31. Sonya
Three months later…
I clenched my teeth, bearing through the pain that I was supposed to be able to handle as a woman.
Life was no easy adventure. It hadn’t been so far. As a Mafia princess, like my sister and friends, I would always be held to the expectation to tough out more than any ordinary woman could face.
Being kidnapped.
Watching my mother raped and killed.
Threats of rape.
Fighting off killers.
Facing deadly men who wanted to threaten my family.
But this…
“Come on, Sonya. You’re doing fine,” Ben promised. He clutched my hand, holding it tight.
“I am not doing fine!” I snapped, biting out the word through clenched teeth.
Giving birth was hands-down the hardest thing I’d ever experienced in my life.
“I don’t want you to gaslight me. I am not doing fine. I feel like I’m being ripped apart and splintered and—” Another scream tore from my lips. I roared, baring my teeth and trying to stay awake through the agony of pushing my baby out.
“You are doing fine,” Irina coached. She was here too, the most experienced and hence the one I wanted in the room with Ben. Once an enemy but now a cousin, she was a close confidante I couldn’t imagine not having in my second take on life. She’d given birth a couple of weeks ago. Regardless of all the complications she’d faced, she and her son were healthy and whole. It was her expertise and recent experience of advocating for herself during her childbirth experience that made me want her near.
“You’re almost there.”
“It doesn’t seem like it,” I protested, breathing hard.
“Well, after thirty hours of labor, I bet not,” she replied, almost teasing. “But you are doing fine. You and the baby are doing fine. No concerns. It just hurts.”
“A lot,” I agreed as another contraction came.
Eva was in another room, being monitored for her pregnancy. After the misfortune of a miscarriage, she quickly found out she was pregnant with twins. And with more cramps and spotting, she was already on bedrest and monitored.
I wanted to be there for her. That was how much I cared about my family at all times, no matter what. Nothing would ever complicate or end my devotion to my family.
“One more push, Sonya,” the doctor said.
I closed my eyes, feeling Ben’s fingers gripping my hand tighter. Bearing down, I tried to do as the doctor said. I tried. I fought. I persisted through the agony claiming my body, mind, and soul.
And it was over.
I sucked in a breath, fearing I would throw up. But the pressure was gone. The sharp pain receded—not disappearing, but changing.
I no longer felt like I was being stretched and ripped in half.
And as I blinked and opened my eyes to the sensation of Ben’s lips on my temple, I heard it.
A cry.
A single cry.
Tears streamed down my cheeks. I couldn’t stem the flow. Something intrinsic in me snapped into place. Hearing my baby’s cry for the first time was a moment I would never, ever forget.
Smiling in relief and laughing at the miracle of life, I opened my eyes to the precious baby the doctors wrapped up and held high.
“You did it,” Ben said. He kissed me again. “I love you. I love you so much. You did it.”
I laughed again, almost lightheaded and hysterical coming down from that experience. “We did it. We did that . We had that.” I pointed weakly at the baby.
Irina brushed my hair back, also crying happy tears as she stood by and held my other hand.
“Oh, my God,” Eva said.
Even though she wasn’t here, because we were Baranovs and nothing was impossible, we got our way to have her “watching” via a FaceTime call. She couldn’t be in the room with me, but Irina sat a phone to the side so she’d be here remotely.
“Sonya.” Eva sobbed happily. “Oh, Sonya.”
I laughed again, my heart so full it would burst. “We did it,” I told Ben, gazing up at him with so much love. I was overcome by so many emotions and feelings that I couldn’t keep up. I couldn’t react or focus on anything but the new life the doctor brought to me.
“No more it or that ,’ Irina said.
I accepted my baby as the doctor placed him or her on my chest.
“A girl,” she announced with a proud smile. “You did it, Sonya. You are amazing. The longest labor I’d ever witnessed.” She looked at her watch and laughed once. “Just past midnight.”
