Sucking His Banana

I awakened the following morning to the sensation of Alexei gently caressing my breasts through the material of my nightgown. It felt really nice and awakened in me desires I hadn't felt in a very long time. He saw that I was awake and gave me a devilish grin. "Do you like that?"

"Mm, that feels really nice!" I told him.

Gently he raised my nightgown up and over my head, exposing my erect nipples, which ached for him. Right away he was there, gently suckling one while manipulating the other with his fingertips. The sensation was exquisite. I moaned in pleasure, and my hand automatically moved to cup his erection through his shorts.

"Do you want me to do you?" I asked.

"It's completely up to you," he told me, but I could see the longing in his eyes.

"I'd like to," I told him.

In a flash he removed his shorts and straddled my face so that I could take him into my mouth. I licked and suckled with abandon while my fingers played with his balls, reaching behind them to stroke the sensitive skin there. From the noises he was making I could tell that he was enjoying what I was doing immensely. Before long he was groaning and thrusting, and when he was right on the brink he pulled out and came all over my chest.

"Just a sec." Quickly he fetched a warm, wet washcloth and cleaned me up, then lay back in bed and pulled me to him for a cuddle.

"I love you, Addison," he said as he stroked my hair. "I'm so glad we came to New York."

"Me too," I said. "For the very first time since my accident, I feel halfway normal again."

He laughed and kissed the tip of my nose. "I told you everything was going to be all right. You'll believe me next time, won't you?" he teased.

I was happy just to lie in his arms enjoying the sensation of his fingers massaging my back. "Mm, that feels so nice."

"So what do you want to do this morning?" he asked me.

We rode the Staten Island Ferry, toured the Statue of Liberty, and and spent the rest of the day visiting several museums, zoos, and even an aquarium. Our second night of the Bolshoi Ballet was even more spectacular than the first had been, so much so that I was almost sorry to leave when it was over.

"You really enjoyed that, didn't you?" Alexei asked me on the way back to the motel. "I can tell by the way your eyes are sparkling."

"It takes me to another world," I told him. "For just a little while, I can forget about...this." I glanced down at my useless legs.

As soon as we reached the motel, Alexei rolled me into the bathroom and began to run my bath, as he'd done the night before. Tenderly he undressed me and lowered me into the tub, where he lathered a washcloth and began to bathe me.

"I can bathe myself, you know," I reminded him, resenting the idea that he was treating me as if I were totally helpless.

"I know." He chuckled. "I just thought you might like to be pampered a little."

"Well, since you put it that way..." I closed my eyes and lay back in the tub, enjoying his ministrations. When he got to my lower body, he spread my legs and fondled my privates.

"You don't have any sensation there at all?"

I shook my head.

"Oh, Addison, I'm so sorry!" He sounded as if he might cry as he embraced me.

"I'm sorry." Suddenly I felt very depressed. "I wish I could be a real woman for you."

"Listen to me, Addison." He gripped the sides of the tub and looked into my eyes. "Sex is such a small part of a complete relationship. What we have together is so special, so precious, and I would never want to be with any other woman but you. There's nothing at all for you to feel bad about."

"Yeah." I was crying softly, my tears dripping into the water. He kissed them away and finished bathing me, then lifted me from the tub and toweled me off.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered, gazing up and down my naked body. "So beautiful."

He helped me into my panties and nightgown, then gathered me into his arms and carried me to bed. "What about my chair?" I asked.

"I'll get it later," he told me as he laid me down and began to massage my shoulders.

"Mm, I get a massage too?" I asked.

"You sure do!"

I fell asleep as he was gently kneading all the tension out of my muscles. At some point later in the night, I awakened to hear him softly sobbing.

"Alexei?" I touched his cheek to find it moist with tears.

"It's just so unfair," he muttered. "You didn't deserve this." His arms snaked around me and held me tighter than ever before.

"It's all right, Alexei." For the first time, I found myself comforting him instead of the other way around. "We're making it all right. We're managing."

"No, it's not all right." He sounded angry. "You shouldn't have had so much taken away from you. You shouldn't have lost so much."

"But I still have you, Alexei. I still have my children and my family. I still have everything that really matters."

