We decided that with the little sleep we'd gotten, we would leave the following evening after sleeping in and spending whatever time we had left with the rest of the family. Most of my relatives flew out the following morning and by lunch it was only my mother, my grandpa and the four of us remaining once more. My grandpa and the boys were in the kitchen talking and my mom and I were sitting in silence in front of the TV. We'd shared a few words over breakfast but we hadn't had time or the privacy for the real conversation we both wanted.

"Before you leave to go home can we go have coffee somewhere? Just the two of us." It was like my mother heard my thoughts. A part of me desperately wanted to go to hear whatever she had to say but I also wanted to spend this time with the boys. Even amongst family, we'd almost constantly gravitated towards each other to spend whatever little time we had in each other's company before all hell broke loose. I hesitated in deliberation and looked towards the kitchen in question.

Mikhail gave me a thumbs up since he was standing the closest to me and most likely heard. It was like they knew that if anything happened to them, my mother would be the only one who could put me together. I quickly shut the thought down. Just the thought of something happening to them made my heart race with fear. Why couldn't they just be safe? Would I even be safe if I went with my mother? I suppose if Ivan's father hadn't acted yet, he wouldn't be acting until Ivan confronted him first. Besides, why would he come after me instead of them?

"Please darling." My mother was begging to spend time with me for the first time in her life. I'd be a fool to turn her down. It would just be a quick coffee and then I'd drive myself down to the house to get my stuff and then head straight to the log cabin. There were a few things I needed to pick up before I spent 3-4 days trapped in a log cabin with no way of knowing what was happening since Ivan wasn't prepared to risk his father tracking me down.

I'd called Troy and Violet this morning itself and told them the barest details of why I needed the log cabin. For the sake of our friendship, they hadn't questioned anything when I said vague things like "I need a safe place." Or perhaps they'd put some of the pieces together. They knew Ivan's father wasn't the kindest person. Violet had been there when I'd stormed out of their house in tears.

They'd already gone down to the log cabin this morning. Violet had barely gotten time to drop of his luggage before she'd gotten there. When I'd called Troy, she'd been passed out in the car as Troy was driving them there.

"Roe?" I realized I'd zoned out completely and my mother was giving me a slightly exasperated look as she snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"I'll come. We should go now then. My luggage is already in the car so I'll go straight home afterwards." She looked overjoyed. I shot her a small smile in return but I couldn't be completely joyous. This reunion was all I'd wanted once upon a time but now my heart was begging me to go back to the boys. The two of us fetched our coats and were out the door before I could voice the direction my thoughts were taking. At the threshold, I stopped to look back at the boys. From last night, every moment between us had begun to matter a thousand times more. Every time they were out of my sight I was constantly on edge. This was what love did. It made me worry, made me laugh, made me cry.

And it would make me grieve far more than I'd ever done in life if I ever lost them.

"I love you. I'll see you soon." They just nodded but the way they were looking at me. Oh god it broke my heart. Alexei head was bowed like he was trying to memorize my voice and the other two were just staring at my face. For a split second I debated staying. I was just about to reach out to them and hug them tight enough to never let them go. God, I loved them so much.

But before I could do anything, my mother was already dragging me out by the arm towards my car and chattering on about something. I couldn't even bring it in myself to listen to her.

Because for one moment, I couldn't help but think that that may have been the last time I'd see them, hear their voices. I hadn't hugged them, kissed them, and given them everything I could. It wasn't enough and it never would be.

I'd just have to cling to that stupid hope that they'd come back to me even when Ivan was facing an entire gang of professional killers.

But the rational part of my mind knew that in reality, they didn't really stand a chance. The only thing that could save them would be a miracle.

So I prayed for just that.

My mom and I were seated across from one another in a small coffee shop full of small black and white paintings and round tables that gave it a homely vibe. The coffee was heavenly and as I looked at my mother, I realized that we hadn't ever done this before. In 17 years, we hadn't shared a single cup of coffee with each other in complete peace. The thought was slightly depressing.

"What are you looking at?" She looked confused and I realized I'd been staring. I hid my face behind my coffee mug in embarrassment.

"Nothing. It's just. We've never done this before." My mom just smiled before looking back down at her coffee. I noticed she kept glancing at her watch ever five seconds, and then her phone, and then the door behind my head. It was my turn to be confused.

"Are you looking for someone?" Just as my mother was about to reply, the door of the café swung open. My mother's expression morphed into the softest expression I'd ever seen her wear as she looked to the door. I turned in my chair in surprise.

A handsome man in his early 30s entered the café wearing a fitted tux, dress pants and shoes that looked like they were ripped out of a fashion magazine. He definitely didn't fit in with the homely vibe the store gave off. He glanced around the café before his eyes landed on us. A huge smile appeared on his face that made him seem less model-like and more human as he walked over to us. I just stared at him in absolute confusion as he leaned down to place a kiss on my mother's cheek.

She gave him a smile as he pulled over a chair to sit beside her. She kept his hand in hers as she turned to face me. He still hadn't really glanced at me yet. He was too busy looking at my mother like she was an angel from heaven. It was strange but extremely adorable.

"Mom, who is this?" At that, the man finally looked at me and appraised me from head to toe as I'd done before. He then gave me an easy smile.

"This is Robert. He works for a modeling agency," she started. 

No no no. The word rang in my ears like a chant. I pressed my back into my chair in an effort to hide myself from the truth. This couldn't be happening. We'd made progress, we'd talked, and she'd chosen me. She said she chose me. My mother looked shocked and confused at the tears that had now begun to gather in my eyes, my white knuckles pressing into my chair and the look of betrayal that was probably etched on my face as I struggled to get air into my lungs. I couldn't do modeling again. It would kill me. Why was she doing this? Had this café been this small when we'd walked in?

