Work Text:
01.
The first night they spend together in Zhouzhuang is one without sleep. There is still ash staining their skin that refuses to be washed out, but somehow, without words, they both walk to sit by the river. She rests her head on his shoulder and the only sound is the water rushing past and the beads of Juliette’s dress clacking in the wind.
02.
They argue over whose last name to take, with Juliette arguing staunchly for Montagov. Roma, of course, argues that the name will always be soaked in blood, and that perhaps taking a Russian last name in a quaint Chinese suburb is not the best idea. They compromise on Mai, the easiest and most straightforward combination of their names. (Every time Juliette signs her name, J.M., her mind shoots back to the fifteen-year-old girl whose only wish in life was to be Juliette Montagova and thinks of how far she’s come.)
03.
There’s a small house by a willow tree. Cabinets become filled with Roma’s favorite tea, Juliette’s intricately embroidered dresses in the standing wardrobe, and the multitude of hidey-holes in the house are filled with weapons. Just in case.
04.
Roma finally calls Ben and Mars. Benedict yells at Juliette for faking yet another death for so long her shoulders begin shaking with laughter. Marshall jokes that they really should have guessed, given Juliette’s history with this, and Roma’s smile fills the entire kitchen.
05.
Juliette begins shopping at the market, bringing home the most random objects. A sunflower clock for the kitchen. A small metal figurine of a Nightengale bird. Delicately painted porcelain bowls. Roma only draws the line when Juliette somehow manages to procure cufflinks in the miniature figure of knives, a small smirk on her face when she mentions them bringing back fond memories of the time he threw a knife at her.
06.
Celia visits for the first time, and Juliette almost cries with the relief of knowing her old life isn’t completely gone.
07.
“I’m going to plant a garden,” Juliette announces one morning, loosely holding a spade in one hand. Roma eyes her warily, but kisses her temple and sends her off into the rising sun.
08.
The next year, where before there was nothing but dirt, there are dozens of flowers in every color except for red and white.
09.
Sometimes, Juliette will hear a pot clang at a restaurant and mistake it for a gunshot, her hand reaching for where a gun used to be, and where there is now only empty air. Sometimes, Roma will wake up in a cold sweat, dreaming of little black specks and gasoline and the time when he thought the best part of his life was dead. Most nights, they fall asleep with Juliette’s ear pressed against Roma’s chest, and his hand over her heart, just to remind each other that they are both alive.
10.
Whenever Roma sees the scar that decorates her shoulder, he presses a soft kiss to it, an apology for everything their past turned them into.
11.
Juliette is always paranoid that somehow their past will catch up to them, so Roma always knocks at the door to let her know it’s him (despite the fact that she has memorized his footsteps as well as she has memorized the scars on her skin)
12.
Every time Roma comes back home, Juliette throws herself into his arms. Every time, Roma catches her. Once, he comes back with a bag of pears in one hand, and it was only due to pure reflexes that his free arm was able to catch her, lifting Juliette up as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. After that, he knocks three times when he has something in his hands.
13.
They get wedding rings (real ones instead of mere string, although the promises remain the same) and Roma spends most of their first weapons deal income buying an engagement ring with an insanely large diamond that Juliette frequently flashes at people just to see the awe on their faces. The inside is engraved and says Dorogaya. (it took Juliette a ridiculous amount of time to notice it, but the way she launched herself at him when she finally found it made it worth it.)
14.
Juliette attempts to take up embroidery but discovers she truly doesn’t have the patience for it. Roma keeps every discarded attempt, though, because anything made (even partially) by Juliette Montagova is clearly a goddamn masterpiece.
15.
Once every year, Roma joins Juliette in the gardens, despite his lack of green thumb, as she plants a flower for all the people they’ve lost. For Nurse, for Ali, for all the Scarlets and White Flowers who died in the blood fued, and one, a small flower planted close to the water, for Tyler.
16.
Juliette sees Rosalind again, sees her happy and whole with Orion, and the world slowly heals over. Another family starts to form, one untouched by gangs or politics, despite everyone coming from a past absolutely drenched in it.
17.
Alisa begins visiting once a month, often dropping in at random times of the day without any prior warning. Eventually, Juliette learns her quiet, cat-like footsteps almost as well as she knows Roma’s. Roma will never get back the opportunity to watch her grow up, but he watches her learn to be happy, and that almost makes up for it.
18.
There are days where Juliette misses the clinking of her flapper dresses. Days where they both feel guilty for leaving their home, for abandoning Shanghai. Days where they think they ought to be doing more. But these days pass, and they are far outnumbered by the good ones.
