AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I’ve never seen Ruslan cry before, but I think the closest I’ll ever get is this moment right here. His eyes are shining as he lifts our son up and clutches him close to his chest.
Now,I’mthe one who’s crying.
Seeing Ruslan carrying our baby boy… it just feels so damn surreal.
Who needs a ring? You don’t need to create a baby yourself to be a parent. And you don’t need to be married to be true life partners.
“You did amazing, my love.”
I wipe away my tears. “So did you.”
He shakes his head but he doesn’t take his eyes off our baby boy. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Not true. You supported me. You held my hand. You took my abuse.” I can see the little smile forming at the corners of his mouth. “I was horrible, wasn’t I?”
“I’ve heard worse.”
I laugh. “Still. I’m sorry for being such a bitch.”
Ruslan doesn’t address me at all. He looks down at our son and talks to him. “Don’t listen to your mama. She’s one of the most amazing, most devoted, most compassionate, kindest people out there. You’re lucky she’s yours.”
“Oh, God, you’re gonna make me cry all over again.”
He chuckles. “Don’t. You’re already dehydrated enough.”
“I’ll drink water later. First, I want the kids to meet their new sibling.”
“Should we decide on his name first?” Ruslan asks.
We’ve been throwing around names for months now. And when you have three older kids, that means that there are a lot of opinions.
Reagan and Caroline had only come up with girls’ names but Josh supplied us with some real contenders.
There were a few good ones.Pasha. Aleksandr. Damien.But in the end, I knew the name I wanted our son to carry. “Now that I’ve seen him and held him, I’m thinking… Leo. Leo Oryolov. After his uncle.”
Saying it out loud seals the deal for me. Ruslan is smiling. “Leo Oryolov,” he says, trying it on for size. “It suits him perfectly.”
He glances up at the ceiling like Leonid might be watching us. Then, with a sigh, he gently deposits little Leo back into my arms and goes to get the kids. He escorts the three of them in first while Amelia and Phoebe wait outside so that we can have a little family moment.
The girls rush the bed, ignoring orders from both Ruslan and Josh to be careful. Both of them clamber onto the bed with me and lean in to look at their new little brother.
“Whoa,” Reagan breathes. “He’s sosmall. And pink.”
“How come he doesn’t have any hair?” Caroline demands.
I laugh. “He has a little hair but it’ll take time to grow.” Then I gesture for Josh to come closer. “What do you think?” I ask him. “You gonna be able to show him the ropes when he’s older?”
Josh nods solemnly. “Of course. I’m his big brother. I’ll always look out for him.”
Ruslan and I lock eyes over the kids’ heads. All that drama and hardship and fighting and fear—it was all worth it.Thismoment made it all worth it. Our kids are safe, they are happy—they’re in therapy, true; but don’t most kids need therapy these days?
We will never be perfect parents—mostly because there’s no such thing—but we will always try to be the best versions of ourselves for our kids. And we will never stop showing up for them.
“His name is Leo.”
Caroline looks at Leo with a maternal smile. “He’s so sweet, Auntie Em.”
“He is, isn’t he?”