"You're such a brave woman, Addison," he told me. "You're the bravest person I've ever known, and I love you so much more than I ever thought I possibly could."

The morning after the final performance of the Bolshoi Ballet, we packed our bags, checked out of the motel, and left for the airport.

"I can't wait to see Montana and Nevada again!" I said as the airplane took off. "I've missed them so much!"

"I'm sure they really missed you, too." Alexei smiled. "You'll have lots of stories to tell them about New York, won't you? Lots of pictures to show them, too."

"Yeah." I had yet to talk to the hospital administration about the possibility of my coming back to work. I didn't know whether they'd be willing to make accommodations for my new limitations or if they'd tell me I'd have to train for a new career. I'd only wanted to be a nurse for as long as I could remember. How could I even consider doing another kind of work?

I sighed as I began to sort the different sizes of needles and tubing into their appropriate compartments in the medical supply area. I knew that I was fortunate to have been able to come back to work at the hospital at all, but I missed the bustle and excitement of the emergency room and the interactions with the patients very much.

To my consternation, a piece of tubing tumbled from its compartment and headed for the floor. Automatically I reached for it and caught it just in time. At the same instant, I saw my leg swing out.

I couldn't believe it! I stared at my leg for a few minutes to see if it would happen again. It didn't. Disappointed, I returned to the task at hand.

"Hey there, beautiful lady!" I turned to see Alexei grinning at me. Since we'd returned from New York, he'd practically lived with me and the kids, returning to his own home only to shower and to sleep.

"Hey, good-looking man!" I replied.

"Ready for lunch?"

"Am I ever!"

He pushed me to the cafeteria. I could have gotten there by myself easily, but I indulged Alexei's longing to be chivalrous at every opportunity.

"So how has your morning been?" he asked me.

"Slow," I said. "I miss my old job so much!"

"I know." He placed a gentle hand over mine. "But look at it this way. At least you're still supporting your children and making a contribution to society. A lot of people in your position would have just given up."

I didn't say anything.

"What's on your mind, Addison?"

I smiled mysteriously.

"Come on, Addison. What is it?"

"It might be nothing at all," I replied. "Or it might be something."

"Won't you tell me what it is?" He gave me his best puppy-dog look. "Pretty please?"

"I wish I could." I sighed. "But I don't want to get my...and your...hopes up, just in case it's not anything, after all."

"So when are you gonna find out for sure?"

"Soon, hopefully."

"The fact that your leg moved of its own accord is a good sign," Dr. Bailey told me. "It indicates that the damaged nerves are mending and are getting messages through to the muscles again. It's still too soon to predict how complete your recovery will be, and I can't promise you'll ever walk again without assistance, but this is still good news. Very good news."

That night I was lying in bed when I felt my toes wiggle. It startled me and even frightened me a little, as I hadn't felt my toes at all since before the accident. I switched on the bedside lamp and uncovered my legs and feet and just sat there and wiggled my toes and giggled.

I resumed physical therapy a few days later. The muscles in my legs and feet were stiff and sore from weeks of not being used, and my first few steps were difficult and painful, but I progressed well and was soon walking back and forth holding onto the bars with ease.

I had a surprise for Alexei when he came to pick me up for our date that Friday night. I answered the door sitting in my wheelchair as I normally did.

"Hey, sweetie!" He gave me his usual big grin. "Ready to go?"

"Almost." I grinned. "I have a surprise for you first."

I rolled the wheelchair to the corner where I'd discreetly left my crutches. My eyes never left his face as I stood up, reached for the crutches, and walked back to him using them. His eyes grew wide with delight as he laughed and picked me up and swung me around.

"I knew you'd walk again, Addison!" He sat me back down on my feet and gazed into my eyes in ecstasy. "I knew it!"

"That day in the cafeteria, when I told you I didn't want to get my hopes up in case it turned out to be nothing," I told him. "My leg had just moved for the first time that morning. I didn't feel it, but I saw it. A few days later, I felt my toes wiggling while I was in bed. Not too long after that, I started physical therapy. I didn't say anything to you about it because I wanted it to be a surprise."

