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Keeping her close, I thread my fingers through hers while we follow the others. Finn walks at her side, looking around and giving the occasional sniff but otherwise not phased in the slightest by what’s going on around him. His focus continues to be on Alina, exactly where it should be.
A nurse is waiting for us around the corner, ready to lead us to theroom they’ve moved Emily to. At the last door on the right, she gives a soft knock.
“Come in,” Emily calls out, and even though I can hear the exhaustion in her voice, she sounds so fucking happy.
We all walk in, filling the room even though it’s a decent-sized one with a reclining chair and an extra bed so Roman can stay here, too. Instead of loud congratulations, we keep our voices low, not wanting to disturb the small bundle in Emily’s arms.
“Oh my god, he’s precious,” Simona whispers, running a finger over his chubby cheek.
“We’re dying here,” Jolene says, scooting closer so she can see better. “What’s his name? You can’t keep it secret any longer.”
Roman and Emily have been tight-lipped about baby names, and we’ve all been making guesses on what it’s going to be.
“You named him Vitaly, didn’t you, after his favorite uncle?” Vitaly laughs and strokes the baby’s head.
Emily laughs. “No.” She looks over at Roman and gives him a big smile before saying, “We’d like you all to meet Luka Melnikov.”
Hearing his mom’s voice, he opens his eyes, and, I swear, gives her a big, gummy smile, and just like that, we all fall in love with Luka. While everyone takes turns holding him, Alina squeezes my hand and leads me over to her brother. As soon as she’s close enough, she pulls him in for a big hug. He wraps his arms around her, and I know he’s thinking the same thing I am, the same thing all of us are, this could’ve so easily gone the other way. One slight change of anything these past two years, and we could’ve missed our chance at finding Alina, and this room would feel so much emptier without her.
Roman kisses her cheek and whispers something in her ear before pulling back and blinking away the tears. He turns his attention to me next, and I know what’s coming right before he pulls me in for a hug. My brothers rarely touch me because they know I hate it, but today is a special day and none of us have ever been good at following rules.
With his arms wrapped around me, he lowers his voice so only I can hear. “There’s no one else I would ever trust with my sister,Matvey. I know you’re a stubborn ass, and you’d never ask me for permission, but I’m giving it to you anyway. You have my blessing, and I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to finally see you two together. Take care of her, brother.”
“I will. I promise I will. Always,” I tell him, returning his hug and refusing to cry like a goddamn baby. “I’ll kick your ass if you ever step in front of a gun again, but thanks for doing it. I’m pretty sure that bullet wouldn’t have hit me in the same spot.” I’d seen the man aiming at me, and I know for a fact that gun was pointed right at my heart. I have no doubt I’d be dead if it wasn’t for Roman.
“You would’ve done the same for me,” is all he says because he knows it’s the truth.
Giving my shoulder a squeeze, he releases me and goes back to stand near his wife’s bed. Lev’s currently holding Luka, who’s staring up at the piercings and probably wishing he could get his little hands on them.
“What was that about?” Alina whispers, wrapping her arms around me again so she’s hugging my side with her head resting on my chest. I kiss the top of her head and circle my arms around her.
“Your brother just gave me his blessing to marry you.”
She lets out a soft laugh. “Better ask me soon, Matvey, before he changes his mind.”
I smile and give her another kiss while watching Lev pass Luka to Vitaly, who immediately starts baby talking to him in Russian.
I laugh and say, “You can tell him you’re his favorite uncle all you want, but that doesn’t make it true. You can’t brainwash the poor kid.”
Vitaly keeps smiling at Luka and baby talking to him. “Just ignore your mean Uncle Matvey and keep listening to your favorite Uncle Vitaly.”
“You’re terrible,” I say, laughing at his attempts to condition a newborn.
“Ooh, my turn,” Alina quickly says when Vitaly looks around for whoever wants him next.
I’d be lying if I said a massive lump doesn’t immediately form in mythroat when I see Alina with a baby in her arms. She smiles down at him, looking every bit the natural as she gently sways from side to side and leans down to kiss his soft forehead.
The room grows silent as we all watch the moment we’ve worked so damn hard for. As soon as Emily found out she was pregnant, it’s been our mission to get Alina back before she gave birth, and we did it. She’s here, safe and sound and holding her nephew, and it makes my heart fucking break in the best possible way to see it.
Right as I’m thinking it, Alina lifts her eyes to mine, giving me the sweetest smile while Luka clutches at her finger, making her laugh. I can’t take my eyes off her. My whole world is standing in front of me, and all I can do is stare, completely in awe of her.
She steps closer to me and cups the back of Luka’s small head, holding him out to me. “Your turn, Matvey.”
“I don’t know.” I’m suddenly nervous about holding something so damn small and breakable. I’m worried I’ll do something wrong and hurt him, but a part of me is also terrified that I’ll have the same reaction when he touches me, thebugs crawling over my skinfeeling that I get with everyone who isn’t Alina.
Alina just smiles and then looks down at Luka’s cute face. “This is your Uncle Matvey,” she coos at him before kissing his cheek and putting him in my arms.
My body instantly freezes, too afraid to move, but then Alina adjusts him a little bit and the little guy looks up at me and smiles and all my worries fade away. Roman’s green eyes look up at me, so similar to his aunt’s, and knowing that a part of her also runs through him makes me instantly feel close to him. He snuggles up against my chest, and I’m surprised by how easily I could sit here holding him for hours, not the slightest bit uncomfortable about the close contact.
