Page 184 of Hidden Empire

He’s so gentle in the exchange, moving slowly and cautiously. Once he has her secured, supporting her little head, he sits back down. Matteo stares at her like he can't believe his eyes, and Ivan comes up behind him to do the same thing.

“She has so much hair,” my brother says in awe.

“Her brother does, too,” Ivan tells him, having gotten a quick look at him.

Each of my brothers says hello to me in their own way before they float around the room, looking at my children, waiting for a turn to hold them. Except for Cassio. He kisses me on the head and sits far away from where everyone is standing. I know he’s uncomfortable, he’s probably been terrified since I went into labor. I’m just happy he was able to bring himself to come see me. It means more than I can express.

“Have you named him?” Dad asks, hardly able to pull his eyes off of my son. “Either of them?”

“We did,” I admit, already feeling emotional. Dmitri kisses the top of my head, and it’s like his strength radiates into me. “Do you want to know them?”

“Of course,” several people say at once.

I chuckle, wiping away a small tear in the corner of my eye.

“Well, Dad,” I address him first since he asked. “You’re holding Cesar Ivan Moretti-Morozov. He’s seven pounds, eight ounces.”

“Cesar?” he asks, sucking in a breath.

“After the best uncle in the whole world,” I choke out, controlling my breathing to keep in the tears. “And Ivan, after my best friend in the whole world.”

“Jade,” Ivan murmurs. Hit with the same emotion as me, he comes to my bedside, kissing the side of my head. “It’s an honor,” he whispers privately.

“Don’t tell me this little one’s name is Matteo, or I’ll drown in my own tears,” my brother jokes, lightening up the room.

We all share a laugh, and I look at my daughter in his arms.

“You’re holding Isobella Anla Moretti-Morozov, and she’s a tiny six pounds, eleven ounces,” I tell him, announcing her name to the room before turning to find Cassio. “For Isobel, the sister I never got to meet, and Anla, for your Angel boy in heaven.”

His hands are shaking, but he squeezes them together, trying to hold his emotions back. He swallows, looking across the room at the pink bundle in Matteo’s arms. “Can I hold her?”

“Fuck yeah, you can,” Matteo answers for me, handing Isobella off to Ivan, who carefully walks her over to Cassio.

We all watch as he peers down at my daughter, free-flowing tears dragging down his cheeks. He holds her like she’s the most fragile thing in the universe, never taking his eyes off of her. Ivan stays next to him, watching over her like he’s already begun guarding her from whatever life may bring.

Drawing my eye, my dad hands my baby boy off to Apollo.

My eldest brother comes to my bedside, looking between my son and me.

“He looks like a Cesar,” he comments approvingly. “Good choice, little sister.”

“Thank you,” I sniffle. “Isn’t he so tiny?”

“He’ll grow,” he assures me.

“Not too fast.”

“No,” he agrees. “Not too fast.”

After a while, a small cry from Isobella signals the time to clear out most of the room. Ivan and Dmitri stay while I attempt to breastfeed for the first time. Ivan keeps his eyes evaded but hangs around for moral support.

As strange as I thought this would be, it comes naturally. We have formula and a breast pump on standby just in case things start to go wrong, but for now, I just lay back and watch in amazement as I feed my babies.

“Feeling okay, Krasotka?” Dmitri asks, softly touching my face.

“Never felt better,” I answer, giving him a dazed smile.

His smile is so lovely. “Me either, baby.”

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