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April 28th, 2013
"Jordan! I'd like to leave while I'm still young!" I yell to her.
"Sophia, you call us everyday, no matter what time it is. We wanna know how you are and how it is. You can come home whenever you want..." Jordan lectures.
But Sophia interrupts her, "Mom, can I go now?"
Jordan is dumbfounded as Sophia gives her and Josh a kiss and then runs over to me and pulls me into the car.
We wave at them until we can no longer see, and soon we're at the airport. We have to go through security and all that stuff, I honestly forgot about all that, so by the time we were done we had to board the plane right away. As soon as we were seated, the plane took off right away and then we had nothing to do but wait for six hours. Sophia turned to me and started asking me everything she would need to know about Russia.
"Where will we go first? I want to see everything, Uncle Gabriel." She says in wonder.
"We'll go to my home town first until you get used to the different time zone. Then I think we'll go to Moscow."
Her excited face is just wonderful, I know this trip is going to be great for the both of us.
"Well, I'm going to sleep a little now so I don't miss anything once we land." She announces.
"Honey, its a 3 hour car ride of pure country and nature once we land. You can sleep then too."
She shakes her head, "No, I don't wanna miss any of that either."
I wrap my arm around her as she leans close to me and falls asleep.
Once we land I gently wake her and take her small hand in mine until we get off the plane. She's still groggy as I lead her to the car rental counter and get us a car. She starts to wake up a little when its time for us to find our suitcases. After Sophia found her purple suitcase, we went out to the parking lot and found the car. Its a silver subaru with a moon roof. I throw our luggage into the trunk while Sophia keeps her small back pack with her, crawls into the front seat, puts her seatbelt on and opens the moon roof. I put my own seatbelt on and then take a minute to remember how to drive a car. Its not that I never drove one...its just that running is faster and less conspicous. So, cautiously, I ease onto the road and follow the signs leading away and into the country. For the entire 3 hours Sophia finds something to take pictures of, out of the corner of my eye I saw them, and they were really good photos. Eventually the pavement gives way to dirt, I tell Sophia that this is how we know we are getting closer. Her elbows rest on the car door and her chin is on top of her arms as she sits looking and waiting for the town to show itself. Half an hour later, the town emerges. Its small, countryness is very welcoming and its exactly as it was when Johanna and I were here. I drive slow going down the road so Sophia can take pictures and look at all the different people. The small town fades away as twilight settles upon it. Down the road a little further, my house comes into sight. I pull the car right up in front of it and when Sophia steps out, she has her head tilted all the way back in order to view it.
"This was your house?" She asks in awe.
"Yes. Back in my day it used to be bigger, and over in the distance was a barn filled with animals, a coral for our horses and a stable for all of them."
Sophia snaps a picture and takes her suitcase from me.
"No way," Her voice echoes in the foyer, and travels down the halls. I turn on the crystal chandelier lights and small rainbows are reflected all around the room.
"Yes way." I reply with a smile.
"Where am I going to sleep?" She asks and follows me up the stairs.
"Where ever you want. You can even have 5 rooms if you want." I laugh, "But I guess you can stay in what used to be my sister's room if you want?"
"I would love too, Uncle Gabriel."
I push open the door for her and show her inside. The room is huge, of course. Nothing was to good for Galina. Not that she was selfish or greedy, she deserved everything she got and much more, we all loved her dearly.
"My room is right up the hall." I say while showing her.
We both set our stuff down in our rooms before I continue to show her the rest of the house. The other rooms, the living room, the library, the parlor, the kitchen, the dining room, my fathers study. I point out the backyard to her but its to dark for her to go out there right now, I'll just show her tomorrow.
"How about getting something to eat? There is a delicious diner right in town." Its a little late but I know that Sophia isn't tired yet. To bad there isn't a theater nearby, or a dance hall, or something age appropriate for her.
"Sounds great! Can I shower first?"
"Of course." I reply and then show her where the bathroom is.
Its all relatively new equipment, just not as fancy as we'd find back home.