"And a most wonderful one it was!" he exclaimed. "Let's go out and celebrate! Um...do you think we'll need to bring the wheelchair along for just in case?"

"It's only dinner and a movie," I pointed out. "I'll be fine!"

"If I'd known beforehand, I would have made reservations at a much fancier place," he said apologetically as he drove to the seafood place we liked best.

"Oh, that's all right!" I replied. "I'm just so happy to be able to walk along beside you again that I don't care where we go to eat!"

Dinner was delicious, and the movie he took me to was very romantic. On my crutches I was able to keep up with him just fine. I never faltered, and he never had to slow down for me.

Back at my place, I invited him in for drinks as I usually did. As we sat on the sofa talking, we began to kiss passionately, and we were soon both very turned on. He picked me up and carried me to my bed.

"How much sensation do you have now?" he asked.

"It's almost one hundred percent back to normal," I told him.

"Great!" he enthused. We continued to kiss as one article of clothing after another was slowly removed. Soon we were both wearing only our underwear. Automatically I reached for the waistband of his underpants, but he shook his head.

"You've certainly done me a lot," he said. "Now it's your turn."

He kissed me all the way down to my panties, then gently removed them. I parted my legs wide for him, and he gently separated my folds as he ran the tip of his tongue all the way up to my most sensitive spot, which was swollen and eager for his touch. Waves of pleasure washed over me as I came almost immediately. Far from finished, he inserted several fingers way up inside me so that he could hit my G spot, which greatly intensified the sensation.

"You like that, don't you?" he chuckled.

I could only nod as the tears flowed down my cheeks.

"That was just the beginning." Quickly he slipped off his underwear and slipped on a condom, and then he entered me and we made love for the first time. At the same time, he used his fingers to stimulate me, making sure that I came again before he did. Afterwards, he lay beside me and we cuddled. "Was it worth the wait?" he asked me.

"It was for me," I replied. "Was it for you?"

"Absolutely!" He pulled me even closer and kissed the top of my head. "I swear to you, Addison, I'm going to make up for all lost time."

"It wasn't your fault," I said.

Lightly his finger traced my cheek. "Even so, I will. You deserve it."

In the arms of the man I loved, I drifted into a peaceful sleep. I awakened the following morning to look up into his smiling face. "Good morning, beautiful lady," he said.

"Good morning," I replied. "It's so nice to wake up and find you in my bed. It reminds me of being on vacation in New York."

"Me too," he replied. I stretched luxuriously as his fingers moved deliciously up and down my back. "It would be great to wake up like this every morning, wouldn't it?"

"That would be heaven!" I agreed.

He grinned. "Who knows? It just might happen some day."

"Mm. I don't want to get up." I closed my eyes and cuddled closer to him.

He laughed gently. "So don't. There's no hurry."

We lounged in bed for most of the morning, until I finally got up and reached for my crutches.

"Hey, where are you going?" asked Alexei.

"Well, aren't you hungry?"

"Oh, no, you don't." He reached for my crutches and took them from me. "I'm doing breakfast. You're going to relax in bed and let me serve you."

I happily acquiesced, and he helped me back into bed. He cooked bacon, eggs, and pancakes for us both.

"This is better than a restaurant!" I exclaimed. "I didn't know you could cook!"

He winked at me. "It's one of my many talents." I giggled.

After breakfast, we went to my parents' to pick up the kids. "Hey, Alexei!" Montana yelled when he saw Alexei.

"Hey there, cowboy!" Alexei lifted him high into the air, which made him giggle.

"'Lexei!" Nevada exclaimed.

"Hey there, princess." Alexei picked her up gently and kissed her cheek.

"Are you taking us somewhere, Alexei?" asked Montana.

Alexei winked at him. "Wait and see."

He took us to the pizza parlor that had the video games and the ball pit with the tubes and slides and the indoor Ferris wheel. Montana had a blast in the ball pit while Nevada wanted to ride the Ferris wheel over and over again. After that, we went to the park, where Montana immediately made a bee line for the slides.

"Swing! Swing!" Nevada cried, jumping up and down.

