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In this one, Kira was slightly older: a little girl with ginger pigtails and a ladybug swimsuit, splashing around in a kiddie pool on the driveway of the townhouse. Her parents sat in lawn chairs nearby, wearing shades and slathered with sunscreen to protect from the Las Vegas sun, lemonade in their hands. They were grinning at each other like they had won the lottery.
“Living the American dream,” Luka murmured. “Must have taken a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get from that photo to this one.”
“It’s true. They did everything they could to give me the best life possible,” Kira agreed.
“They did what they had to do to protect and love you as you deserve. They raised the perfect girl, now my dream woman,” he said, taking her hand. “I will spend the rest of my days making sure you and that baby are as safe and happy as can be.”
“Baby?”
Kira’s heart skipped. She and Luka turned to see Sonja and Stepan at the bottom of the staircase, staring at them with wide-eyed shock.
“Did I hear that correctly?” asked Sonja in a trembling voice.
Kira was frozen with panic, but Luka immediately became the most charming suitor. He swept in to guide Sonja to the sofa, still leaving space for Stepan to ‘help’ them. Luka enveloped Sonja in a gentle embrace.
“Well, aren’t you a gentleman,” said Sonja. “I’m so pleased to finally meet you, Luka. But I have to admit, I need to know a little more about this baby! Is it true, Kira-bug?”
Kira took a deep breath. There was excitement in her mother’s tone, not judgment.
“Yes,” she murmured, happy tears already brimming in her eyes.
“Well, that’s wonderful!” Stepan exclaimed, wobbling over to shake Luka’s hand again. “My god, I’m going to be a grandfather. This is a Father’s Day to remember!”
“It’s early,” Kira admitted, sitting by her mother. “But I feel really, really good about it.”
“I trust your intuition, sweetheart,” said Sonja. “Is there anything you need? Anything we can do to help?”
“Actually, there’s another thing we should talk about,” Luka cut in, putting a hand on her shaking shoulder. “You should both probably sit down.”
Kira’s heart raced, breaking the news to her family about Luka supporting them all financially, but as Luka began to explain it gently to them, her fears faded away. She could see the complicated tug of war between relief, gratitude, and injured pride in her father’s eyes. But Kira assured them time and time again that she was safe, happy, and cared for. She told them about Luka saving her from the mugging. She showed them her shiny pearl necklace and new shoes, emphasizing that this baby, along with the whole family, would be loved and doted upon to the moon and back. By the end of their visit together, Kira’s parents had relaxed. They were happy. As much as it had wounded their dignity for a moment, there was a weight lifted from their weary shoulders.
“I must say, I feel much better knowing my little girl has another man out there protecting her. It’s a noble job to have,” said Stepan.
Luka nodded solemnly. “Yes, sir. You have done an incredible job protecting your family. Now it’s my turn, and I aspire to be as good a father as you are.”
“Welcome to the family, Luka,” Sonja said, grinning and reaching to pat his hand.
EPILOGUE
LUKA
Luka loved mornings like these.
He was sitting up in Kira’s bed, stroking her hair as she slept soundly in his lap. They had stayed up late last night after coming home from visiting her parents. First, they couldn’t stop talking about how well the visit had gone. Then, they’d celebrated. That celebration had devolved into a steamy late-night shower, which had spilled over into the bed until the wee hours.
It was mid-morning now on a Monday, but that didn’t matter. Kira wasn’t chained to a schedule. Luka could keep her all to himself whenever he was free. Later this afternoon, he was expected to carry out some bone-crunching, pain-shrieking enforcement. But until then, Luka could bask in the glow of love. It restored every ounce of strength he needed to keep going.
“Mm,” Kira mumbled, her pretty eyes fluttering open to gaze up at Luka. As she woke up, a lazy smile brightened her face. She snuggled into him. “G’morning.”
“Good morning,katyonak. Sleep well?” he replied.
She giggled. “Oh yes. I was very,verytired.”
“Giving you a good workout while you still have the energy,” Luka teased, resting his hand on her stomach. It was still flat for the moment, but Luka could already picture Kira looking adorable with a baby bump.
“I’ve got a little energy right now, actually,” she said, biting her bottom lip.
Luka leaned in to kiss her, his hand sliding around to cup the back of her head. Her hair was so soft in his hands, her lips plush and inviting. He was about to push the night shirt off her shoulders when they were interrupted by Kira’s ringtone.
