Breakaway: Bonus Chapter

Roman's mom is a huge part of his life. She loves her son, and wants what's best for him. And of course, it means - Nevaeh.

If you want to know what the first meeting between Nev and Iryna was like, please read this little bonus chapter. Hope you'll enjoy it!

This chapter is also included in Special Edition, along with a spicy one :)

NEVAEH

Sitting in the car beside Roman, I look out the window. The ride to the airport is incredibly quiet. Not because we don’t have anything to talk about, but because I can’t hold a conversation. My heart beats wildly in my chest, and my palms are sweaty. Iryna has been nothing but nice to me every time we have talked. When she asks me how I’m doing, I know she’s really interested, that she wants to know about my days, about my job and how her son is treating me. A couple times, I have even talked to her without Roman, and it was an absolute delight.

So why am I so nervous?

“Mom likes you,” Roman says, putting a hand on my knee and squeezing lightly. “You have nothing to worry about, I promise.”

I smile hesitantly. “Thank you.” I cover his hand with mine. “I have no idea what’s going on in my head, honestly. Like…what if she thinks I’m not smart enough? Or tall enough? Or—”

“Malyshka.” Roman snorts, shaking his head. “Mom reads all of your articles, and she always says how talented you are. How powerful your words are. There is no way she’d ever think you’re not smart enough.” He stops at a traffic light and leans closer, lifting my face with his fingers under my chin. “You’re amazing. Don’t ever doubt that.”

My lips ease into a broad smile, and I inch forward, pressing my mouth to his for a light peck. “Love you,” I whisper, leaning away.

“And I love you.”

Roman starts driving again, looking quizzical. “What was that about your height? Why would my mom or anyone else care how tall you are?”

“I had…a bad experience.”

“Like what?” He arches an eyebrow, my favorite crooked smile on full display. “You have to tell me now, or I’ll die of curiosity.”

“In my sophomore year of college, I had a boyfriend who was a basketball player. We only dated for two months, and it just so happened that his parents came to watch a game during that time. Wade introduced me to them, and it was fine, but a few days later, he said his mom thought I was too short for him. I don’t think I need to tell you how fast I broke up with him…” I trail off, noticing a playful grin on Roman’s face. “Why are you smiling?”

“It’s hilarious and ridiculous that he lost you because of that. All I can say is, ‘His loss.’” His eyes roam over my face and down my chest, and I feel tingles spreading all over my skin. “My win.”

“You’re way too cocky, mister.”

“Maybe that’s exactly why you married me.”

“I’m pretty sure it was because of the alcohol,” I tease him. 

“Nyet1.” Roman shakes his head. “You were sober the last time you said I do, so our marriage officially has nothing to do with alcohol.”

“Maybe I was just drunk on my love for you.”

He pretends to think, but it doesn’t last even a minute before he grins at me. Reaching over, he places his hand on my knee again. “Then we were both drunk on our love for each other.”

“We sure were.” I entwine our fingers.

As my husband focuses on the road, I realize that I no longer feel nervous. Warm and cozy feelings unfurl inside my belly, making my smile grow bigger. I’m content and calm, and it’s all because of him.

***

“Do you see your mom?” I ask, looking around. My hand nests securely in Roman’s.

“I…I do.” He heads to the right, making me follow him. “Looks like this time she didn’t try to bring her whole wardrobe with her. This bag…Chert voz’mi 2.”

“Spoke too soon?” I joke, finally noticing his mom. 

Iryna stands with her palm pressed to her cheek, studying the people around her. She’s wearing a simple white T-shirt, light blue jeans, and white sneakers with pink stripes. Her casual look isn’t what I expected, considering how my own mother used to dress, yet it suits her. Roman’s mom looks nice, and I can’t help but admire how beautiful she is. 

“Hey, Mom,” Roman says as we stop in front of her. Her deep turquoise eyes, the same color as her son’s, dart between us, and a smile lights up her face. He steps closer, letting go of my hand, and hugs her tightly. “So glad you’re here.”