Then suddenly, the man, Robert was in front of me. His crystal blue eyes seemed to bore into mine and I tried to concentrate on what he was saying over the ringing in my ears.

"Breath. Breath. It isn't what you think. Just breath." I slowly calmed my racing heart and focused on the man sitting patiently in front of me. He couldn't be so bad. He'd been so kind just now. He wouldn't force me to model. I let out another breath and sunk into my chair, feeling completely exhausted. When I felt recovered enough, I looked to my mother. She looked shocked, worried and distressed as she looked me over. Robert returned to his seat and I couldn't help the pang that went through me as I realized she hadn't as much as gotten up while this stranger I'd met five seconds ago had been in front of me in seconds.

"Roe darling. This isn't what you think. Robert here is my boyfriend." I felt incredibly foolish now. I resisted the urge to slap my forehead as I looked over at the man with a sheepish smile. My racing heart beat finally slowed down to its normal rhythm and I realized that I clearly hadn't made a good first impression.

"It's nice to meet you Aphrodite." He extended a hand and I shook it with a smile in an effort to start over.

"You can call me Roe." He smiled at that and took his hand back before looking at my mother. I looked at her expectantly as well for some kind of story or explanation. She smiled at the attention and started to speak.

"We met at a bar one night. I was quite drunk. It wasn't something I was proud of and I could barely stand on my own two feet. Rob was kind enough to drive me home and he gave me his number when he left. I called him the next day to thank him and one thing led to another. The next thing you know we're talking over dinner and he asked me to be his girlfriend. I accepted." She looked like a 13 year old teenager as she told the story with evident excitement and kept glancing at Robert throughout the story like he would disappear any second. I couldn't help but giggle softly when she was acting like this.

"I'm happy for you two." Somehow I suddenly felt like a complete stranger as I told them that. Instead of a new start, I felt like I was getting closure. Robert seemed to notice my slight disappointment and discomfort.

"I've asked her to move in with me and I'd love for you to move in with us as well," he said kindly. There was the new start. I was just about to accept but paused realizing what I'd forgotten. My boys. I lived with them. I couldn't imagine living without them. Robert's face fell a bit at my hesitation.

"Oh and guess what darling? Rob's gotten me into the modeling business. Isn't he amazing." Putting the living situation out of my head, I turned to her with a huge smile. This was what she'd been after her whole life. She'd finally gotten it thanks to Robert.

I turned to him with a grateful look. He caught my eye and gave me a grin as he leaned over to place a kiss on my mother's cheek. They looked so happy and together. My mother finally had everything she'd ever wanted. She'd gotten love and a model life and I was so happy for her. Seeing her so happy made it hurt a little less when I realized I wasn't truly part of the picture.

But I could be. We could start a brand new family and I could have her in my life just as I'd wanted. I could see myself getting along with Robert as well. We'd be happy together. It was the perfect vision I'd always imagined for myself.

But my idea of perfection had changed when the boys had entered my life. Now, perfection was in the way Mikhail and I cooked breakfast together and then woke up Alexei and Ivan sometimes with breakfast in bed. Perfection was when Ivan twirled me around for a dance with no music without even realizing it and picked me up to go to bed when I got too tired on the couch. Perfection was when I caught Alexei playing the piano when he thought I wasn't looking or when he said his cheesy lines that had my heart melting.

We fit so perfectly and I couldn't give that up.

But my mother. She was everything to me. I couldn't give up this chance to make things right between us.

"Take all the time you need and then decide Roe," said Robert.

"Thank you." He was just about to reply when his phone began ringing. He excused himself to answer the call outside. I turned back to my mother expecting disappointment to be written on her face.

For the first time though, I could tell she understood my indecision. She reached out and took my hand in hers.

"If I had to choose between Robert and you I'd feel the same." I squeezed her hand gratefully and the two of us just reveled in finally understanding each other perfectly in just this one sense. A strange connection formed between us, not mother daughter but of two people who knew what love felt like. I silently enjoyed that thought as Robert returned to the table once more.

"Did I miss anything," he asked as he slid back into his seat looked suspiciously between the two of us. My mother quickly drew back her hand and shook her head. I suppose no matter how close we got, my mother would never be the affectionate type towards me. I didn't let it bother me too much. To ease the silence that had suddenly developed between us, I turned to Robert with a question.

"So how did you ask out my mother?" He had a wide grin on his face and for the next hour, he continued to tell tales of him and my mother with my mother butting in occasionally to correct him. I just listened and felt content sweep over me as I watched the happiness glowing on my mother's face.

This would be a new beginning. For all of us. It was the most amazing feeling I'd ever felt.     

So now we know the true reason behind Roe's mother's change! Love truly does change a person doesn't it? The two of them are so adorable. 

What choice do you think Roe will make? Living with her mom or her boys? It's probably going to be the toughest choice she'll ever have to make because she loves them both so much. But for now, there are other problems at hand as well. The action is going to go down and Roe will finally see what being in a gang really encompasses. I want to give you a hint about what happens but I can't just yet. It's going to shock you though so be prepared.

Do you think it's the last time Roe will see the boys before all the action? If you did, well then you'd be correct. Things are about to get really intense so stay tuned for the next chapter. 

If you liked this chapter don't forget to vote and comment down below. I love you guys so much and thanks for sticking with this book and loving these characters as much as I do. 

Love

-ASH