"I'm not sure yet," I admitted. "But I think it might be true."
"Fuck." He laughed, the kind of laugh that lit his eyes. "Elena, if it's true, I'll be ecstatic."
"We'll know tomorrow," I said with a smile.
That night, the house buzzed. Stella sensed it. "Why are you laughing? You've been laughing all night."
"Because we're happy," Igor said, holding her. "Maybe you're going to be a big sister."
"Really?" Stella twirled. "I'm going to have a baby brother or sister?"
"Maybe," I said. "Tomorrow we'll know for sure."
"I'll pray tonight!" she said solemnly. "I'll pray I get a baby brother or sister."
Igor and I looked at each other and smiled.
The next morning, the doctor confirmed it.
"Congratulations, Ms. Jensen," she said with a smile. "You're pregnant—about five weeks."
Igor stared at me, joy written all over his face.
"Really?" I whispered.
"Really," the doctor said. "Everything looks healthy, though you've been working too hard. You need rest."
"I will," I promised.
"We'll do an ultrasound to be sure," she added.
I lay back on the table, cold gel on my belly. My hands were sweaty. Igor held my hand.
"There," the doctor said, pointing at the screen. "There's your baby."
A tiny black dot—nearly invisible—on the screen. Our child. My heart dissolved. That dot was ours. It was Stella's brother.
"Is there a heartbeat?" Igor's voice trembled.
"Too early to hear it," the doctor said. "Maybe in two weeks. But development looks good."
"Thankyou," I said.
Walking out of the clinic felt unreal, like waking from a dream. Igor suddenly scooped me up and spun me.
"Put me down!" I laughed and patted him. "We're on the street!"
"I don't care." He grinned. "I'm going to be a father again! I won't miss this one."
"You were already a father," I said, standing on tiptoe to kiss him.
"This time is different," he said, cupping my face. "I'll be there every day, every checkup, every class. Goddamn it, Elena—I won't miss a thing this time."
"I know." I kissed him. He kissed me back, deep and gentle.
Stella felt the happiness too and spun in the living room. She declared she would protect the baby, teach him to draw, and teach him crafts.
Later, we learned the baby was a boy. Stella named him Nikolai—she'd seen the name in a book—and we both loved it. She said the name a hundred times a day.