"In just a minute," Alexei told her. "I have something very important to ask your mother first." He led me to the open area where the picnic tables were, then dropped to one knee as he took a small box from his pocket, which he opened to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. "Addison Renee Bradley, will you marry me?"

My heart pounded with joy. "Of course I will! When do you want to do it?"

"Whenever you want!" he exclaimed as he slipped the ring onto my finger. "The sooner, the better!"

"How about Valentine's Day?" I suggested. "That sounds romantic!"

"Sounds great to me!" he agreed. He scooped Nevada up and carried her to the baby swings. She squealed with delight as he put her into one of them and started pushing her.

Just then, an obviously pregnant Sydney walked past with Olivia and her daughter, Skylar. They saw me at the same time I saw them. Olivia gasped in surprise, but Sydney gave a smug grin. I looked at Alexei to see if he'd seen them too. His face was completely drained of blood, so I knew that he had.

The jovial mood we'd been in all day instantly vanished. We stayed at the park until the kids got tired, then took them home for a nap. After I'd gotten Nevada settled down, I went into the living room to see Alexei staring forlornly at the wall. I sat beside him, and he reached for my hand.

"Of all the people we could have run into, why did it have to be her?" I groaned.

"I'm so sorry, Addison," he said.

"Everything was going so great until that had to happen," I complained.

"I know." He sighed. "I can't undo the past, Addison, but I promise you, it'll never happen again." He lifted my chin, looked into my eyes, and gave me a hopeful smile. After a moment's hesitation, I smiled back.

"So," he said. "Now that the kids are asleep, what do you want to do?"

"Do you have any ideas?"

"I've got a great one. How about we take a nap ourselves?"

I yawned. "That does sound like a great idea!" We curled up together on my bed and were both soon fast asleep. It was near dinnertime when we awakened. Alexei offered to do dinner for us instead of going back to his place.

"Are you gonna spend the night with us, Alexei?" asked Montana.

"I might as well, since I'm still here." Alexei laughed. "Actually, you and your sister are gonna be seeing a lot more of me from now on."

"Why?" asked Montana.

Alexei took my left hand into his own and showed it to my son. "See this ring? I gave it to your Mom today when I asked her to marry me and she said yes."

Montana's eyes grew round. "So you and my Mommy are gonna get married?"

"That's right!" I told him.

"So you're gonna be my new Daddy?"

Alexei grinned. "I sure am!"

"Hurray!" Montana shouted, jumping around. Nevada was too young to understand, of course, but she whooped with joy and jumped around with him.

Alexei made spaghetti for dinner. I helped him clean up, and then we all watched 'Aladdin' together and I gave the kids their baths.

"Will you read me a bedtime story, Alexei?" Montana asked when bedtime came.

"Sure," Alexei replied. "What story do you want?"

Montana chose 'The Giving Tree.' Alexei held one child on each knee as he read the story, and I sat beside them looking on.

"That's a rather sad story," Alexei remarked to me later after the kids had gone to sleep.

"It is," I agreed. "But it's also a beautiful illustration of friendship, don't you think?"

"I suppose." He wrapped his arms around me from behind and kissed my neck. "But now I'm ready for you to cheer me up, which you're excellent at."

Alexei and I both had to work the following day, but we didn't have to go in until the afternoon, so we had time to snuggle in bed that morning, talking about our future together.

"I might as well finish moving in," he chuckled. "I'm about ninety percent moved in, anyway."

"I was thinking maybe we could find a bigger place," I suggested. "Neither your place nor mine is really big enough for four people."

"I've been thinking the same thing," he agreed. "Especially considering that we might want to add to the family soon."

I frowned. "How soon? Nevada isn't even two yet!"

He laughed. "I didn't mean that soon!" He turned serious. "But you do want to have my baby some day, don't you?"

"I'd love to have a baby with you, Alexei," I told him. "I'd just like to wait at least until Nevada's finished potty training first."

Just then, Montana burst into the bedroom and ran and jumped onto the bed. "Let's go see what Miss Nevada's up to, shall we?" Alexei continued.

We all went into Nevada's room to see her jumping up and down excitedly in her crib. Alexei picked her up and kissed her cheek. "Good morning, Princess!"

