she won't tell anyone. I made her promise like thirty times."
"Do you plan to tell Dimitri?" Janine asked, watching her daughter carefully.
"I don't suppose I have a lot of choice do I?" Rose laughed bitterly. "Sometime between now and the end of the year he's going to wonder why I'm walking around with a basketball up my jumper!"
"Do you want to talk to him today? I could take you over there after this?"
"Could you, Mom? I'm not looking forward to it, but I need to tell him before Tata finds out."
"That's fine. Why don't you call him now and see if he's free? And don't worry about your father for the moment. We'll just keep this between us for the time being, alright? It might be better if I tell him when the time is right."
"Really Mom?" Rose asked, sagging in relief against her mother. She was looking forward to telling her father even less than she was breaking the news to Dimitri.
"Of course," Janine said reassuringly, thinking she might take him away for a weekend to do it; it would be safest for everyone if Abe had a day or two to calm down before seeing anyone after hearing that his seventeen-year-old daughter who was still in high school was expecting a baby!
Pulling up outside Dimitri's apartment block, Rose was almost shaking with nerves.
"What am I going to say to him, Mom?"
"Just tell him the truth, wee one. I'll be right there if you need me."
They climbed the stairs slowly together. By chance, the rest of the Belikovs were at the Saturday markets, but Dimitri had been home alone studying, so hopefully they wouldn't have an audience for this.
Dimitri opened the door looking a little concerned when he saw Janine with a teary Rose.
"Mrs. Mazur, Rozalia," he said politely. "Please come in. Can I get you a cup of tea or coffee?"
"No thanks, Dimitri – I got one on the way," Janine said with a tight smile, lifting the takeaway cup of swill that passed for drive-through coffee. "I'll just sit here while you and Rozalia go talk," she said, plonking herself on one of the sofas in the sitting room and picking up a women's fashion magazine to flip through – despite the fact it was in Russian.
Dimitri took Rose's hand and led her deeper into the apartment and to his bedroom where they sat side by side on the edge of his bed.
"Milaya? What's wrong?" he asked as Rose dissolved into tears, his arms instinctively wrapping themselves around her and rubbing little circles on her back. Rose lifted her eyes to his.
"Dimitri? I'm pregnant," she wailed.
He froze where he was, and Rose could feel his whole body tense. He didn't remove his arms, but he stopped rubbing her back and closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath and then opened them.
"It's ok milaya. We'll get through this together," he promised, rubbing her back again. "Are you certain?"
"I've done four tests. Mom's going to take me to see the doctor after this."
"Would you like me to come with you? To the doctors?"
"It's ok. Mom said they'll just take blood and give me vitamins."
Dimitri nodded. "Does your father know yet?"
"Not yet. Mom said she'll tell him in a little while. I'm sorry, Dimitri," she whispered, still crying. "I didn't expect this to happen."
"It will be ok," Dimitri said his voice shaking. "We'll get through this. I'm going to do the right thing by you," he promised, lifting her onto his lap. "I'll get a job, and we'll make it work."
"But University? Medicine?" Rose gasped. "You can't give all that up!"
"I don't have a lot of choices now, do I?" he said in a very sad voice.
The two of them sat together, Rose resting her face on Dimitri's chest, him with his cheek on her hair when they heard noises from the front of the apartment. The Belikovs were home.
"Come on. Let's get this over with," Dimitri said in a flat, dead voice that just made Rose cry even more.
Janine was standing and speaking with Olena and Yeva when the teenagers came into the room. One look at Rose clinging to Dimitri's hand and Yeva barked to Dimitri's sisters, "Go down and help Mrs. Dodov put her groceries away, Karolina. Sonya? Viktoria? Go take the rubbish downstairs and don't come back for half an hour, any of you!"
The girls scuttled from the unit; Karolina with a knowing look, Sonya, and Viktoria curious and perplexed. Dimitri and Rose sank onto one of the sofas, Janine, Olena and Yeva doing likewise.
"Mama? Babushka? Rozalia and I have news. We're having a baby."
