Yeah, I believed him. Maybe stupid, maybe fooling myself, but I did.
The baby whimpered softly, tiny hand waving, brushing Kirill's chin. Kirill looked down, eyes softening incredibly.
"He doesn't look much like you," I murmured.
"Thank God," Kirill said, a real smile tugging his lips. "At least he won't inherit this ugly mug."
I laughed despite the tears.
Sunlight streamed through the window, warming us three. The antiseptic smell faded. The machine beeps sounded almost gentle.
Kirill leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my hair.
"We'll be okay," he whispered. "Our family will be okay."
I closed my eyes, leaning into his shoulder, feeling his warmth and heartbeat.
We had problems left to fix. The road ahead was thorny. We'd fight to survive in this dark world.
But right now, in this sunlit room, we were finally a real family.
And that was enough.
"Looks like I should make my exit," Olga said from the corner, standing up and heading for the door.
Heat rushed to my face— God, embarrassing, I'd forgotten she was here. But Olga just gave me a knowing smile, then slipped out and shut the door, leaving us alone.
With her gone, Kirill's hold tightened, his breath warm and steady in my hair. The baby slept soundly, little face flushed, oblivious to it all.
"Harper," Kirill said suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For coming back." His voice was low, rough. "For not giving up on me. For— for loving me."
I looked up at him, at this powerful yet fragile man, emotion swelling inside me.
"Idiot," I whispered, touching his cheek. "How could I ever give up on you?"
He turned, kissing my palm.
Outside, pigeons circled, cooing. Sunlight brightened, chasing shadows away.
We'd been through so much—betrayal, misunderstandings, hurt, loss. We'd torn each other apart, stood on opposite sides, thought we'd never find our way back.
But we did.
We became a family.
Chapter Thirty
Harper
I stood at the door of that rundown apartment building, gripping the suitcase handle tight.
