Chapter 26 | Leo
Leo
On the night of our date, I sat on the couch with Dmitry, waiting for Katia to finish getting ready. I was determined to turn him into a Mets fan, and he was enjoying the game, so I figured I had a good shot.
Katia appeared from upstairs, her red hair thick and full as it floated over her shoulders. She wore tight black pants, black heels and a white blouse that covered one shoulder. She smiled at both of us, and my heart slammed in my chest at how gorgeous she was.
“You look pretty,” Dmitry said softly.
“Aw, thanks, sweetheart.” She trailed over and kissed his head. “What are you going to do while we’re gone?”
“I’m coding a new app that can transform PDFs into spreadsheets,” he said. “Alexis thinks it will help as we transfer documents over to the new financial programs.”
“Smart. And is Natalia helping you?” Katia asked, grinning.
“Who’s Natalia?” I asked.
“No one,” Dmitry said, rubbing his palms on his jeans. “I met her on a Discord server, and she’s cool. She’ll be a senior when the new school year starts, and she likes to code. She lives in Valley Stream, so we might meet up for coffee one day. It’s not a big deal.”
“You’re allowed to meet up with her as long as you complete the paperwork Leo sent you for your GED,” Katia said. “The task force is making an exception to let you enroll in the program, and we don’t want to squander it.”
“I don’t understand why I have to get a stupid degree,” Dmitry said. “I can code circles around the kids in your American schools.”
“Because degrees are important in America, and you need to acclimate here,” Katia said, putting her hands on her hips. “U amerikantsev poroy byvayut glupyye pravila, no yesli khochesh' zdes' zhit', tebe pridotsya ikh soblyudat.”
I scowled, wishing I understood what they were saying. Dmitry always perked up when they spoke Russian, so I figured I’d have to get used to it.
Dmitry laughed. “Okay, I get it. I’ll do the paperwork while you all are gone.”
I rose and waved goodbye to Dmitry before escorting Katia to the door. “What did you say to him?”
“Just that he had to follow our dumb American rules if he wants to live here.”
I breathed a laugh. “Nice.”
I drove us to the restaurant, holding Katia’s hand during the short drive. When we arrived, we ordered a bottle of sake and a bunch of different rolls.
As we ate, we chatted about our lives; about our past failures, and our hopes for the future. When the plates had been cleared away and we were blissfully full, she reached across the table and took my hand.
“Best first date ever,” she said, grinning.
“I hope so. I really want to make it to second base tonight.”
Her thumb caressed my hand as we finished up our sake. Resting her chin on her fist, she inhaled a deep breath.
“I didn’t tell you this right away because I wanted to save it for tonight, where I could tell you with the focus and seriousness it deserved.”
“Okay,” I said, feeling my pulse tick in my neck at her serious tone.
“I went to see Michael this week. After thinking long and hard about what I want for my future, I’ve decided that it’s time to move on from being his accountant. I’m going to help him hire someone new and train them, and then I’m going to leave that world behind.”
My lips curled into a wide grin. “Wow. I never would’ve asked you to leave, Katia. I know Michael gave you a lot, and you’re very loyal to him.”
“I know you wouldn’t, but I also know you don’t want me working for him forever.”
I pursed my lips, my silence confirming her statement.
“And I’m ready to move on too. I think it’s time for me to see what else I can do with my degree.”
“Do you want to take on new clients?”
Her features drew together. “I’m not sure.
I could certainly take on a few accounting clients to see if I like it.
Or, I also joined some of the local Facebook groups, and there are lots of divorced women whose husbands handled their finances.
I might be able to set up some sort of financial service that helps them. ”
“That would be cool,” I said, squeezing her hand. “I mean, we’re deep in the burbs now. I’m going to apply to be the new assistant football coach, and you’re going to be helping divorced housewives. It’s a far cry from the Gilded Cage.”
Laughing, she nodded. “It certainly is.”
Her eyes darted between mine as she studied me. “And if we have kids, I can’t be an accountant for the mafia. We both know that.”
My heart slammed in my chest. “Do you want kids, sweetheart?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “One or two. And that’s it. And maybe another cat down the road.”
I shot her a droll look. “I think one cat is enough...”
“Remember we’re going for second base, buddy.”
Exhaling a laugh, I capitulated. “Fine. Another cat and third base, and you’ve got a deal.”
She bit her lip, looking incredibly adorable as she gazed at me. “I’m in.”
We finished dinner and I led her back to the car, overwhelmed with the knowledge that she’d resigned from Michael’s organization. I’d always held out hope she might leave one day, but I was thrilled she’d made the choice on her own, without any push from me.
I drove us to the small beach I’d been coming to with my parents since I was a kid. We walked along the wooden slats that led to the beach until we reached the little gazebo. Holding her hand, I led her into the gazebo and we walked to the railing.
The ocean spread out before us, the moon full as it shimmered above the water. I pointed to a grouping of stars, and said, “That’s the little dipper. It was my mom’s favorite.”
She glanced up at me. “Did you come here with your mom?”
“All the time,” I said with a nod. “She loved it here.” Closing my eyes, I inhaled the salty air. “She would be so happy I brought you here.” Turning to face her, I placed my hands on her shoulders. “She would’ve loved you, Katia.”
Katia’s lips trembled as she tenderly cupped my jaw. “I would’ve loved to meet her; the woman who raised the man who taught me to believe in love again.”
Emotion swelled in my chest as I gazed into her glowing eyes.
“I love you with all my heart, Leo,” she said softly. “More than you’ll ever know.”
A ragged breath left my lungs as I rested my forehead against hers. Our lips met, entwining in a passionate kiss full of promise and hope.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the small jewelry bag I’d placed in there before dinner. Untying the string, I opened it and lowered to one knee.
I lifted the ring, holding it between my thumb and forefinger as the diamond shined in the moonlight.
“My dad gave this ring to my mom forty-five years ago when he proposed. A few days before she passed, she gave it to me and asked me to save it for the woman who would be my wife. It’s been waiting for you since then, Katia, for all this time.”
She held her hands to her mouth, a sob escaping her lips as she stared down at me.
“I’ve accepted that I’ve probably been in love with you for a very long time, and I’m happy you finally caught up to me.
You’re everything I’ve ever wanted, and I would be honored to be your husband.
Please marry me so I can do my best to make you happy every day.
That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I love you so much, sweetheart. ”
“Of course, I’ll marry you,” she said, the words garbled as tears streamed down her cheeks. “And I want to make you happy too.”
I stood and slid the ring over her shaking finger. Gripping her hand, I held it tight, reassuring her under the star-filled sky. “Already done. I’m barely even grumpy anymore. You make me so happy, baby.”
She squinted one eye. “Well, you’re still pretty grumpy,” she said, and I playfully nipped her lips. “But I love it.”
I slid my arms around her waist, drawing her into my body as we rocked to the sound of the gentle waves against the beach. Not so long ago, I had convinced myself we were from two different worlds and would never be right for each other.
Now, I understood that every step I’d taken in my four decades on the planet had led me to her. The woman who had always been destined to be my wife, and who I would build a family with.
Grateful for her, I closed my eyes and sent a silent prayer across the ocean, hoping my mom and Elena could somehow see or hear us; hoping they knew we’d found each other and that we were happy.
After several more minutes under the stars, I took Katia’s hand and led her home.