“Me too,” she says and leans away, her gaze sweeping over Roman’s face. “Bozhe 3, how much I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Mom.” My husband takes a step back, and his mom’s eyes instantly land on me. “Well, this is my Nevaeh.”

My Nevaeh…I swear it gets me every time. That and “Malyshka.” I’m not even sure which one is my favorite.

“Hi,” I mumble, wondering if I should shake her hand or hug her. “It’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

“Hi, Nevaeh. It’s really nice to finally meet you, indeed.” Iryna steps toward me and hugs me tightly. My breath hitches, but then I wrap my arms around her too and hug her back. When she leans away, she’s smiling from ear to ear. “You’re even more gorgeous in person.”

“So are you,” I tell her, realizing with a surprise that she’s just a bit taller than me. “I’m really happy you decided to visit.”

“My son is in the playoffs. How could I miss it?”

“Last time it didn’t bother you.” Roman rounds her, grabs her suitcase, and lifts the bag from the ground.

Iryna snatches a backpack from the suitcase and puts it on, turning to look at her son. “Last time I didn’t come, and you didn’t win. Maybe this time will be different.” She glances at me and winks. “Besides, this time you’ll have two women who love you cheering for you. That’s worth something, right?”

“It’s worth everything,” Roman says, and he starts walking toward the exit. His mom and I follow him, talking about her flight and the last game the Thunders won. It’s easy and really pleasant, and I’m happy she’s here. 

Roman has missed her way more than he let on.

***

The next few days are a whirlwind. Work, games, sightseeing—so much sightseeing that by the end of the day my legs hurt, although the smile on Roman’s face when he watches his mom means everything to me. 

I often give them space, leaving them alone so they can talk without me around. Without needing to speak in English. Just a mom and her son, talking about anything and everything. Reminiscing about their past and Maksim. It doesn’t make me feel left out. Quite the contrary; it makes me happy. For him and for Iryna. They went through so much, but they still have each other, and it’s precious. Their little family is something I admire, and something I belong to. 

Even if sometimes it still feels unrealistic. After so many years, to finally have a family who loves me unconditionally and cares about me in ways I couldn’t even imagine…

“Nevaeh, honey, can you please help me?” Iryna’s voice rips me out of my thoughts, and I turn to look at her. She’s standing behind the kitchen counter with her hands covered in flour.

I join her, staring at a bowl that has something white in it. Iryna’s laughter fills the kitchen.

“You look so…puzzled,” she says between fits of laughter. 

“I just have no idea what you’re doing.” I smile at her.

“Roma will be home tomorrow, and I just want to treat him with something he loves. Syrniki are especially delicious for breakfast.”

Biting my bottom lip, I look around the ingredients she has out on the counter: a tub of cottage cheese, eggs, and wheat flour. “What is it? Is it some kind of dessert?”

“Kind of,” she says and points to a little plate with raisins. “Can you please bring that here? I forgot, and now my hands are covered in flour.”

I nod, quickly grab the plate, and bring it to Iryna. 

“Can you please toss them into the bowl?”

“Sure,” I reply, and I do as she asks. “What’s next?”

“Next I’m going to mix it all together, make the syrniki, and then fry them.”

This time, I don’t go back to my chair. I stay by her side and watch her shape the mixture into small crumpets and then fry them in the pan. It smells like vanilla, and I can’t help but smile.

“Is this typical Belarusian cuisine?” I ask Iryna as she hands me a syrnik.

“Not really; people all across Eastern Europe love them. They’re very tasty.” I take a bite, and the sweet taste spreads all over my tongue. “What do you think?”

“It’s so delicious,” I say with my mouth full, making her chuckle.

“And they’re easy to make. Roma always loved them, so I thought it would be a good idea to make some. He needs something to cheer him up after that game.”

We both fall silent, lost in our thoughts. Iryna and I watched the game at home, yelling at the TV when we thought the referees were unfair, cheering for the Thunders when they scored and when Clay secured the net, booing when Colorado scored. If the Thunders had won, they would’ve gone to the second round already. They put up a great fight, but in the end they lost four to three. It was a bitter loss.

