Dancing Away with My Heart: (Part 2 in Dancing with Artem Chigvintsev trilogy)

12

Artem and Maks came home and after giving me a faint smile, still filled with sorrow, he went into the other room to spend time with his boys.

Maks joined me in the kitchen where I began to cook dinner.

"Emma." He said "I had a long talk with him and he was crying, he is so upset with himself. All of his fans are upset with him for the kiss, nobody knows that anything else happened..."

"But he does." I said "and so does she, I never want to see that woman again." I said chopping the lettuce for the salad with a giant butcher knife. I just barely missed my hand and Maks looked horrified.

"Woah, there Em, watch where your chopping."

I put the knife down and started to laugh.

He pulled me in for a hug and carefully swayed me back and forth.

"Being here, physically seeing you and holding you close, has gotten me out of the deep pit of depression that I was in the past few months." He said "I don't even know how to thank you, and then here you are going through the exact opposite and I just want to make you feel better."

"Maks, you are the only reason that I am not collapsing and sobbing on the ground right now."

"Come to Paris with me, please." He said still with his muscular arms around me.

"I can't." I started to cry.

"You can!" He said sounding angry. He was angry that I never allowed myself to have free time.

"I don't think that leaving at a time like this will be good for my marriage."

"I think going to the city of love will help you." He said.

"It's not only the boys, I know Artem would take care of them, I also have to get back to work and the kids are counting on me for the recital that's coming up."

"Emma, we leave in 3 days, and we will be gone for a week, Artem owns 49 percent of your business. So he knows how to run it. You will only be gone a week. When is the recital, I want to be back for that anyway. I have to see my little buddies dancing."

"It's in 3 weeks." I said

"See, no excuses, you can come. We will see what the boys think at dinner ok?"

I reluctantly nodded my head, I was scared.

Maks finally let go of me after kissing the top of my head.

Dinner was done fast and I got the boys ready and washed up, and at their spots. I am trying to work on their table manners so they say please and thank you whenever I ask them if they want anything on their plate.

I sat at the normal spot across from Artem and he looked so sad, this whole day he has been proving that he is a family man, he is finally staying grounded and being with his boys and with me despite the animosity between us.

"So boys, I have to leave, fly on airplane, one more time." Maks said with hand motion airplanes and all. He was so good speaking to children.

"No!" Vlad yelled and so Alek echoed with "No" as well.

"It's only for a week." He said, "and i am going to be very safe this time, you know why?"

They were sitting there waiting to hear what he had to say.

"Because this time your mommy is coming with me." He smiled.

Artem tensed up and then relaxed. It was a reaction to Maks being so comfortable and happy in Artem's home instead of the other way around. He relaxed because he knows that it's a good idea.

"Mommy your leaving?" Vlad asked

"Not if you want me here." I said

"I think you should take care of Uncle Maks like you always take care of us!" Vlad said.

Alek immediately started to cry.

"Alek!" I said "baby come here." I picked him up and and carried him upstairs, he had already finished his food.

"Don't go mommy." He cried

"Alek, baby." I smiled at him. "You know Mommy won't go if you want me to stay. "

He nodded so I continued.

"I don't even want to go." I said "but I know that you and Vlad are safe here with daddy, and I don't know if Uncle Maks is going to be safe."

Artem slowly walked in the room with us and sat on the floor next to Alek and I.

"Daddy." Alek cried

"Your a big boy, remember, well guess what."

"What?" He cried while cutely rubbing his eyes.

"While mommy is gone your brother and I are going to be with you everyday, it will only be us Chigvintsev men around and we are going to see how tough we are."

"Are you excited?" I asked him smiling, "come on show daddy your muscles!"

Alek lifted his shirt sleeve up and put on a tough face and showed us his little arm pretending that he had gigantic biceps, like his daddy.

"Woah, see you are ready for some time with daddy, come here."

Artem and Alek play-wrestled on the ground and Alek ended up winning.

"Mommy." Alek pulled me into the ground with them. And we were all laughing and giggling and smiling.

All of a sudden Alek jumped up and ran out of the room managing to get the door shut. I looked at Artem. We were both still smiling and I had my upper body laying across his. I didn't want to move. This was the first time I felt warm inside his arms since the news of his cheating came out.

"I love you." He said "I always have."

I was crying. Happy tears this time, I felt very happy. There are still many things to discuss but we have time to do so. Right now what I do have to do is take some time off for me.