Page 91 of Mafia Pregnancy

“I think she’s perfect.” Leo reaches out to touch her hand with one careful finger. “Hi, baby sister. I’m Leo, and I’m going to teach you about everything important.”

Molly smiles down at the children as Carmen dabs at her eyes with a tissue while Andrei watches the family scene with something that might be sentimentality. “She’s beautiful, Danielle. Absolutely beautiful.”

“Thank you.” I look around at the people who’ve become our chosen family over the past months. “I’m so glad you’re all here to meet her.”

“Have you decided on a name?” Andrei asks the question that’s been hovering unspoken since she arrived.

I look at Radmir, who looks at me with agreement that doesn’t require words. We’ve discussed dozens of names over the past months, but seeing her face has settled the decision definitively. “Sophia.” The name feels perfect as soon as I say it. “Sophia Vetrov.”

“Sophia.” Leo tests the name and grins with approval. “I like it. It sounds smart and pretty.”

“She is smart and pretty.” Radmir kisses the top of my head and reaches over to stroke Sophia’s cheek. “She’s perfect.”

We spend the next hour taking turns holding her and marveling at tiny fingers and toes and the way she yawns like she’s already bored with all the attention. Leo is particularly fascinated by her grip strength and the fact that she opens her eyes when he talks to her.

“I think she likes me.” His observation is delivered with the confidence of someone who’s never doubted his ability to charm anyone he meets. “She looks at me when I tell her about dinosaurs.”

“She definitely likes you.” I watch him interact with his sister and feel my heart expand in ways I didn’t know were possible. “You’re going to be the best big brother.”

“I’m going to protect her from everything scary.” His declaration is fierce and absolute. “Nobody’s ever going to hurt her.”

“That’s right.” Radmir’s voice carries the same protective conviction. “Between all of us, she’ll always be safe.”

As evening settles over the hospital, our visitors begin to leave with promises to return tomorrow. Carmen hugs me carefully, mindful of my post-delivery soreness, and Molly whispers that she’s proud of me as she waits for Leo to be ready. Andrei shakes Radmir’s hand and offers formal congratulations that don’t hide his genuine happiness for our family.

Leo is the last to go, reluctant to leave his sister even though he’s exhausted from the emotional intensity of the day. “Will she still be here tomorrow?”

“She’ll be here, and so will we.” Radmir lifts him for a goodbye hug. “We’ll all come home together in a few days.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

After everyone leaves, the hospital room settles into peaceful quiet. Sophia sleeps in the bassinet beside my bed while Radmir dozes in the uncomfortable chair that will be his home for the next two nights. I watch both of them with love and wonder.

This morning I was pregnant and anxious about labor and delivery. Tonight I’m a mother of two children and engaged to marry a man who’s given up everything from his previous life to build something real with me. The transformation feels too significant for a single day, but the evidence is sleeping peacefully six feet away.

Sophia stirs and makes the soft sounds that indicate she’s hungry. I lift her from the bassinet and settle her against mybreast. Radmir wakes immediately, alert to any change in her status.

“Everything okay?”

“Everything’s perfect.” I stroke her soft hair and breathe in the sweet scent that belongs only to newborns. “I was just thinking about how different our lives are now compared to this morning.”

“Different how?”

“This morning, you were still technically a crime boss, and I was pregnant with a baby I’d never seen. Tonight, you’re completely legitimate, and we have a daughter who’s more beautiful than I ever imagined.” I look up at him and find him watching us with an expression of complete contentment. “It’s been a good day.”

“The best day.” He moves from the chair to perch on the edge of my bed, close enough to touch both Sophia and me. “I love our family.”

“I love our family too.” I lean into him and close my eyes, feeling at peace. “I love you.”

“I love you more than I ever thought possible.” He kisses my temple and rests his hand on Sophia’s back. “Both of you.”

We sit together in the dim hospital room, surrounded by the quiet sounds of new life and medical equipment. Sophia opens her eyes when I switch her to the other breast and looks up at me with a serious expression as though she’s trying to figure out the world around her. “Welcome to the family, Sophia.” I whisper the words against her soft hair. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

EPILOGUE

Radmir

---