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“Congratulations,” she says. “You’re having a baby girl.”
For a second, I just stare at her. A girl. My eyes immediately fill with tears. I turn to Roman. His expression has changed completely. His eyes are glassy, and there’s the faintest smile on his lips.
“We’re having a girl,” he says, almost like he needs to hear himself say it.
I laugh through my tears. “A girl.”
His gaze meets mine, then he bends down and presses a kiss to my forehead. I close my eyes, smiling. Our little girl.
The thought sends a warmth through me that I can’t even describe.
“Well,” the sonographer says with a smile, “that’s all from me for now. The doctor will be in shortly to speak with you.”
She hands me a few tissues to clean up with. “Thank you,” I whisper.
She gives us another smile before stepping out, leaving Roman beside me, his hand still wrapped around mine.
I reach for the tissue, but Roman gets to it first. “Let me.”
He gently cleans the remaining gel from my stomach, his touch tender. When he’s finished, he helps me sit up, steadying me until my feet find the floor.
“Easy.”
I smile. “I’m fine.”
“I know. Let me fuss over you anyway.”
He reaches for my dress and helps me slip it back over my shoulders. As he draws the zipper closed, his lips brush the bare skin of my shoulder, then the side of my neck, in slow, lingering kisses that make my breath catch.
“Thank you solnyshko,” he murmurs.
I turn my head. “For what?”
He pauses, his arms settling around my waist. “For bringing sunshine into my life.”
My heart stutters.
He looks at me through the mirror.
“Before you, I thought my life had already been decided. I thought darkness was all I deserved. I had made peace with a life without happiness, without anything worth looking forward to.”
His thumb traces a small circle over the faint curve of my stomach.
“Then you walked into my life, and somehow, you brought light with you. You didn’t just become my wife, Aurora. You gave me something I never thought I’d have.”
His voice softens. “A reason to look forward to tomorrow.”
My eyes sting. “Roman…”
He turns me toward him. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you,” he continues, “but I’ll spend the rest of my life being grateful that you found your way into mine.”
I rise onto my toes and kiss him. His arms immediately tighten around me, pulling his against his chest as he kisses me back.
My tiny bump presses between us, barely noticeable beneath my dress. I still can’t quite believe there’s a baby growing inside me.
Some days, I worry about how much my body will change. How big I’ll get. Whether I’ll still feel beautiful when my stomach is huge and everything feels unfamiliar.
But Roman never lets me dwell on it. Every day, he tells me I’m beautiful. Every day, he tells me I’ll carry our baby beautifully. And I believe him, because when he looks at me like this, there is no doubt in his eyes.
