I glanced at the scene, amazed that I was in such good company on such a serious night. Luka sat on the edge of a chair, glancing at Gabriella. Raisa refereed Lev and Misha wrestling on the couch. Andre cruised along the coffee table, so eager to walk faster.
“Hmm?” I studied the former dancer. “How are you feeling?”
She rolled her eyes. “The same as you, I think.”
“Yeah? You got those weird little shoots of lightning too?”
She shushed me, urging me to step further from Luka. “It’s just cramps. But worrywart over there thinks everything is a huge sign.”
I smiled. “From what you told me about how you brought Andre into the world, I can’t blame him for being cautious now.”
“He’s obsessive. And paranoid,” she deadpanned. “And it’s driving me insane. Can you talk to him?”
“Me?” I pointed at myself.
“Yeah.” She shrugged. “Just preoccupy him. For like five minutes.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “I can try.” I approached Luka, but Misha shot to his feet and hugged me. “She’s safe! You can’t tag me because I’m by Sadie!”
Lev stopped short from lunging after Misha. “That’s not fair!”
“Enough, boys,” Luka said with little patience. It wasn’t a growl, but the man was stressed on dual fronts. “No erratic movementsnear Sadie or Gabriella.” Like clockwork, he sought her out and furrowed his brow at Gabriella moving toward the kitchen for more snacks.
Lev and Misha didn’t protest. They peeled off, running to get some other toy.
With a happy smile and a tired sigh, I sat in the chair next to Luka.
“You seem calm,” he observed.
“On the outside,” I admitted.
He nodded. “Being tense could induce labor, though?—”
“Relax,” I chided.
“I swear to God, if you and Gabriella both go into labor when they’re all gone…”
I smiled, shaking my head. “Let’s just not talk about it and avoid jinxing it.”
“How are you holding up, then?” he asked. While this man made no secret about wanting my intel, his tone didn’t suggest that he was prying right now.
“With what, exactly?” I asked, glad to have someone like a fatherly figure in my life. It was early yet. Emil and I had gone through a whirlwind of a rush to get to this point, but I had a good instinct about this. Reading people was something I excelled at. Luka wasn’t deceiving me. He’d welcomed me into his close circle, and that was an honor I wouldn’t forget.
“All of it.”
I shrugged. “I’m curious what life will be like as a mother.”
“That’s understandable. Gabriella had an adjustment period too.”
“No, not just because I’ll be a first-time mom,” I admitted, rubbing my belly and shifting to sit more comfortably. There really wasn’t any comfortable way to sit anymore. “It’s more of how it happened. Emil and I didn’t plan this.”
“You know what they say about best-laid plans…” he joked.
I frowned. “Don’t say that. I spent a lot of time making the plans to be perfect for their going out there tonight.”
He nodded. “Never mind. That’s a stupid saying, anyway.”
I laughed. “I’ve always wanted to have a family with how soon I lost my parents. Then, I bounced around in the system. I’ve dreamed of having a family forever.”
