Chapter 33 #2
But I wasn't paying attention to any of that. My eyes were only for him lying in that bed.
He was still sleeping, his face pale but his breathing much steadier. His left shoulder was wrapped in thick bandages, IV tubes connected to his arm. The heart monitor beeped steadily beside him with a soft rhythm.
I sat beside the bed and gently took his hand. That hand that had once been ice-cold was warming up again.
"He's going to be fine," Yekaterina said softly. "You should rest too, change clothes..."
She looked at my blood-stained clothing with pity in her eyes.
"I'm not tired," I shook my head. "I want to stay with him. Katya, please go back and look after Sofia. When she wakes up... don't tell her what happened yet. I don't want to scare her."
"I understand," Yekaterina nodded. "I'll head back then. Call if you need anything."
After she left, the room held only me and sleeping Alexander.
I gently traced his colorless face—forehead, brows, nose, lips, chin—carefully mapping every contour. As if I wanted to carve his image deep into my soul.
"I'm sorry," I whispered. "This is all my fault. If I'd trusted you, if I hadn't left... you wouldn't be hurt."
Tears fell on his face and I quickly wiped them away.
"When you took that bullet for me," I continued, voice breaking, "that's when I understood how much I love you. The possibility of losing you was ten thousand times more terrifying than any misunderstanding, any past."
I leaned down and kissed his forehead gently. "I love you, Alexander Volkov. I'll stay with you always, never leave again."
Time passed minute by minute. I sat by his bed, holding his hand, watching his sleeping face. Nurses checked on him periodically, but I never left.
Around three in the afternoon, his fingers suddenly moved.
I snapped my head up, staring at his face. His eyelids fluttered, then slowly opened.
Those deep eyes were still somewhat confused, but when they focused on me, they immediately cleared.
"Anna..." His voice was barely a whisper.
"I'm here, I'm right here." I gripped his hand tightly, tears flowing again. "You're finally awake."
He weakly lifted his other hand, trying to touch my face, but stopped halfway as pain made him wince.
"Don't move," I quickly pressed his hand down. "You're badly hurt, you can't move around."
He looked at me, his eyes full of complex emotions—love, guilt, tenderness.
"Sorry..." he struggled to speak, each word requiring a pause. "Anna..."
"No," I shook my head, tears rolling. "I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't trust you, I misunderstood you, I left you... If not for me, you wouldn't be hurt."
"Not your fault," he said. "I didn't... make you feel secure..."
"Enough," I cried. "No more apologies. We both made mistakes, but none of that matters now. What matters is you're alive, we're together."
I leaned down and kissed his lips gently. "I love you. I truly, truly love you. I'll never leave again, never doubt you again."
"I love you too," he responded, tears glistening in his eyes. "Always have... only you..."
We gazed at each other, tears mingling, all misunderstandings, pain, and fear dissolving in that moment of honest connection.
In that moment, I finally understood that true love isn't about never making mistakes—it's about facing those mistakes bravely, apologizing sincerely, then walking toward the future together.
Outside the window, the sun was setting, golden light streaming into the room, painting everything in warm colors.
One month later.
On the manor's lawn, sunshine bright, a gentle breeze stirring.
Alexander's wound was mostly healed. Though his left shoulder was still somewhat stiff and the doctor said he needed more rest, he could move normally again.
We decided it was time to tell Sofia the truth.
"Sofia, sweetheart, come to Mommy?" I set down my camera and called to my daughter, who was chasing a yellow butterfly.
She ran over like a happy little bird, her white dress fluttering in the breeze, her face glowing with carefree joy. "Mommy! Alex! The butterfly flies so high!"
Alexander and I exchanged glances, both nervous and excited. We knelt down together to meet her at eye level.
"Baby," I took a deep breath and held her small hands. "Mommy has a secret to tell you, a secret about Alex."
"What is it, Mommy?" Sofia's eyes widened with curiosity as she looked between me and Alexander.