19.
Despite the fact that she is, technically, Mrs. Mai, Rosalind and Celia still call her Juliette Montagova behind closed doors, and Juliette cannot help the way her smile curves into something unapologetically happy.
20.
It’s a normal evening with Roma and Juliette curled around each other on the couch when, breaking the silence, Juliette says entirely nonchalantly, “By the way, you knocked me up.” Roma drops a mug filled with his favorite cup of tea his rush to pick her up and spin her around the living room.
21.
When they send out the announcements, Rosalind phones them saying that, if this is truly their attempt to announce a pregnancy, Juliette really should have taken an art class beforehand.
22.
Roma dotes on her so much during the pregnancy that Juliette truly never has to do anything. She pretends it drives her crazy, but inside, all Juliette can think is that their child is going to be so lucky to have Roma as their father.
23.
The entire house becomes baby-proofed. The weapons Juliette and Roma used to keep scattered throughout the house get locked into cases and compartments.
24.
The only thing they disagree on throughout the whole pregnancy is what gender they think their child is. Roma insists it will be a girl, but Juliette is sure that it will be a boy. It becomes a running bet between their family, with most people siding with Roma, much to Juliette’s chagrin.
25.
They decide that if it is a girl, as Roma is sure of, they will name her Katherina. It means pure.
26.
They have a daughter with her nose and Roma’s eyes and Juliette thinks that maybe this is what peace feels like.
27.
On Katherina’s first birthday, everyone crowds into their home in Zhouzhuang. Benedikt and Marshall take the train in from Moscow, Rosalind and Orion and Celia and Oliver come from their respective homes, and Alisa– both surprisingly but also rather in character for her– drops in from their ceiling one day as if she’s been there the whole time.
28.
Juliette insists on making Katherina’s birthday cake herself. The end result is a lump that is only slightly akin to a cake, and Rosalind truly insists that they cannot feed that to anyone, much less a child. Roma ends up taking over the kitchen and making the cake instead. Roma, as it turns out, is an excellent baker.
29.
It’s only after Katherina starts opening her presents that Juliette and Roma realize that Marshall Seo has gotten their daughter a puppy. (She names him Ursa, after the constellation, and after that day he never leaves her side)
30.
Katherina starts looking more and more like Roma every day, and there are moments when Juliette can do nothing more than stare in awe and wonder how miraculous it is that she managed to bring something that perfect into the world.
31.
Thanks to Uncle Marshall, Katherina learns the word fuck. Much to Juliette’s horror and Roma’s amusement, it becomes her new favorite word. (Mrs. Fan is incredibly displeased when, upon running into the Mao family in the market, Katherina looks her square in the eyes and says “fuck”)
32.
For Katherina’s third birthday, she insists on getting a beaded dress like those girls in New York have. Something in Juliette’s heart twists every time she sees her daughter wear it.
33.
When Katherina is three– four if you round up, as Katherina insists you should– Juliette finally finishes an embroidery project. It’s nothing more than an embroidered shirt for Katherina but when Juliette shows it to Roma, he nearly passes out. It says Best Big Sister.
34.
Roma is, perhaps, even more doting this time, and some of his favorite moments in the world are the moments that he, Juliette, and Katherina spend in the living room curled together, Katherina’s tiny hand resting on her momma’s stomach to feel the baby kick.
35.
Juliette is, yet again, convinced that their baby will be a boy. (This time, Juliette is right)
36.
Alexander Montagov comes into the world kicking and screaming on a wintery day, just as dawn is breaking.
37.
Roma watches as Alexander reaches out one tiny hand to grasp onto his finger, and swears that this baby, this baby who looks so much like his beloved wife, will never know anything but love in his childhood.
38.
“He looks just like you, dorogaya,” Roma remarks one day, kissing her temple as they watch Alexander and Katherina play together in the garden. Juliette smiles, something tragic and bittersweet and yet still happy. “That’s funny,” she says, “I was going to say he looks just like Tyler.”
39.
Every time Roma comes home, he is greeted not only by his wife flying into his arms but also their two children. (catching all three of them at once requires quite a lot of dexterity)
40.
They never go back to Shanghai, but it’s okay because they live a life surrounded by gardens and the barking of a dog and the laughter of their children. They never go back to their old home, but, by some miracle, they have been allowed to make a new one. It is not the life they pictured for themselves nor is it perfect, but it is, in every sense of the word, enough.