By now I was able to get around without braces and crutches. I went to the kitchen and made pancakes for everyone, and later, after cleaning up, I called Mom to tell her the good news.

"Alexei proposed to me last night," I told her. "And I accepted!"

"That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Alexei's a good man, and I know he'll take good care of you and the children. I can't wait to tell your father. He'll be thrilled!"

After I finished talking to Mom, Alexei called his mother to tell her. He spoke to her in Russian. "Would you like to say hello to her?" he asked me when they were finished talking.

"How well does she know English?" I asked.

"Very well," he told me. "She used to be an English teacher."

"What do I call her?"

"Anya is fine."

"Hi, Anya," I said a bit shyly over the telephone.

"Hello, milaya," said Anya. Her voice was lovely, with only the slightest Russian accent. "Alexei has told us so much about you. I can't wait to meet you!"

"I can't wait to meet you, either!" I told her. "I hope you can make it to the wedding!"

"I wouldn't miss it for anything!" she told me. "I'm so happy my Alexei has finally found a good woman who will treat him right. I'd just about given up on that ever happening." We talked for a few more minutes before I gave the receiver back to Alexei.

"She sounds so nice!" I told him.

"You're going to love her," he replied.

When I got to the hospital, I couldn't wait to tell all my co-workers about my engagement. They were all very nice to me, hugging and congratulating me and asking when the date would be. All but one.

I was just about to leave for the day when someone stepped right in my path and I looked up to see Olivia glaring at me. "I hear wedding bells are in the air," she hissed.

"Leave me alone, Olivia," I muttered.

"Wait till I tell Sydney," she continued. "She's gonna be thrilled to hear her baby daddy's getting hitched."

An image of Sydney's pregnant belly swam before my eyes, and tears were in my eyes as I walked to my car.

The next time I went to work, I saw that someone had left a wedding bouquet made of dead, wilted flowers at my work station.

Alexei had to work the following Friday night, so Lara and I had a girl's night out. We went to the same club where I'd seen Alexei dancing with Sydney before.

"Alexei popped the question," I told her. "And I said yes!"

"Wow, Addison, that is so cool!" Lara replied. "Wait till I tell Cole! Who knows? Maybe he'll want to make it a double wedding!"

That was something I hadn't even thought of. Even though Lara was my best friend, would I really want to share my special day with her?

Lara must have read my thoughts, because she suddenly looked a bit hurt. "That would be OK with you, wouldn't it?"

"I'd have to run it past Alexei first, but I don't see why he'd mind," I told her.

"Good!" she said. "Say, how are the kids taking it?"

"Nevada's too young to understand, of course, but Montana is all for it," I told her. "I also talked to his Mom on the telephone for the first time."

"Neat! What does she sound like?"

"She speaks English really well, just like Alexei does. She only has the slightest hint of a Russian accent. She says she's coming for the wedding."

"When's it gonna be?"

"Valentine's day."

"Gosh, how romantic!"

That night as I lay in bed, I imagined that Alexei was holding me in his arms. He and I both worked a long shift the following day, so we were able to eat lunch together. "I told Lara about our engagement," I said. "She wants to make it a double wedding with her and Cole."

"So they're engaged now as well?"

"Well...not exactly. She's hoping that when she tells him about us being engaged, he'll propose to her too."

Alexei laughed. "Isn't that being a bit presumptuous?"

I shrugged. "I suppose so, but I promised I'd ask you if it would be all right."

His eyes twinkled. "Let's wait and see whether he actually proposes first, shall we?"

I didn't tell him about the confrontation with Olivia or the dead flowers. I really hoped that that would all blow over soon.

Lara called me several days later, in tears. "I told Cole about you guys getting engaged," she sobbed.

"And?"

"And all he said was 'that's nice'!"

"Well, what did you expect him to say?"

"Addison! You know I was hoping he'd suggest we make it a double wedding!"

"Well, he can't read your mind, Lara," I said patiently. "Sometimes it takes more than a subtle hint to tell someone what's on your mind."

"I can't propose to him!" she exclaimed.

