Winter's Nightmare

Halloween

Lia's POV 7:41 AM

She thought that she would have next morning regrets about last night with Steve, but Lia woke up happy. Not happy enough to jump back into things right away, but hopeful for their future. The first time at the beach she could have seen herself regretting it as a mistake.. but the following six times? Well, she certainly couldn't seeing as how she was the one who initiated sex with Steve when they came back to her parents house.

Lia couldn't help it. She had seen the note from her dad about them keeping Kat with them and took the opportunity that presented itself. While Steve was reading it she'd looked up at him. He'd just stood there reading the note as if it wasn't giving them the chance for more. It probably hadn't even crossed his mind, but it had hers. Lia knew he was willing to do whatever she wanted, however she wanted. She'd wanted him.

Since the beach she hadn't closed herself off from him. Lia just couldn't seem to. The pure love for her radiating off of him made it so she didn't want to give up that feeling not even a little bit. So she had let him love her, loving him back just as much.

Lia turned her head to gaze at a still sleeping Steve. Her eyes roamed over his face. His long eyelashes fanned out over his cheeks. The usual stern look smoothed out as he dreamed of happier things. His eyelids started twitching as he began to wake up. Panic lanced through her stomach, she wasn't ready yet to have any kind of 'what are we' talk.

Bringing her hand up to rest on the side of his face she soothed his mind back to sleep. Once she was sure he was fully back to sleep she crept out of bed. Grabbing Steve's dress shirt she buttoned it up and picked up her things. Sneaking out of his room right into her mother. "Aurelia, what are you doing?"

Flinching at the sound of her mother's voice, Lia slowly turned around. Irena Stanislov stood there with an amused look on her face. Not at all what Lia was expecting. "Uh, I'd say it's not what it looks like, but it is." She says with a chagrined smile and shrug.

Her mother motioned Lia to her room with her chin. "Breakfast will be done soon. I suggest you shower and get dressed." Lia nodded and watched as her mom headed for the stairs. She turned at the top step. "I would ask how last night went, but based on this." She motions at Lia's half naked form. "I'm going to assume it went very well. I'm happy for you both."

Lia took a step closer to her bedroom shaking her head. "Last night was wonderful, but we aren't back together. I don't know what we are.."

Her mother interrupts her and takes a step closer. "You love him. He loves you. It's an easy decision to make when you have a child together." Rustling sounds from Steve's bedroom alerted her that he was now awake. Not wanting him to over hear them and not wanting to give her mother the last word, she switched to Russian.

"Нет, мама, это не так. Любовь, как и жизнь, никогда не бывает легкой. Мы провели слишком много лет в разлуке, чтобы просто продолжить с того места, на котором остановились. Мы не такие. Я не то же самое." (No, mama, it isn't. Love, like life, is never easy. We've spent too many years apart to just pick up right where we left off. We aren't the same. I'm not the same.)