Irina Rozanova has in the eyes of most people around her won at life. She has a wealthy husband, she has two beautiful children and will never have to work a day in her life.
It’s picture perfect. Except, it isn’t. Irina didn’t marry for love, she didn’t even marry for money, no, it was an arranged marriage by her family. Her dad had pretty much sold her to the highest bidder. She didn’t live him, never would probably couldn’t even if she tried.
Anastasia though? She could love her. Nastya was her best friend always had been. They had been way more than friends really but no one knew about that. Except that her husband found their letters to one another. He forced her out. Told her to leave and never comeback and if she even tried to contact Ilya or Alexei he would make sure everyone knew.
Her and Nastya ran, they booked the first flight out of Russia and left everything behind. They settled in Ottawa Canada. In a quiet part of time. Irina had enough money in her bank account over from Grigori that they could buy a small house next to a couple with a son who must have been Ilyas age. They became auntie Irina and Nastya, Shane, the kid would stay with them occasionally when his parents had to leave town or just because he wanted to.
They watched him grow and Irina saw glimpses of Ilya in him sometimes when he talked about hockey. Then one winter in 2008 Shane came over looking hesitant before asking them to teach him Russian. They agreed easily.
Later Shane would explain that there was a kid on the Russian team who probably would be drafted and his explanation hadn’t really made sense but the two women had smiled at each other knowingly and helped him.
By the time Shane moved to Montreal Shane would call them regularly to practice his Russian. After Shane moved it was so quiet, David, Yuna and the two of them would have dinners together. During the summers sometimes Shane would come over and hang out with them. The years passed and then in the summer of 2017 there was a knock on their door before it opened the door and Shane’s voice came from the door. “Auntie Nastya! Auntie Irina!” The two women looked at each other smiling then Nastya called back still in Russian.
“Kitchen Shane!” There was two pairs of footsteps that entered and just outside of the door Shane and and whoever was with him paused, there was quiet whispers and then the door opened and Shane stepped in looking nervously at them but he was smiling. As he spoke the Russian flowed from his lips as if he’d been practicing without them.
“I wanted to introduce someone to you and I know you won’t mind it’s just scary because it’s important but um yea. I want you to like him… and he’s also Russian and I want him to have someone other than me he can speak Russian with so yea.. I, I want you to meet my boyfriend. Ilya.” Both women were smiling at him fondly and Shane geastured at the door and a tall man with curly blond hair walked him he looked nervous looking between the women placing himself at Shane’s side.
Irina world stopped. Those eyes. That was, that was her son that was her Ilya, all grown up and he looked so happy. He looked so perfect. Irina felt her eyes well up with tears as she looked at him then at Shane.
“Auntie?” Shane asked softly, hesitatingly reaching for her. Ilya was looking at her in confusion his eyes void of recognition she didn’t blame him for it, it had been so long.
So so long since she had seen him last. That was his baby but at the same time he was now a fully grown man. He wasn’t sure what Griggori had told them about her disappearance. She assumed he’d said she just left.
Half of her was scared to reveal that she was his mother because of it but she couldn’t keep it in if he hated her then so be it. She would always love him because that was her baby and she needed him to know that.
“Ilyushenka” she whispered reaching out but hesitated before actually touching him, her hand was shaking she couldn’t stop it. Ilyas eyes widened as he froze, he looked at her his eyes flickering over her face. His eyes welling with tears and recognition at the same time.
“Mama?” His voice broke and he looked at Nastya “Auntie?” Both women looked at him with tears rolling down their faces as they nodded at him. Ilya broke into sobs and Irina wrapped him in a tight hug. Nastya joined them both after awhile and hugged them both tightly.
“How- you- I-“ his eyes were flickering between the two of them and then to Shane before he slumped into a chair that had been pulled out in all the commotion. Shane was also crying covering his mouth with his hand as he watched the whole thing go down.
“Ilyushenka I’m so sorry, I wanted to take you with me I wanted to bring you and Alexei with me but he wouldn’t have let me. You were safer there with him than trying to cross the border with us. I’m so sorry baby. I love you so much, I’ve missed you everyday.” Ilya looked completely lost for a moment.
I don’t, you’re supposed to be dead” he was crying again but silently this time and Irina wondered how often he’d had to do it to be so good at it. “He said you swallowed your whole pill bottle. I don’t, why,” he stopped speaking obviously not finding the words he was looking for.
“We had to run, he found our letters. He said I had to get out never contact you again or there would be consequences so we left and we ended up here. I am so sorry, we bother are.” Ilya just shook his head and clutched at both their hands.
“I don’t blame you, you did nothing this isn’t on you. I just, I missed you. I” he looked at Shane with a small smile. “I can’t help but think maybe it was fate, that we ended up together. Maybe. We were ment to find each other.” Shane smiles at him and then leans down and presses a kiss to Ilyas forehead.
He looked at his mother and Nastya who he assumed could only be his other mama and smiled before he geastired to Shane.
“Mama, meet my boyfriend Shane.”