"Why not?" I asked. "It isn't the nineteen fifties anymore."

"You really think it would be all right?" she asked.

"Sure! Why not?"

The next time Alexei picked me up to take me out to dinner, he was all excited and carrying the classified section of the newspaper. I saw that he'd circled several ads in red. "I called about this one," he told me. "Three bedrooms, two baths. Sounds perfect, doesn't it? I told them we'd look at it tomorrow."

"You are spending the night tonight, right?" I asked him.

"Sure, if you want me to. I was hoping you would."

"We'll go right after we pick the kids up after breakfast, then."

He took me to our favorite restaurant and then to a romantic movie. Then we went back home and made love, and I fell asleep with Alexei's arms around me.

The following morning, he made pancakes for breakfast and then we went to my parents' to pick up the kids. "Where are we going today, Mommy?" Montana asked when he saw me.

"To look at a house," I told him. "Since Alexei and I are getting married in a few weeks, we need a bigger place to live."

"Do I get to take all my stuff when we move?" He sounded worried.

I laughed. "I don't know about all your stuff, but you can take the stuff that's most important to you."

"My Shining Time Station trains?"

"Definitely those."

The house turned out to be red brick and in a quiet neighborhood. We pulled into the driveway beside the realtor, who unlocked the door for us.

"Wow!" I gasped when I saw the living room. It had a plush carpet, the walls were white, and in one corner was a charming fireplace with a mantel above it. Right next to the living room was a charming little kitchen with a tile floor. The walls were painted yellow, and there was a sink against the far wall, a stove in the opposite corner, and a refrigerator across from the sink. I could easily imagine myself standing there doing dishes and looking out the window at the back yard, which had one large tree and several small bushes. "We could put up a swing set for the kids back there," I told Alexei, and he agreed.

The realtor led us down the hallway to show us the rest of the house. The two smaller bedrooms were on the left, and the utility room, larger bathroom, and master bedroom were on the right. The smaller bathroom was attached to the master bedroom in the back.

"Well, what do you think?" Alexei asked me when we were finished looking at the house.

"I love it!" I told him.

We went back to the pizza parlor with the video games for lunch, then hung out at the mall for a couple of hours. Alexei bought us ice cream at the ice cream parlor and toys for the kids at the dollar store. In the video store, he bought a video but wouldn't show me what it was. "It's a surprise," he told me.

For dinner I made fried chicken and baked potatoes for myself and Alexei and chicken nuggets and fries for the kids. Later I put in 'The Lion King' for Montana and Nevada to watch and then got them settled for the night. Alexei read Montana's bedtime story to him again, then took the video he'd bought that day from its wrapper and put it into the DVD player.

I squealed with delight when I saw that it was 'Ghost' starring Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. "This is one of my favorite movies of all time!" I exclaimed.

"I know." He grinned. "I remember your talking about it."

He put his arms around me, and we cuddled together and watched the movie. I had to hide my face in the front of his shirt during the scary parts where the demons came to carry the souls of the dead murderers away. Alexei laughed as he hugged me more tightly and kissed the top of my head.

"I never can watch this part," I told him.

"It is pretty scary," he agreed. "But you have to remember, it's make believe."

"I know," I told him. "I'm just glad I'm watching this with you instead of by myself."

"So am I."

The next day, I called my parents and told them about the house.

Everything seemed to be going so well until several days later, when Lara showed up on my doorstep, sobbing her heart out.

"Hey! What's wrong, girl?" I asked, pulling my best friend inside.

"It's C-Cole," she stammered.

"Did you ask him to marry you?" I asked.

She nodded.

"And what did he say?"

"H-he said that he isn't ready to get married," she sobbed.

"Well, maybe just not right now," I said, trying to make her feel better.

"Th-that's not all," she continued. "H-he says that he thinks we're getting too serious and maybe we should start seeing other people."

"Well, at least he's being honest with you about it," I pointed out, remembering the whole episode with Alexei and Sydney. Although I'd forgiven him and it was all water under the bridge now, it still hurt just a little to think about it.

"But I don't want to see anybody else! The only one I want to be with is Cole!"

