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“I bet they’ve done a lot of things on that piano,” Lev mutters, making everyone start laughing again.
“You guys are terrible.” Simona’s trying to look irritated, but she’s not fooling anyone. It’s obvious she’s trying not to laugh, and when she meets Danil’s eyes, she loses the battle, joining in with the rest of us.
Alina and I sit back down, her in my lap and Finn at her feet, whilewe wait for our nephew to be born. It seems to take forever while still managing to feel like it’s only been a few minutes when a nurse walks in with a big smile on her face.
“Everything went great. He’s healthy and perfect.”
We’re all so excited that it’s a few seconds before she can continue because we’re laughing and talking too loudly for her to speak. When it’s quieter, she laughs and says, “He’s getting cleaned up and weighed, but you can come and see him through the window if you want.”
She doesn’t have to ask us twice. We’re all already standing to follow her out of the room before she can even turn around. Finn gives an excited tail wag, picking up on the mood around him, and I wrap an arm around Alina’s waist, pulling her closer with a big smile on my face.
“This is it, baby,” I whisper, kissing her temple, just as excited as she is.
I look around at the men I’ve grown up with, the men I’ve chosen as brothers and laugh. I’ve seen each of these guys do unspeakable violence, and yet here they are, laughing and smiling and so damn eager to meet the newest member of our family.
A big bunch of softies is what we are.
We follow the nurse down the hall, and when she turns a corner and we see a room up ahead with a large viewing window, Alina squeezes my hand and gives me a big, excited smile. I return it right before she turns her head to look back at the window and gives an awe-filled sigh when we step closer and get our first glimpse of Roman’s son.
Tears immediately fill her eyes, and I’m torn between wanting to keep staring at her beautiful face and wanting to see the cause of her reaction. I run my eyes over her once more, memorizing every detail of this moment before turning to see the little guy. In less than a second, my face is mirroring hers, because the tiny little life in front of me takes the breath right out of my lungs.
“Wow,” I whisper, holding Alina tighter against me as we watch the nurse swaddle him in a blue blanket. His tiny fists are bunched up when she gently presses them down so she can wrap the blanket moresnugly around his small body. His head is a mass of dark, silky hair, and his mouth is open and rooting around. The nurse immediately gives him a pacifier, and his eyes drift closed as soon as she does.
“He’s so beautiful,” Alina whispers.
I kiss her temple and keep my face close to hers. “He’s perfect.”
“There’s the proud daddy.”
We all look up at the sound of Lev’s voice and watch Roman walk into the room. He smiles over at us, and I’m guessing he’ll be wearing that huge grin for several days. Hell, it may never come off. He says something to the nurse and motions at the wall of family gawking at the window. The nurse laughs and nods her head before picking up Roman’s son and putting him in his arms. Roman smiles down at his son before kissing his head and walking closer to us so we can all see him better.
Tears are already streaming down Alina’s face when Roman stands near the window and angles his arms so his sister can see her nephew.
“He’s so beautiful,” she whispers again, pressing her hand to the glass, and letting out a soft gasp when he opens his eyes, the same vivid green as his dad’s.
Wrapping my arms around Alina’s upper chest, I pull her back against me, hugging her from behind while pressing my cheek to hers. We watch as Roman carries him down the line, letting everyone get a good look at him before coming to stand in front of us again. Alina’s hand presses against the window, desperately wanting to hold him.
When I look up and meet Roman’s eyes, I’m not at all surprised to find them glassy. He’s trying like hell to keep it together, but I’ve never seen the man so happy. It’s impossible for me to not imagine myself in his shoes right now, proudly holding a beautiful baby that Alina and I created together. The very idea of it pulls a longing from me that’s all-consuming, and it shocks the hell out of me.
“I changed my mind,” Alina whispers when Roman gives us one last look before walking back over to the nurse so she can finish.
“What?”
She turns her head so we’re facing one another,so close our noses are almost touching. “I want this. I was afraid that maybe it would be too much or that I’d be too scared to go for it, but I was wrong.”
I don’t say anything for a second, refusing to make her feel pressured in any way. “What exactly do you want,malishka?”
“Everything,” she says on a soft sigh. “I want everything with you. I want a family, and I want to see you holding our baby. I want to raise a family with you, Matvey. I want it all. I don’t care how long it takes, or how many visits with Dr. Taylor or whatever else I need to do to get myself mentally where I need to be, but I’m going to do it. Iwantto do it.”
I cup her face and give her a big smile. “You’re the strongest person I’ve ever known, Alina, and whenever you’re ready, I would love to start a family with you.”
She gives me the sweetest smile and kisses me, making me feel like the luckiest man alive. I know the birth control shot is still in her system, and I read that it can take a while to get pregnant after getting off of it, but I’m not worried. The fact that she’s even excited and talking about our future children means everything to me. When it happens, it happens. I’m more than happy to sit back and enjoy the process.
“Come on. He’s waving us back.” Lev lightly smacks my shoulder on his way past. I look over and see everyone heading back down the hall we came from. Katya, Simona, and Jolene are still wiping away tears, and I have no doubt Alina is going to start crying again as soon as she holds her nephew.
“Ready to hold him?”
She smiles and kisses me again. “Yes, more than ready.”