Alexander gazed tenderly at his daughter, his voice low and full of love. "Sofia, I'm not just your friend Alex... I'm your daddy, your real daddy."
Sofia froze. Those brown eyes so like Alexander's blinked as her mouth fell slightly open. She looked at me, then at him, as if processing this amazing news.
"Really?" she asked quietly. "Alex is really my daddy?"
"Yes, baby," I nodded. "I know this might be sudden, but it's true. I'm sorry Mommy didn't tell you sooner."
Sofia was quiet for a few seconds. Suddenly, her little face burst with brilliant radiance like a star being lit. She squealed with joy and threw herself into Alexander's arms, hugging his neck with all her strength.
"Daddy! You're really my daddy!" she shouted happily. "I knew it! I knew Alex had to be my daddy! I wished for it every night, hoped Alex could become my daddy! Now my wish came true!"
She held tight to Alexander's neck, her little face buried in his shoulder.
Alexander's eyes instantly reddened. He carefully hugged his daughter back, that gentle movement full of precious recovery, his voice choked. "I'm sorry, my little princess. Daddy was away for so long."
"Not too late, " Sofia lifted her head and wiped the tears from his eyes with her small hands. "Daddy's here now, that's what matters. And Daddy will always be here anyway, always with me and Mommy."
Watching this scene, my tears flowed again, but this time my heart was full of honey-sweet joy. Sunlight outlined their embracing figures, beautiful beyond words.
Sofia jumped down from Alexander's arms and ran happily across the sunlit lawn, turning back to call sweetly: "Mommy! Daddy! Come get me!"
Her laughter rang like silver bells across the open lawn.
I picked up my camera, wanting to freeze this happy moment forever. Through the lens, golden light surrounded her like a little angel.
Just then, Alexander gently embraced me from behind, his chin resting on top of my head.
"What are you photographing?" he asked quietly, warm breath brushing my ear.
"Our daughter," I leaned back into his warm, solid embrace, perfectly content. "I'm photographing our family's happiness."
"Very happy," he paused, his voice carrying solemn anticipation. "But I think it could be even more complete."
"Hmm?" I turned around in confusion.
He released me and, to my amazement, despite his shoulder injury, insisted on getting down on one knee.
"Alexander!" I rushed to help him up.
"It's fine," he shook his head, pulling a velvet box from his pocket. Inside was an emerald ring more precious than any sapphire. "Anna, I don't just want to be Sofia's father—I want to be your rightful husband."
He looked up at me, his gaze devout and passionate. "Will you marry me? Let us become a truly complete family. Let me spend my life loving you, protecting you, cherishing you."
Overwhelming happiness flooded me. I covered my mouth, but tears kept flowing through my fingers.
"Yes," I nodded hard, choking out the words. "Yes, Alexander."
He broke into a brilliant smile—the most tender, happiest smile I'd ever seen from him. He stood up and carefully, solemnly slipped that ring of promise onto my finger, then pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to my lips.
"Mommy! Daddy's kissing Mommy!" Sofia's voice carried from a distance, full of delight and curiosity.
She ran over, tilting her little face up to ask: "When will I get a little brother or sister?"
Alexander and I looked at each other and couldn't help laughing.
"Very soon, my little princess," Alexander laughed heartily, bending to lift his daughter with his good arm while pulling me close with the other. "Mommy and Daddy will give you a brother or sister very soon."
"Wonderful!" Sofia cheered happily, stretching her little arms around both our necks.
The three of us held each other tight, sunlight warming us, bright and beautiful.
In the distance, the manor's roses bloomed magnificently, butterflies dancing among the flowers.
This is our story—about misunderstanding and trust, hurt and forgiveness, loss and reunion.
Most importantly, about love.
It was this love that guided us through all darkness, healed all wounds, and finally brought us to this bright, warm place that belongs to us.
THE END