“I’m just going to…” I backed up as Kalina glanced at me. She gave me a nervous smile, but I could tell that she would stay. She would help, however she could. It was no mystery that she liked to be included, to be told that she was worthwhile and needed. Wanted.
I winked at her and retreated, not wanting to become a crowd in here. “I’ll be in the hallway. As, um, backup?” I shot Ivan a look, and he dismissed me with a wave, all eyes on his wife.
“Ah. Mr. Dubinin,” the doctor said as she hurried into the room past me. “We meet again.” She nodded at Ivan. “And the other Mr. Dubinin,” she said with a light laugh. “Ready to meet your child?”
“I am!” Raisa said. “I am more than ready to evict this baby once and for all.”
“He or she is only five days late,” Ivan said, patting her hand that he held.
“Only?” Raisa and Kalina said it in unison.
“I’ll be quiet,” he muttered with an encouraging smile.
I did as I said I would. Waiting in the hallway, I texted the others that Raisa was in delivery.
Gabriella and Luka rushed to stand out in the hallway with me. Allan offered to babysit Lev and Misha. But Emil and Sadie came too late to need to wait for long.
A baby cried once they joined us in the hallway.
“It’s a boy!” Ivan announced moments later.
Congratulations were shared all around. Lev rushed close to meet his baby brother. But I had all my attention on Kalina once she came out of the room.
The bewildered smile on her face wasn’t anything to laugh at, but I couldn’t help it.
“Hey, ifyouwant an epidural, you are more than welcome to tell the doctor.”
She laughed once, like an incredulous bark. “Um, yeah!”
“Are you more nervous now?” I asked once we were back in our room. Misha was still with Allan and Lev, fascinated by the new baby.
“A little bit.” She sighed as she closed the bedroom door and went to lie down on the bed.
We’d been there for hours, and it was later than I realized.
“But it was sweet how Ivan was right there the whole time,” she admitted as I sat next to her.
“Well, he wasn’t there when Lev was born, so I imagine this meant a lot to him.” I encouraged her to lean against me in a side hug. “And just know that I will be there for you. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
When I thought back to what I’d said, I wanted to cringe. “I mean, if you want me there.”
She laughed lightly, crawling over to straddle me. “Alexsei, you are too good to me.”
“I am?” I slipped my hands under the hem of her shirt to stroke her soft skin.
“Yes. You don’t need to be obsessive about letting me know I have free will.”
I smiled. I bet I looked sheepish.
“Of course, I want you there when we welcome our baby to the world. And that is most certainly something you could insist on, too.” She leaned in and kissed me. It started slow and sweet but quickly heated up. “I will never doubt that you want me to have the right to make my own choices. You’re not the barbarian control-freak I was supposed to fear.”
A long exhale left my lips. “Good.”
“Now, how about you help me figure out how to be a good girl for you?” She smiled slyly, peeling off her shirt.
I raised my brows, reaching up to tug the cups of her bra down to expose her ripe tits. They were so much bigger with her pregnancy, and to my delight, so much more sensitive. “Now? You’re in the mood for thisnow?” I sucked on her nipples, enjoying her instant reaction of a gasp.
“Yeah. Definitely.”