I cried a little more, looking at the face of my sweet baby girl.
Ben leaned over, hugging me as we both admired our first daughter. As hellish as giving birth was, I would never pass up on experiencing this miracle again.
“Jennifer,” I said softly, “welcome to the world.”
Ben kissed my brow again.
“Your mommy and daddy already love you, Jenny.” I drew in a deep breath, confident that naming her after the brave woman who’d shown me compassion in my escape was the right thing to do.
Ben and Oleg delivered my letter to the Petersons, and I had no doubt they’d upped the deposit of money I wanted them to give. Mere thanks weren’t enough. I would be eternally grateful for their compassion toward me when I needed it the most.
“She’s beautiful,” Irina said.
“Henry’s going to have his cousin to grow up with now, a boy and a girl. That’ll keep us busy,” I said, gazing at every little wrinkle of her pink face.
“Until Kelly’s boy or girl is here,” Ben said.
“Then add two more!” Eva said from the phone.
Irina reached over to bring the phone over. She probably had only heard it all, but now she could see.
“Oh, Sonya.” She cried, happy tears leaking down her face. “She’s precious.”
“I love you, Sis,” I replied.
“I love you, too.”
It meant the world to me that I could share this experience with her. And it mattered deep down in my soul that I’d made this happen.
I took the chances to escape. I’d taken the step to reclaim control in my life to avoid being presented as a forced virginal bride to Eric Benson.
I never could have anticipated that in doing so, I was starting my family and future.
Vik knocked on the door, entering to join Irina. “How’s it—oh!” He grinned, walking closer but not nearing the foot of my bed as the nurses finished with me. “He or she is here!”
“After what the doctor confirmed was the longest labor she’d ever witnessed in her career,” Ben said.
He winced playfully and smiled at me. “Congratulations. Should I tell Oleg that Henry’s got a boy or a girl to chase around at home now?”
Oleg was at home with Rurik and Kelly, waiting for the news.
“Vik, meet Jenny,” I said.
“No man is ever going to be good enough for you, little girl,” he said.
I rolled my eyes.
Ben laughed, shaking his head.
“I guess I owe Lev a hundred,” Vik joked, shoving his hands in his pockets.
“You bet on our kid?” Ben said.
“Ah, just guessing the gender.” Vik winked. “Since no one wants to find out the gender beforehand.”
“Nope.” I smiled wider. “I like wondering.”
“But it would make it easier to decorate,” Irina said. They hadn’t learned the gender ahead of time, either. Like Ben and me, they were moving into their new house. As far as I could tell, they hadn’t struggled with decorating their nursery. And I bet we’d all be accessorizing and decorating after the fact as we welcomed our babies home.
“I’m not finding out either,” Eva said on the phone. “But I’ll put a hundred on it being two girls.”
I laughed. “Two girls?”
“Yeah. Sisters. They’d always have each other like we did.”
A poignant stab of hurt made my heart ache. Like we did? We were separated for eleven years. And she’d gotten stuck on the fear and assumption that I’d willingly run away.
I dismissed the reminder, though. I couldn’t let my past trauma trap me in sadness or anger.
It was time to look forward, to embrace each new day as it came and anticipate all the things that the next day could bring too.
And I wouldn’t do it alone. I had my fiancé—the one I chose and would pick time and time again. I had my daughter. My uncle. My cousins and their spouses and a whole new generation of Baranovs on their way.
“Sisters,” I agreed with Eva, meeting her eyes on the screen. “Together forever.”
From this day on.
She sniffled, smiling back at me.
We would all be together, no matter the trials and threats. No matter the danger and enemies, that was who we were. The Baranovs weren’t just an organization. We were family. We would uphold our legacy with love and determination to always support each other.
I looked around the room, appreciating that they were all here.
That Ben was here to show me how to let the love and trust in.
Meeting his eyes, I sighed and mouthed, I love you , knowing I was free to do so for the rest of my days.