I change into jeans and a nice collared shirt and not long after, Sophia is ready. She's wearing a pretty blue dress and has her hair in a ponytail. I tell her how pretty she looks before I pick her up and run us into town. I pick a random restauraunt and we are greeted by a native. We are seated and I have to help Sophia with the menu since its all in russian. When the waiter comes back he compliments how pretty "my daughter" is. I lean over to her and translate what he had said and then turn back to him and reply that she isn't my daughter, but instead is my niece. He only speaks russian and I feel bad that Sophia is left out of the conversation, I really will have to teach her a few words. I kindly tell him what we would both like and then he dissappears with our order. Everything is relatively slow paced here which means we won't be getting our food for a while, fine by me. I try to teach Sophia a few words but like I said, Russian is a very hard language. She knows how to spell a few of them, but not how to pronounce them. The waiter comes back with drinks for us and then he starts up a conversation with me. He told me that its obvious I'm russian, and even that I'm from around here. Little did he know that I really am from here.
He asked how I could easily switch back and forth between english and russian, his sister has been trying but she can't get the hang of it.
Well, I still have my accent when I talk. But really all one has to do is shape shift into an english speaking person and feel the way the words roll off their tongue.
"Практика," (Practice) I replied.
Talking to him, understanding everything he was saying, I could feel myself slipping back into it all. It was like I was back here 623 years ago, my accent was fully back and I didn't have to think about what I was saying before I actually said it. This is nice. A slow paced restauraunt, a family place really, where no one is rushing you out the door. I excused myself in order to return talking to my niece.
"Are we goona get to visit where Anastasia lived?" Sophia asks then furrows her brow, "St. Petersburg, right?"
"Yes, St. Petersburg. Actually go inside the imperial palace?"
She nods her head and I think for a minute.
"Sure, why not. I don't think they'll show us any of the good stuff but I'm a vampire so we're goona see it any way."
I'm so honored by her love of Russia and Anastasia because of me, not many young kids would fall in love with a foreign country because their Uncle is from there. Our food was set down in front of us.
"Uhhh, Uncle Gabriel? What is this?" Sophia wonders.
I tell her to close her eyes, she does, and then I put some on a fork for her to taste. As soon as she swallows her eyes fly open and she starts raving about how delicious it is.
"What is it?!" She asks. I open my mouth to respond but she cuts me off, "No! Never mind, I don't wanna know," And then continues eating.
We take our time and I really enjoy what I ordered. Its something that I haven't had since I was human, it used to be my favorite meal. I wish I were human again. I wish I could feel the cold night breeze or the extreme heat from the soup I ordered.
For dessert, Sophia and I shared something that is like chocolate mousse. She enjoyed that as well. The waiter brings us the check and I wish him a good evening. Once Sophia and I reach the edge of town, I pick her up and run her back to the house. I told her that if she wanted to get used to the different time zone then she has to go to bed at a decent hour. It was only 10:30 so I said that we could play a game and then she would go to bed. Well, it was 12 when we decided that no one was going to win, we both had such skill. I sent her up to Galina's room to get ready for bed. A couple minutes later I went up there, kissed her forehead and said goodnight. While Sophia slept, I went up to the attic and "put my nose where it doesn't belong". I was looking for anything of my family's. A diary, jewelry, paintings. I found what I was looking for, but didn't like what it made me feel. I had found my father's leather bound journal. As I held it in my hands, I thought about putting it back but then I thought that he's been dead for 623 years so he won't care. I took it downstairs into the study and sat in one of the huge overstuffed chairs under the light. I opened to the middle of the book and started reading. The part that I hated most was in the beginning, he wanted to leave the family business to me but then I flip forward a couple pages and he says that its all Nikolai's instead. I mean, that was a wise business decision but it actually hurts me that he had so little faith in me. Of course, back then, I had little faith in myself. I read on further and grew increasingly angrier as his dissaproval and anger showed through his words and description of me.
By the end of this book, I'm furious! My temper is growing larger and larger. I drag my eyes up from the yellowing pages. There was a blazing fire growing in the fireplace. I eye the leather journal mischeviously and then look at the fire. I curl my fingers around the spine and push myself off the chair. The fire casts an eery orange light over my face. For a second I hesitate, but then I hear the words from my father's journal in my head, as if he is saying them to me. Well, look at me now, Dad. I throw the book into the fireplace. It sends embers flying into the air. The leather ages, burns, breaks. The old pages crackle and shrivel up just like my humanity had. I'm glad I killed him. I'm glad he died. And I would kill him again, and again, and again. My foul mood was getting worse, breaking through the roof, I was slipping back into that frame of mind where I needed to go out and kill some people.
Just then my cell phone rang. I flitted to the hall table where it rested and answered it without seeing who was calling.
"What?" I demand.
There is nothing on the other end. And then I hear heavy breathing.
