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The culprit.

And he smooths a hand over my cheek. “Push,Lyubimaya.”

“I hate you!”

“I know,” he says, “I loveyou. Push.”

I squeeze his fingers so hard I hurt my own, but his gaze, that light ice-blue gaze is unwavering as the contraction hits hard and this time, I push.

The world goes crazy inside as the baby I’ve carried for nine months isn’t in me anymore and a cry fills the air.

Demyan’s face is cracked open with love, astonishment, and wonder. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen.

“What’s happening? Where’s my baby?”

“The doctor has her.”

“Healthy… Perfect…” The words drift to me and I look at my husband and he kisses my hand. He’s so perfect.

“Here…” The midwife hands the tiny, squalling thing, made even more tiny by his large hands, to Demyan and I know I got it wrong about perfect and beautiful. The two of them are.

“Look,Lyubimaya, look…”

“Congratulations, Mommy and Daddy,” the midwife says. “She’s a perfect little girl.”

It doesn’t kill me to let Demyan hold her and show her to me. I want him to have this moment and I start to cry because this big, strong, bad man is humbled by his daughter, and the love for her on his face breaks and heals my heart all at the same time.

But this is Demyan, and he brings her to me, putting her in my arms, and touches her tiny feet. “Look what we made,” he says.

I smile. I don’t even remember the pain that ripped through me and made me want to kill. “Another perfect one.”

“Are we really letting Sasha name her?”

“Of course.”

Later,when I’ve been checked over, and the baby has received a more thorough checkup, I’m in my private room.

Demyan hasn’t stopped smiling and even though I thought he’d faint when he peeked as the baby started crowning, he didn’t and he sat with me, my rock, the man of my dreams.

I don’t want a man who’s flashy. I’ve seen the photos of all the parties that Stefina and her husband go to. She likes to drop in to tell me about them and Alina’s told me to tolerate her as our husbands talk business, but while we’ll never ever be friends, I’m fine with that.

Because I want what I have. Excitement in bed. A man who loves me without any measure, and one who’s an amazing father.

Everything in my life has fallen into place. Because of him and Sasha and now our baby.

And next year, Kara and I are going to start our business. I’m thrilled, but honestly? I’m more thrilled to be Demyan’s wife and the mother to his children. The business is just the cherry on top of perfection.

“There’s an army out there, wanting to see the baby,” Demyan says, stepping into the room with Sasha. “But big brother gets to be first.”

Sasha looks around. “Where is my baby?”

Like Demyan’s set it up, which I know he has, the staff bring her in, and Demyan sits Sasha down on a big chair and puts the baby in his arms, showing him how to hold her while he stays close, supporting her head.

I start to cry as Sasha’s face lights up with joy. “Mama she is so pretty, like you.”

“What did you decide, Sasha?”

He looks at his dad. And Demyan mouths a word.