all today."
"Life's like that," he said. "As we grow and change, sometimes things we've experienced before take on new meaning. It'll happen for the rest of your life."
I started to tease him about his tendency to always deliver these profound life lessons, but it occurred to me then that he was right. When I'd first begun falling for Dimitri, the feelings had been all-consuming. I'd never felt anything like it before. I'd been convinced there was no possible way I could love him more. But now, after what I'd witnessed with Mason and the Strigoi, things were different. I did love Dimitri more intensely. I loved him in a different way, in a deeper way. Something about seeing how fragile life was made me appreciate him more. It had made me realize how much he meant to me and how sad I'd be if I ever lost him.
"You think it'd be nice to have a cabin up there?" I asked, pointing to a nearby peak. "Out in the woods where no one could find you?"
"I would think it was nice. I think you'd be bored."
I tried to imagine being stuck in the wilderness with him. Small room, fireplace, bed... I didn't think it'd be that boring. "It wouldn't be so bad if we had cable. And Internet." And body heat.
"Oh, Rose." He didn't laugh, but I could tell he was smiling again. "I don't think you'd ever be happy someplace quiet. You always need something to do."
"Are you saying I have a short attention span?"
"Not at all. I'm saying there's a fire in you that drives everything you do, that makes you need to better the world and those you love. To stand up for those you can't. It's one of the wonderful things about you."
"Only one, huh?" I spoke lightly, but his words had thrilled me. He'd meant what he said about thinking those were wonderful traits, and feeling his pride in me meant more than anything just then.
"One of many," he said. He sat up and looked down at me. "So, no peaceful cabin for you. Not until you're an old, old woman."
"What, like forty?"
He shook his head in exasperation and stood up, not gracing my joke with a response. Still, he regarded me with the same affection I'd heard in his voice. There was admiration too, and I thought I could never be unhappy as long as Dimitri thought I was wonderful and beautiful. Leaning down, he extended his hand. "Time to go."
I took it, letting him help pull me up. Once standing, we held hands for a heartbeat longer than necessary. Then we let go and surveyed our work.
Two perfect snow angels-one much, much taller than the other. Careful to step inside each outline, I leaned down and hacked out a horizontal line above each head.
"What's that?" he asked, when I stood beside him again.
"Halos," I said with a grin. "For heavenly creatures like us."
"That might be a stretch."
We studied our angels for a few moments more, looking at where we had lain side by side in that sweet, quiet moment. I wished what I'd said was true, that we had truly left our mark on the mountain. But I knew that after the next snowfall, our angels would disappear into the whiteness and be nothing more than a memory.
Dimitri touched my arm gently, and without another word, we turned around and headed back to the car.
Compared to that memory of him and the way he'd looked at me out there on the mountain, I thought the angel looking back at me in church seemed pale and boring in comparison. No offense to her.
The congregation was filing back to their seats after taking bread and wine. I'd stayed seated for that, but I did understand a few of the priest's words. Life. Death. Destroy. Eternal. I knew enough about all this to string together the meaning. I would have bet good money "resurrection" was in there too. I sighed, wishing it were truly that easy to vanquish death and bring back those we loved.
Church ended, and I left with the Belikovs, feeling melancholy. As people passed each other near the entrance, I saw some eggs being exchanged.
Viktoria had explained that it was a big tradition around here. A few people I didn't know gave some to me, and I felt a little bad that I had nothing to give in return. I also wondered how I was going to eat them all. They were decorated in