"Oh no! Dimka you stupid, stupid boy," Olena wailed bursting into tears. "You've ruined your life! Hers, too! Everything you've worked for? All your hopes and dreams... gone! Wasn't seeing what happened to Karolina enough?" Rarely openly spoken about, Karolina had become pregnant at eighteen with Paul and was now single parenting with the help of her family.
Dimitri gave his mother a moment to compose herself. "I know there'll need to be some adjustments. I'll quit school and get a job. It's not going to be fancy, but we'll make it," he said bravely, putting his arm around Rose.
"No one is giving up school," Janine growled. "A lot of decisions need to be made, but there's no point rushing into anything just yet. You're due to graduate in three months, and a high school diploma will make you more employable, Dimitri."
"I know Mrs. Mazur, but it's hard to find work straight after graduation because everyone else is looking then, too. If I start now, my chances will be better."
"Given the circumstances, I think you can call me Janine," she said a little irritably, "and no one will be giving up high school – that's for certain. I think we should all take a few days just to let the news settle in and then we can talk through the options. I'll take Rose to the doctor today. And, for now, let's keep this information to ourselves."
Olena and Yeva nodded in agreement, the latter looking sadly at Rose and Dimitri where they sat together on the sofa.
"I know it seems like the end of the world right now, but things have a way of working out," she said wisely, giving them a kind look.
"Thanks, Babushka," Dimitri replied, sounding like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
The doctor's appointment was precisely as Janine had described; blood, vitamins and then a discussion with Dr. Olendzki about her 'options.'
"I don't know if I can do that, Mom," Rose said looking at her mother.
"I know, wee one, but you need to get a full idea of everything available to you," her mother counseled, not looking thrilled about the concept of a termination, either. "You and Dimitri need to discuss this, too. Even though he says he's prepared to stand by you, you need to consider that most relationships involving a teenaged pregnancy don't work out. I'm not saying he's going to leave you, but you need to at least consider that you might end up doing this without his help."
Dr. Olendzki promised to call Rose with her results but conceded after four positive home tests it was all but a formality. She was pregnant and due in November. As they were leaving the doctor's, Janine's rang Abe to tell him she was taking Rozalia shopping, and they'd be back in time for dinner.
"Come on. I think we've earned a piece of cake and a sit-down," Janine said, steering Rose toward the patisserie they'd always gone to after her checkups as a kid.
"Do you think Tata is going to disown me?" Rose asked her mother in a small voice as she dispiritedly picked at her bee sting cake.
"No. He won't be happy, and there'll be a lot of shouting at first, but he'll come around. I thought it might be best if Dimitri moved in with us? We could set the attic up to give you your own living space, and your room is plenty large enough for the three of you, and later on the baby could have the spare room."
"I'm not sure how Dimitri would feel about that," Rose said cautiously. She hadn't thought about where they'd live - or even if they'd live together. Although with everything that had happened today, it hadn't escaped her attention that not once had Dimitri told her he loved her.
"Well there's plenty of time to work out the details," Janine soothed. "It's not going to be easy, Rozalia, but your father and I will be there to help you every step of the way – no matter what you decide."
Dimitri was lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. A baby. He was going to be a father. He was eighteen, and now the rest of his life was fucked.
He loved Roza, and he'd hoped one day they'd have a family together, but not for years yet. He'd planned they'd do their Bachelor degrees and then maybe he'd ask her to marry him. Then a long engagement while he did medicine, and she started her career. Then they'd get married, he'd do his residency, and perhaps they'd start to think about a family when they were closer to their thirties?
But thanks to a moment of weakness, all that was gone.
Dimitri prided himself on being a man of honor – nothing like his own father had been. He would do the right thing here – after all, this was his fault more than Rose's. There must have been a rip in the condom, or perhaps he hadn't been quick enough to pull out of her afterward? The upshot is he hadn't protected her from this. Although it hardly mattered whose fault it was. The first time for both of them and the consequences would be lifelong.
There was a knock at the door, and he looked up to see Karolina standing there. He sat up, and she sat on the side of the bed, wordlessly opening her arms to him.
"It's going to be ok, Dimka. It's hard, but you can do it – and I promise you once you see your baby, it will all be worthwhile. Every sacrifice is worth it."
He nodded, and the two of them sat there; Karolina hugging her 'little' brother as he let down his stiff upper lip and cried.