"Well, if he isn't ready to commit, there isn't really anything you can do about it," I said. "I know it hurts really bad right now, but it'll get better over time."

She stayed for several hours, and by the time she left, I'd gotten her feeling just a little bit better. Alexei called right after she left. "Hey, babe! How's it going?"

"Lara just came over all upset," I told him. "Cole turned down her marriage proposal and told her he thinks they should see other people."

"Oh no!" he exclaimed. "So she's taking it pretty hard, I guess."

"Yeah. She really loves him," I replied. "I sure hope she's gonna be all right."

"I'm sure she will be, over time," he assured me.

The next time I went to work, I was met with another surprise. "Madison! You work here now?" I asked. Madison was a friend of mine from high school. We'd always gotten along fine, but I'd disapproved of the way she treated guys. Her romantic relationships had all been very short term. She'd string guys along, taking what she wanted from them and then dropping them like a hot potato when the next guy came along. She'd always been perfectly nice to me, however, so I'd always been on good terms with her.

"Yep," she told me. "Just started today. I moved to California for awhile and then came back."

"Wow, it's been awhile!" I exclaimed. I hadn't seen her since we'd graduated high school.

"It sure has," she agreed. "So are you married now?"

"I was, but he was killed in an accident a couple of years ago," I told her. "I have two kids. Montana is four, and Nevada's a year and a half." Knowing her history with men, I wouldn't have dared to tell her about Alexei. Not yet, anyway. Not that I didn't trust him; I was sure he'd learned his lesson after the incident with Sydney.

It was her I didn't trust.

"Nevada. What a pretty name!" she exclaimed. "Unique, too."

"I've always loved nature names," I told her. "Her middle name's Brooke. Montana's is Wade. Do you have any kids?"

"Nah." She laughed. "I was never with the same guy long enough for that to happen."

All it really takes is one time of being together, I thought bitterly, suddenly reminded of Sydney's swollen abdomen.

As it turned out, I didn't really have long to contemplate the significance of Madison's being back in my life, as Alexei's family soon flew in for the wedding. "This is my parents, Ivan and Anya," he told me. "And this is my fiancee, Addison, and her children, Montana and Nevada."

"It's lovely to finally meet you, milaya." Anya hugged me and kissed my cheek. She had Alexei's eyes and resembled him strongly. Ivan was taller and had salt-and-pepper hair. I could see faint resemblances to Alexei in his face.

"Hello," he said, shaking my hand.

"My sisters, Kristina, Sonja, and Veronika," Alexei continued.

"And these are my children, Pavel and Xenia," Kristina told me. Pavel looked to be about ten and was tall with dark hair. Kristina held the infant Xenia in her arms.

To my surprise, there was also another guest who wasn't a family member. "This is Oleg," Alexei told me. "He's been my best friend since we were four years old."

Oleg was about Alexei's height and had brown hair and eyes. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he told me, his voice sounding unbelievably smooth and rich.

"It's great to meet you, too!" I said, immediately thinking of Lara.

"I simply couldn't miss seeing my oldest and best friend get married," Oleg continued. "I only wish that I could perform the ceremony myself." I gasped, shocked.

"Oleg's preparing to become a Russian Orthodox priest," Alexei told me. "He only has about a year or so to go before he's ordained."

"Wow!" was all I could say.

"Want to go to lunch?" Madison asked me at work the following day. Up until then I'd been lucky at quietly sneaking away to join Alexei for lunch without her seeing me. I still hadn't told her about Alexei. I should have known my luck would eventually run out.

"Um...I'm working through lunch today," I mumbled.

Just then Alexei arrived, accompanied by Oleg, Kristina, Sonja, and Veronika. "I wanted to show everyone around the hospital," Alexei explained. "Ready to go to lunch?"

Embarrassed at having been caught out in my lie, I turned to see that Madison was still standing there. There was no way I could possibly exclude her without coming across as terribly rude. "This is Madison," I told Alexei and the others. "Madison, this is my fiance Alexei, his sisters Kristina, Sonja, and Veronika, and his friend Oleg."

Madison greeted and shook hands with everyone. I felt a mixture of relief and shock when I saw the look that passed between her and Oleg.