THE BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS

TWENTY-NINE (TASSIA POV)

A/N: To be honest, I never thought I'd fall in love so hard with a secondary character, and I've wrote about some good ones these years, but none of them had stolen my heart till the point that I can't let her go.

My main problem was that the plot had been set from the first sentence of this book because I never start writing a story if I don't know the end, it's true that the storyline can change a little while I write because new ideas may emerge but I try to follow the plan I get ready the first day because, otherwise, my very imaginative mind would divert my attention to an infinite number of subplots and everything would turn into a chaos. Bluma Ahren had to die and the funeral chapter was so difficult to write that it took months for me to face that challenge.

But I can't do it, seriously, I can't kill her. She's a hell of a good character: she's funny, sarcastic, full of life, carefree, sensual, brave, smart, naughty, loyal to her friends, she's not afraid of giving her sincere opinion and doesn't give a damn about what other people think of her. She's everything I'd like to be... in the future. Because one of the best things about Bluma Ahren is that she's old enough to be a grandmother but she doesn't behave like one. I've read very few books with characters like her, authors tend to stick to cliches and old people are usually the weak victims, sometimes the wise people giving advice, the housewives, grandmas putting a ton of food on your plate, etc. Very few are lesbians wearing pantsuits with colourful Chuck Taylors and trying to flirt with a cute lady waiting in line at the supermarket with all the charm they learnt in France.

I don't usually write these abrupt plot twists because they look weird but I haven't figured out a different way of bringing her back, I'm really sorry, I know this is quite unexpected although I've been leaving clues here and there through the last chapters hopping that they help the story to flow more naturally. All of my readers that prefer a "normal" plot as I've planned it months ago, they can't stop reading right now and the last scene of the last chapter would be the end of this book. Iselen and Ruby will be happy forever when she leaves the hospital. Period.

But if you love Bluma Ahren as much as I do and want to know more about her life and that mysterious Venetian Masquerade Club, about Yànzi, Eleanor and Dr. Vasilievna... things are going to take a... supernatural turn, I'm afraid. I'm really sorry, my dear readers, I've been racking my brains on how to bring her back and this is what I got. I hope you can forgive me for this sudden change of plans. Let's go.

Remember this is Tassia POV, or Dr. Natassja Vasilievna, if you prefer.

The night is warm in Los Angeles despite the fresh breeze coming from the sea, or maybe I don't feel cold because I was born in a country where it's freezing and snow covers the fields during long winters. Russia is massive and there're still vast amounts of lands, forests and mountains where no one lives and stars shine bright above your head. It almost feels like you can touch them with your hand... In California, however, there's so much light pollution that the sky is never completely dark. I sigh frustrated before averting my eyes to look at the parking lot if front of me.

I wait patiently, watching the city lights, quietly. I'm in no hurry to go anywhere, I'm exactly where I want to be for the first time in centuries, I've spent long years traveling, learning, seeking knowledge, researching, fascinated by every technological progress in the field of medicine, biology and chemistry. Since the day my mom pointed at a plant growing in our garden and told me about its healing properties, I've been looking for a way of fighting the diseases that were killing my brothers and neighbours. The thirst for knowledge kept me alive and sane while the world collapsed and was rebuilt around me many times, through wars, famines and plagues... always looking for a way to help the victims. So many years traying to find a miracle cure but what I really needed to be happy was beautiful woman with blue eyes and a mischievous smirk.