"Who is this?" I demand again.
"You came back," states a male voice.
"I think you have the wrong number."
A pause, "I don't." He says in a spine tingling voice.
I'm about to ask a question but the line became disconected. That was odd. But, I decided not to think too much of it. It was probably just a teenager playing a prank.
My blood lust settled on me again, my vision gained a red tint. I reached for the door, planning my next kill, when my phone rang again.
I answered the phone with a growl.
"You better not be doing what I think it sounds like you're doing," A high voice warns.
I groan. Johanna.
"Gabriel, are you about to kill someone?" She asks.
She had caught me red handed...red fanged...red visioned...whatever the hell you call it! The point is: I was caught, like a child reaching into the cookie jar before dinner or searching for early christmas presents.
"No," I mutter. My red vision starts going away at the sound of Johanna's voice.
"Good. Because I wouldn't want you doing something that you would punish yourself for later. Feeding for hunger is one thing, but feeding for rage is another."
I hated how right she sounded.
"I love you." I say.
There was an exasperated sigh on her end, "Oh, I can't stay mad at you," she laughs, "I love you too."
My rigid stance goes slack as I cross my arms and lean against the wall, taking the pose of a love struck teenager talking to his crush, "Do you miss me yet?"
"I started missing you before you even left," She whispers.
"One month." I tell her.
"I know, I'll be counting the days. But I do want you to have fun with Sophia. Don't be worrying all about me while you're supposed to be having a good time, showing Russia to your niece."
"We will have a good time." I started imagining us sneaking into places we weren't allowed to be in.
"Which room is Sophia in?"
"Galina's. I thought she would like it the best, and she does."
"Oh, so do I. The view is lovely in the morning and a nice breeze comes through at night." Her voice crackles a little from the static of the phone.
"Where are you?" I ask.
"Helping Rhoan pack," she huffs.
"What?!" I had no idea my friend was leaving! Why? When?, "Put him on."
The phone is passed.
"Hey, Gabe. How's Russia?" Rhoan's relaxed voice fills my head.
How could he be so calm?! He was leaving!
"Don't turn this conversation onto me. What's this about packing? You're leaving?"
He sighs and shifts the phone, "I wasn't goona tell you. Its no big deal, I'll probably be back before you are." It sounds like he's avoiding the part about why he's leaving.
"Why?" I ask him.
There's a pause and in the background I hear Johanna ask if he wants a glass of wine.
"Please," he tells her.
"Rhoan-" I bark.
"Fine." He growls back, "Do you remember when I first moved in with you guys and I said that the Archaeologists would probably let me get transfered here?"
"Yes."
"Well, the bastards re-assigned me." He grumbles.
"Why?! They can't do that!"
"Thank God I think its only a short re-assignment. I just have to check up on a couple hostiles and do some research."
"Rhoan-" I start.
"Gabriel, I can't just turn them down. They've been taking care of me for a long time."
"Yeah, but-"
"You're not the only really old one around this place," He jokes.
I never did get the full version of his entire life story. All I knew was that he worked for the A.R.C.S and had magical powers.
"I'll be back before you know it. Give all my love to Sophia for me."
"You know I will."
"And try not to be glum without me, I'll be fine."
I did feel a little childish for all my worrying, but he's a good friend and I couldn't stand for something to happen to him.
"Be safe, Rho."
"Oh, don't worry, I don't think Darla bites that much." I can practically hear the smile in his voice.
"Darla? Johanna's sister?" I ask, laughter bubbling in mine.
"Yup, the very same. My re-assignment is in Pennsylvania and Vermont so I'll be able to see her quite a bit."
"Rhoan! You had me believing you were going on a hazzardous journey, not a month long date with Darla."
"Hey, dating is dangerous," He jokes, "Gotta go. I'm going to finish packing and then drink this bottle of wine before your wife does."
I laugh, "Have a good time."
We both hang up. I sat with a smile on my face. That smile slowly turned into a frown. I thought about what my good friend had said, 'Dating is dangerous'. And so is love, and marriage. A selfish thought occured to me; who would protect Johanna then? Everyone else has their own lives, Rhoan was the only one without one.
I guess she could always stay with Jordan? I'd have to talk to her about this, but not now. I only had a few more hours until the sun would come up and I had to plan out all the things Sophia and I would do. All I knew was that in four days we were heading to St.Petersburg for two, and then Moscow until I decided what came next.