“When Roma and Maks were little and their team would lose, they were inconsolable. Like, literally, for them it was the end of the world. Instead of two smiling boys, I’d get two thunderclouds. Broody and frowning,” Iryna says. “The fact that their father always lectured them after their losses didn’t help either. It drove me insane; I wanted to help my boys learn how to accept defeat and turn it into something valuable. No matter how many times I told their father to leave them be, reminding him that hockey is a team sport and they didn’t lose because they played badly, but because the team as a whole wasn’t effective, or because luck simply wasn’t on their side, he never listened.”

I hold my breath, devouring every word she says about Roman’s childhood. It’s fascinating and fulfilling. It gives me all the feels and makes me understand my husband even better.

“I know Roma told you that my ex-husband was always more hostile toward him than his brother. He would find good things to say to Maksim about his performance, but never to Roma. It was exhausting and terrible to hear him ripping apart his son, blaming the team’s loss on him.” Iryna purses her lips and looks away, staring at the wall with her eyebrows knitted together. “Maks always tried to defend Roma, but it didn’t really work, and one day he came up with a plan. He came to me and said that we needed our own ritual for the games they lost. And we figured out one—whether it was an away game or a home game, I would take my boys to the movies. We’d eat popcorn and not talk about the game at all. It really made a difference for Roma, and for Maks too, because he couldn’t stand his brother being unhappy.”

A smile breaks out on her lips, but when she turns to me, I also notice unshed tears. I move closer and wind my hand around her waist, wanting to give her comfort. Iryna puts her head on my shoulder and sighs.

“They were so alike, but so different. Maks was always softer, gentler, while Roma was moody, more closed off. I do think it’s because of his father and his constant desire to pick up fights with him. Not leaving my ex-husband sooner is my biggest regret, a burden I carry because I deserve it.” She leans away and peers at me, smiling warmly. “I’ll be forever grateful to you for helping Roma, for being there for him and for loving him as he is. You saved my boy, Nevaeh. Just took him in, not paying attention to his scars or his broken heart, and instead fueling him with love and warmth. His darkness is no longer there because you healed him.” 

“He saved me too,” I whisper, and she wraps her arms around me and hugs me tight. “He put my broken pieces back together and glued them with his love. He’s my biggest supporter, and I want to be the same for him.”

“You already are, Nevaeh. You already are.” Iryna smiles, tucking my hair behind my ears. “How about we watch something before bed?”

“With popcorn?” I ask, stepping back from her.

“That would be nice.” 

“Awesome,” I say and busy myself with making the popcorn. The warmth in my body plants a smile on my face, and I just know that tomorrow is going to be great. Because my husband is coming home.

***

Strong arms wrap around me from behind; my back is pressed to a solid, muscular chest. My eyes flutter open, and I instantly feel hot breath fanning over my cheek.

“Shh, Malyshka, it’s way too early.”

Wiggling, I turn around and find myself face-to-face with Roman. He grins at me, his fingertips pushing my hair off my face. I move closer and hide my face in his chest, inhaling the scent of his cologne mixed with mint.  

“I thought you’d be home closer to lunch.”

“It was always supposed to be early morning. I just never corrected you.” He presses his lips to my forehead. “Wanted it to be a surprise.”

“I love surprises when they’re good.”

“Is this a good one?” 

“The best,” I whisper, feeling my eyelids grow heavier. “What time is it?”

“It’s only seven.” Roman tightens his grip around me and buries his nose in my hair. “Sleep, Malyshka; we have the whole day ahead of us.”

Relaxing into his embrace, I start to fall back asleep, pressing myself into him harder. With him by my side, I feel safe and content, like I’ve never felt before. He takes everything to the next level, heightening my feelings and making me feel like I can do anything with him by my side. 

Because he’s my Roman.

Translations:

1. Нет. — No.

2. Чёрт возьми. — Dammit.

3. Боже — God

***

Thank you so much for reading!