“A family?” Misha cried out happily. “Are you for real? A family? The three of us again?”
Ivan set him down, but he kept his hands on his shoulders. He was aware that we weren’t in any proper position to be hugged like this.
“How about… the four of us?” I asked.
Kalina rested her head against me, and I wrapped my arm around her shoulders. Nothing would ever fill me with more joy than knowing I had her. And him. And we’d have another to welcome soon.
“You mean…” Misha furrowed his brow and slowly looked up at Ivan, who was smiling with awareness of what news Kalina and I had to share. “The three of us plus Ivan?”
“No.” Kalina laughed lightly. “But maybe the three of us… with a baby brother or sister for you to read to soon.”
His jaw dropped. He gasped. His eyes were huge as he gawked at us. “A… baby?”
She nodded, and I grinned at the pure shock that he worked through. I already knew he’d be over the moon. He loved Andre and the girls. He’d asked me many times if he’d ever have a brother or sister. This was one ofhisdreams coming true.
“I’m going to have a brother or sister?” he asked, practically bouncing in place with excitement.
Once more, he cried out in joy and tried to run to the bed to hug us.
Ivan chuckled as he held him back, telling him to just wait a second for me and Kalina to get out of bed.
He ushered him out of the room and promised we’d join them for breakfast.
With the door closed again, Kalina beamed at me.
I leaned in to kiss her. “I am going to love every second of this.”
“This?” she asked as I stood.
“The rest of my life,” I clarified. It was already this much brighter and better with her in it.
Instead of going back to the guest suite where Kalina would more or less hide, I went with her so she could get dressed there. Together, we came down to the dining room and joined everyone else.
Holding her hand as she shared the news that she was pregnant was a moment I’d never forget. Pride filled me. Love vibrated in my chest. Nothing would ever bring me down from this high.
Now, Misha could run up and congratulate us both. He was excited, nearly bursting with happiness that he’d have his own sibling soon. His inclusion of Kalina was yet again a bridge that would help her connect with us as a family member, not someone who’d be a guest to protect.
Over breakfast, everyone congratulated us on the good news. Everyone was glad for another baby, but as we sat there and the conversations grew louder and rowdier, I was careful to watch Kalina and make sure that she wasn’t overwhelmed.
It was a lot.Wewere a lot. It was one of the reasons I thought that she’d be happier with the quiet cabin when she wasn’t speaking and locked in her trauma response.
I had no grounds to worry, though. She was smiling, listening to Sadie who was pregnant as well. Raisa offered her advice as well, further along with her pregnancy. I hoped it helped to have other women around her with how she’d reported being ignorant about pregnancies and what to expect while she was expecting. It had to be reassuring, not scary or intimidating, that two of them were pregnant as well. Gabriella joined in on the baby talk, holding Helene while Emil held Carina.
“Don’t worry about feeling like you have no clue how to prepare for this,” Sadie said with a sweet smile. She mussed up Misha’s hair and then smirked at Lev. “When I came here and had no clue how to even hold a baby, these two sure stepped in to show me.”
I smiled at my son, recalling how hands-on they both were.
“Oh, we’ll help you,” Misha agreed with an excited nod of his head.
I caught Luka smiling at me, like he, too, was proud.
After we were through with eating, I left Kalina with the other women since they were busily chatting about babies, deliveries, and even about the women’s foundation that I bet Kalina would be working with.
I headed to my uncle’s study with my cousins.
“She’ll fit right in,” Luka guessed. “She’s already fit in with us.”
“But we do need to deal with the rest of the Riveras,” Emil added for him. A serious glint in his eye suggested death.