-Gabriel
"Jordan! I'd like to leave while I'm still young!" I yell to her.
"Sophia, you call us everyday, no matter what time it is. We wanna know how you are and how it is. You can come home whenever you want..." Jordan lectures.
But Sophia interrupts her, "Mom, can I go now?"
Jordan is dumbfounded as Sophia gives her and Josh a kiss and then runs over to me and pulls me into the car.
We wave at them until we can no longer see, and soon we're at the airport. We have to go through security and all that stuff, I honestly forgot about all that, so by the time we were done we had to board the plane right away. As soon as we were seated, the plane took off right away and then we had nothing to do but wait for six hours. Sophia turned to me and started asking me everything she would need to know about Russia.
"Where will we go first? I want to see everything, Uncle Gabriel." She says in wonder.
"We'll go to my home town first until you get used to the different time zone. Then I think we'll go to Moscow."
Her excited face is just wonderful, I know this trip is going to be great for the both of us.
"Well, I'm going to sleep a little now so I don't miss anything once we land." She announces.
"Honey, its a 3 hour car ride of pure country and nature once we land. You can sleep then too."
She shakes her head, "No, I don't wanna miss any of that either."
I wrap my arm around her as she leans close to me and falls asleep.
Once we land I gently wake her and take her small hand in mine until we get off the plane. She's still groggy as I lead her to the car rental counter and get us a car. She starts to wake up a little when its time for us to find our suitcases. After Sophia found her purple suitcase, we went out to the parking lot and found the car. Its a silver subaru with a moon roof. I throw our luggage into the trunk while Sophia keeps her small back pack with her, crawls into the front seat, puts her seatbelt on and opens the moon roof. I put my own seatbelt on and then take a minute to remember how to drive a car. Its not that I never drove one...its just that running is faster and less conspicous. So, cautiously, I ease onto the road and follow the signs leading away and into the country. For the entire 3 hours Sophia finds something to take pictures of, out of the corner of my eye I saw them, and they were really good photos. Eventually the pavement gives way to dirt, I tell Sophia that this is how we know we are getting closer. Her elbows rest on the car door and her chin is on top of her arms as she sits looking and waiting for the town to show itself. Half an hour later, the town emerges. Its small, countryness is very welcoming and its exactly as it was when Johanna and I were here. I drive slow going down the road so Sophia can take pictures and look at all the different people. The small town fades away as twilight settles upon it. Down the road a little further, my house comes into sight. I pull the car right up in front of it and when Sophia steps out, she has her head tilted all the way back in order to view it.
"This was your house?" She asks in awe.
"Yes. Back in my day it used to be bigger, and over in the distance was a barn filled with animals, a coral for our horses and a stable for all of them."
Sophia snaps a picture and takes her suitcase from me.
"No way," Her voice echoes in the foyer, and travels down the halls. I turn on the crystal chandelier lights and small rainbows are reflected all around the room.
"Yes way." I reply with a smile.
"Where am I going to sleep?" She asks and follows me up the stairs.
"Where ever you want. You can even have 5 rooms if you want." I laugh, "But I guess you can stay in what used to be my sister's room if you want?"
"I would love too, Uncle Gabriel."
I push open the door for her and show her inside. The room is huge, of course. Nothing was to good for Galina. Not that she was selfish or greedy, she deserved everything she got and much more, we all loved her dearly.
"My room is right up the hall." I say while showing her.
We both set our stuff down in our rooms before I continue to show her the rest of the house. The other rooms, the living room, the library, the parlor, the kitchen, the dining room, my fathers study. I point out the backyard to her but its to dark for her to go out there right now, I'll just show her tomorrow.
"How about getting something to eat? There is a delicious diner right in town." Its a little late but I know that Sophia isn't tired yet. To bad there isn't a theater nearby, or a dance hall, or something age appropriate for her.
"Sounds great! Can I shower first?"
"Of course." I reply and then show her where the bathroom is.
Its all relatively new equipment, just not as fancy as we'd find back home.
