Chapter 131
Lily
Wails filled the air, but it was like music to my ears. After thirty-six hours, it was finally over, and instead of my grunts and groans, I was finally hearing my child’s voice for the first time.
I flopped back on the bed, my sweaty hair stuck to my forehead, and let out a ragged sigh.
Daniil was next to me, my hand clasped in his tightly.
There were little half moons dotting the back of his hand where I had dug my nails into his skin when I pushed.
I felt my heart swell. Any more and it would explode.
“You did it.” Daniil’s voice was full of wonder. “My beautiful, amazing wife, you did it.” He bent over to kiss me.
“I’m all sweaty and gross,” I said on an exhale.
He chuckled against my lips. “You’re neither of those things. I’ve never wanted you more, Lily.”
From the end of my maternity bed, the midwife chuckled. “There will be none of that here, Mr. Popov. And even if you could, which you can’t, you really don’t have the time before things kick off again.”
Shaking my head with a smile, I turned to her, but it was Danill who spoke. “Is everything ok? He held my hand tightly as the small writhing bundle was wrapped up in a clean white blanket.
“Everything is perfect. She is—”
I heard Daniil swallow hard. “I have a daughter?”
Turning my face to him, I searched his face for any sign that he was disappointed. Had he wanted another son? But his face was just full of rapt amazement.
The midwife passed the bundle to him. He held her gently, cradling her in his massive hands like she was something precious made of the purest crystal.
“I have a daughter,” he whispered. “Lily.” Flicking back the blanket, he quickly counted her fingers and her toes.
“Lily, she is perfect like her mom. She even has your hair. My sweet, beautiful Valentina.”
I did a double-take. “I’m sorry, did you just call her Valentina?”
He flicked his eyes at me. “Yes. We met because of a video you sent to another man on Valentine’s Day, Lily.”
The midwife smirked but didn’t say a word.
“I think it’s right we name our first child after that special day. Unless you don’t like it?”
He searched my face, and I found myself smiling. “I love it.” My voice cracked on the last word. A grimace pulled my features tight as a pain rippled through my still swollen abdomen and shot down into my back.
“Oh.” My hands scrambled to my stomach. My face scrunched up until Daniil and our daughter were nothing more than a blur.
It felt like fire being ripped through me. Tears streamed down my face as I sobbed.
“Lily.” Daniil’s voice was panicked. Holding Valentina securely in one arm, he took my hand, letting me squeeze it.
“What’s happening?” Demand made his voice bitter. “Help her, she’s—”
Dying. He was about to say dying, and I had to agree. It felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside out. The pain was so intense that it was impossible to even suck in a breath.
“Help her.”
“I am helping her,” the midwife said. “Let’s put little Valentina in her crib so you can help your wife with the next one.”
The world stopped spinning, and for a minute, the pain vanished. I looked at Daniil, and he looked back down at me.
“What?” I whispered.
“What do you mean, the next one?” Daniil’s voice shook.
Cocking her head to the side, the midwife looked just as confused as I felt. But I didn’t have a chance to ask what she meant as the pain came rushing back. More intense than ever.
“Here they come,” she said in her singsong voice from between my trembling thighs. “Push, Lily. Push.”
“What?”
“Baby number two is coming, Mr. Popov.”
“Number two?” we whispered in unison.
“You didn’t know?”
I watched Daniil shake his head silently, but the second before I tucked my chin into my chest and pushed, I was sure I saw him smile.
Epilogue 2
Daniil
My daughter Valentina Popov was born at twenty past eight in the morning, weighing 5lb. 6oz.
My son Alexander Popov was born exactly fifteen minutes later, weighing two lbs. less.
I stared down at my wife in shock. She was flushed, her face and hair sweaty, but the look on her face was breathtaking.
I was in awe of her for her beauty, but most of all for her strength. She had been through so much, and every single time she had come through it more stunning and stronger than ever.
“Lily.” I whispered her name like a prayer because to me, she was a goddess. “I—” my voice cracked.
“Are you ok, Mr Popov?”
Mutely, I nodded. No, I wasn’t ok. I was better than ok.
I was ecstatically happy. I just didn’t know how to put that into words.
All I could do was keep whispering her name.
Over and over again. I swayed with the rush of emotions.
My hands caught me before I fell down. I would not faint. Popovs didn’t lose control and faint.
From her place on the bed, Lily tore her eyes from our sleeping children and looked at me. Worry furrowed her eyebrows together. “Maybe you should sit down.”
Maybe I should, but I wasn’t going to because that would mean leaving her side, and I was never doing that.
“I’m fine.”
Her eyes drifted back to the sleeping infants in her arms. “I can’t believe I had twins.”
Me neither, I said silently.
“I can’t believe you didn’t know,” the midwife laughed. “It was clear as day on your records. Am I right in thinking this is a happy surprise?”
Not surprisingly, her eyes drifted to me. It was already clear that Lily was in love with her children. It was just my reaction that was worrying people. But how did a man like me put into words how happy he was? Happy but terrified.
“I’m happy.”
She frowned.
Jumping towards her, I gathered the older woman in my arms and spun her around. “Oh, I’m more than happy. I am complete. Thank you.”
She pushed me away with a laugh. “Thank your wife. She did all the hard work.”
Turning back to Lily, I grinned. “I told you so,” I said with a wicked grin.
One golden eyebrow arched up. “You told me what?”
“I said on our wedding day that I was going to fill you up with my babies. And I did.” Wrapping my arms around all three of them, I pressed my lips to hers. “Thank you, Lily. You’ve made our family complete.”
She kissed me back, our lips catching the tears that fell from both of our eyes. Happy tears.
“Our family isn’t quite complete yet, Daniil.”
Pulling away an inch, I leaned my forehead against hers. “What do you mean?”
I saw the curve of her lips as she smiled. “We aren’t complete yet,” she said softly, “because our other son isn’t here.”
I blinked slowly. I knew we had spoken about her officially adopting Timothy as her son, but she had never given me an answer. She was answering me now.
“Do you mean?” I didn’t dare hope.
“I want all of our children here with us, Daniil. All three of them. Alexander, Valentina, and,” she paused, “Timothy. We are a family.”
My heart burst. I’d spent the last years of my life in solitude. pushing away anyone who tried to get close to me. And I had thought I was happy. Right up until I saw her spread out in my office, and she changed my life forever. And now I knew the truth.
I hadn’t been complete until Lily came into my life and made me into a better man.
THE END