I change into jeans and a nice collared shirt and not long after, Sophia is ready. She's wearing a pretty blue dress and has her hair in a ponytail. I tell her how pretty she looks before I pick her up and run us into town. I pick a random restauraunt and we are greeted by a native. We are seated and I have to help Sophia with the menu since its all in russian. When the waiter comes back he compliments how pretty "my daughter" is. I lean over to her and translate what he had said and then turn back to him and reply that she isn't my daughter, but instead is my niece. He only speaks russian and I feel bad that Sophia is left out of the conversation, I really will have to teach her a few words. I kindly tell him what we would both like and then he dissappears with our order. Everything is relatively slow paced here which means we won't be getting our food for a while, fine by me. I try to teach Sophia a few words but like I said, Russian is a very hard language. She knows how to spell a few of them, but not how to pronounce them. The waiter comes back with drinks for us and then he starts up a conversation with me. He told me that its obvious I'm russian, and even that I'm from around here. Little did he know that I really am from here.
He asked how I could easily switch back and forth between english and russian, his sister has been trying but she can't get the hang of it.
Well, I still have my accent when I talk. But really all one has to do is shape shift into an english speaking person and feel the way the words roll off their tongue.
"Практика," (Practice) I replied.
Talking to him, understanding everything he was saying, I could feel myself slipping back into it all. It was like I was back here 623 years ago, my accent was fully back and I didn't have to think about what I was saying before I actually said it. This is nice. A slow paced restauraunt, a family place really, where no one is rushing you out the door. I excused myself in order to return talking to my niece.
"Are we goona get to visit where Anastasia lived?" Sophia asks then furrows her brow, "St. Petersburg, right?"
"Yes, St. Petersburg. Actually go inside the imperial palace?"
She nods her head and I think for a minute.
"Sure, why not. I don't think they'll show us any of the good stuff but I'm a vampire so we're goona see it any way."
I'm so honored by her love of Russia and Anastasia because of me, not many young kids would fall in love with a foreign country because their Uncle is from there. Our food was set down in front of us.
"Uhhh, Uncle Gabriel? What is this?" Sophia wonders.
I tell her to close her eyes, she does, and then I put some on a fork for her to taste. As soon as she swallows her eyes fly open and she starts raving about how delicious it is.
"What is it?!" She asks. I open my mouth to respond but she cuts me off, "No! Never mind, I don't wanna know," And then continues eating.
We take our time and I really enjoy what I ordered. Its something that I haven't had since I was human, it used to be my favorite meal. I wish I were human again. I wish I could feel the cold night breeze or the extreme heat from the soup I ordered.
For dessert, Sophia and I shared something that is like chocolate mousse. She enjoyed that as well. The waiter brings us the check and I wish him a good evening. Once Sophia and I reach the edge of town, I pick her up and run her back to the house. I told her that if she wanted to get used to the different time zone then she has to go to bed at a decent hour. It was only 10:30 so I said that we could play a game and then she would go to bed. Well, it was 12 when we decided that no one was going to win, we both had such skill. I sent her up to Galina's room to get ready for bed. A couple minutes later I went up there, kissed her forehead and said goodnight. While Sophia slept, I went up to the attic and "put my nose where it doesn't belong". I was looking for anything of my family's. A diary, jewelry, paintings. I found what I was looking for, but didn't like what it made me feel. I had found my father's leather bound journal. As I held it in my hands, I thought about putting it back but then I thought that he's been dead for 623 years so he won't care. I took it downstairs into the study and sat in one of the huge overstuffed chairs under the light. I opened to the middle of the book and started reading. The part that I hated most was in the beginning, he wanted to leave the family business to me but then I flip forward a couple pages and he says that its all Nikolai's instead. I mean, that was a wise business decision but it actually hurts me that he had so little faith in me. Of course, back then, I had little faith in myself. I read on further and grew increasingly angrier as his dissaproval and anger showed through his words and description of me.
By the end of this book, I'm furious! My temper is growing larger and larger. I drag my eyes up from the yellowing pages. There was a blazing fire growing in the fireplace. I eye the leather journal mischeviously and then look at the fire. I curl my fingers around the spine and push myself off the chair. The fire casts an eery orange light over my face. For a second I hesitate, but then I hear the words from my father's journal in my head, as if he is saying them to me. Well, look at me now, Dad. I throw the book into the fireplace. It sends embers flying into the air. The leather ages, burns, breaks. The old pages crackle and shrivel up just like my humanity had. I'm glad I killed him. I'm glad he died. And I would kill him again, and again, and again. My foul mood was getting worse, breaking through the roof, I was slipping back into that frame of mind where I needed to go out and kill some people.
Just then my cell phone rang. I flitted to the hall table where it rested and answered it without seeing who was calling.
"What?" I demand.
There is nothing on the other end. And then I hear heavy breathing.
"Who is this?" I demand again.
"You came back," states a male voice.
"I think you have the wrong number."
A pause, "I don't." He says in a spine tingling voice.
I'm about to ask a question but the line became disconected. That was odd. But, I decided not to think too much of it. It was probably just a teenager playing a prank.
My blood lust settled on me again, my vision gained a red tint. I reached for the door, planning my next kill, when my phone rang again.
I answered the phone with a growl.
"You better not be doing what I think it sounds like you're doing," A high voice warns.
I groan. Johanna.
"Gabriel, are you about to kill someone?" She asks.
She had caught me red handed...red fanged...red visioned...whatever the hell you call it! The point is: I was caught, like a child reaching into the cookie jar before dinner or searching for early christmas presents.
"No," I mutter. My red vision starts going away at the sound of Johanna's voice.
"Good. Because I wouldn't want you doing something that you would punish yourself for later. Feeding for hunger is one thing, but feeding for rage is another."
I hated how right she sounded.
"I love you." I say.
There was an exasperated sigh on her end, "Oh, I can't stay mad at you," she laughs, "I love you too."
My rigid stance goes slack as I cross my arms and lean against the wall, taking the pose of a love struck teenager talking to his crush, "Do you miss me yet?"
"I started missing you before you even left," She whispers.
"One month." I tell her.
"I know, I'll be counting the days. But I do want you to have fun with Sophia. Don't be worrying all about me while you're supposed to be having a good time, showing Russia to your niece."
"We will have a good time." I started imagining us sneaking into places we weren't allowed to be in.
"Which room is Sophia in?"
"Galina's. I thought she would like it the best, and she does."
"Oh, so do I. The view is lovely in the morning and a nice breeze comes through at night." Her voice crackles a little from the static of the phone.
"Where are you?" I ask.
"Helping Rhoan pack," she huffs.
"What?!" I had no idea my friend was leaving! Why? When?, "Put him on."
The phone is passed.
"Hey, Gabe. How's Russia?" Rhoan's relaxed voice fills my head.
How could he be so calm?! He was leaving!
"Don't turn this conversation onto me. What's this about packing? You're leaving?"
He sighs and shifts the phone, "I wasn't goona tell you. Its no big deal, I'll probably be back before you are." It sounds like he's avoiding the part about why he's leaving.
"Why?" I ask him.
There's a pause and in the background I hear Johanna ask if he wants a glass of wine.
"Please," he tells her.
"Rhoan-" I bark.
"Fine." He growls back, "Do you remember when I first moved in with you guys and I said that the Archaeologists would probably let me get transfered here?"
"Yes."
"Well, the bastards re-assigned me." He grumbles.
"Why?! They can't do that!"
"Thank God I think its only a short re-assignment. I just have to check up on a couple hostiles and do some research."
"Rhoan-" I start.
"Gabriel, I can't just turn them down. They've been taking care of me for a long time."
"Yeah, but-"
"You're not the only really old one around this place," He jokes.
I never did get the full version of his entire life story. All I knew was that he worked for the A.R.C.S and had magical powers.
"I'll be back before you know it. Give all my love to Sophia for me."
"You know I will."
"And try not to be glum without me, I'll be fine."
I did feel a little childish for all my worrying, but he's a good friend and I couldn't stand for something to happen to him.
"Be safe, Rho."
"Oh, don't worry, I don't think Darla bites that much." I can practically hear the smile in his voice.
"Darla? Johanna's sister?" I ask, laughter bubbling in mine.
"Yup, the very same. My re-assignment is in Pennsylvania and Vermont so I'll be able to see her quite a bit."
"Rhoan! You had me believing you were going on a hazzardous journey, not a month long date with Darla."
"Hey, dating is dangerous," He jokes, "Gotta go. I'm going to finish packing and then drink this bottle of wine before your wife does."
I laugh, "Have a good time."
We both hang up. I sat with a smile on my face. That smile slowly turned into a frown. I thought about what my good friend had said, 'Dating is dangerous'. And so is love, and marriage. A selfish thought occured to me; who would protect Johanna then? Everyone else has their own lives, Rhoan was the only one without one.
I guess she could always stay with Jordan? I'd have to talk to her about this, but not now. I only had a few more hours until the sun would come up and I had to plan out all the things Sophia and I would do. All I knew was that in four days we were heading to St.Petersburg for two, and then Moscow until I decided what came next.
-Gabriel