Page 51 of Mafia Pregnancy
Danielle
I stand beside Radmir in his office, one hand resting on my enormously round belly while he signs the final documents that will transfer control of his organization to Andrei.
The papers spread across his desk represent months of careful negotiations and strategic planning, but the actual moment feels surprisingly quiet and anticlimactic.
“That’s it?” I watch him set down the pen and lean back in his chair with an expression I can’t quite read. “Five months of work, and it ends with a signature?”
“The best endings usually do.” He gathers the documents and hands them to Andrei, who’s been standing silently by the window throughout the brief ceremony. “No drama or bloodshed. This is just a clean transfer of responsibility.”
The relief in his voice is unmistakable, though I catch the hint of something else underneath. Not regret exactly, but perhaps the natural melancholy that comes with closing a chapter of your life that defined you for fifteen years.
Andrei accepts the papers with formal dignity. “You’re certain about this? There’s no timeline for changing your mind once I assume full control.”
“I’m certain.” Radmir stands and extends his hand for a shake that carries the weight of their long partnership. “The organization will be safer and more profitable with you leading it. You don’t have the emotional vulnerabilities that made me a target.”
“Those vulnerabilities gave you something worth protecting.” Andrei glances at me with something that might be approval. “That’s not a weakness.”
“No, but it’s not compatible with the kind of leadership a syndicate requires.
” Radmir moves to stand beside me, his hand finding the small of my back with automatic protectiveness.
“I’d rather be a good father and husband than a mediocre crime boss with my attention split between family and business. ”
Carmen enters the office carrying a tea service, no longer wearing the uniform that marked her as household staff. Over the past five months, she’s transitioned from being my coworker to being my closest friend and the person I trust most to help navigate the complexities of this new life.
“How did it go?” She sets the tray on the side table and pours tea for everyone, including herself. “Is it official?”
“It’s official.” I accept the cup she offers and breathe in the familiar scent of the raspberry leaf tea that’s supposed to help with labor preparation. “Radmir is now a legitimate businessman with no criminal enterprises to worry about.”
“I’m now the head of an organization that employs half of North County.” Andrei’s tone is dry but not displeased. “The transition should be seamless for everyone involved.”
We sit together in comfortable silence, sipping tea and processing the magnitude of what just happened.
The estate around us remains the same, but everything about our lives has fundamentally changed.
Radmir is free to focus entirely on our family and his legitimate businesses, and I no longer have to worry about raising children in the shadow of constant danger.
“The legitimate investments alone will keep us comfortable for several lifetimes.” Radmir’s voice carries satisfaction and peace.
“What if you get bored with retirement?” Carmen’s question makes him laugh.
“I don’t think there’s much chance of boredom with an almost four-year-old who asks seventeen questions about dinosaurs every morning and a newborn who’s going to need round-the-clock attention.
” He looks at my belly with the wonder that still surprises me every time I catch it.
“Plus a wife who’s probably going to want to redecorate half the house when she’s fully mobile again. ”
“Only half?” I shift in my chair, trying to find a position that doesn’t make my back ache. “I was thinking more like eighty percent after she’s born.”
“Whatever makes you happy.” His response is immediate and sincere. “This place should feel like your home, not just somewhere you happen to live.”
The casual way he hands over control of decorating decisions reflects the larger changes in how he approaches everything now. The man who once guarded every detail of his environment now trusts me to remake our shared space however I see fit.
A sharp pain across my lower abdomen makes me set down my teacup and press both hands to my belly. The sensation is different from the Braxton Hicks contractions I’ve been experiencing for weeks. It’s more intense and purposeful…and familiar. I had the same contractions when Leo was born.
“You okay?” Radmir’s attention shifts to me immediately, his voice carrying the hypervigilance that’s characterized his approach to my pregnancy.
“I think so. Just—” Another pain cuts off my words, stronger than the first and accompanied by pressure that makes me catch my breath. This is happening faster than it did with Leo. “Actually, maybe we should call Dr. Martinez.”
Carmen moves to my side quickly. She’s been preparing for this moment for weeks. “How far apart are the contractions?”
“I’m not sure they’re contractions yet.” I try to stand and feel a sudden gush of warm fluid that soaks through my clothes and drips onto the office carpet. “Oh. Never mind. My water just broke.”
The words transform the peaceful afternoon into pure chaos.
Radmir is beside me instantly, one arm supporting my weight while he pulls out his phone with the other.
Carmen disappears to gather the hospital bag we’ve had packed for weeks, and Andrei moves toward the door with promises to handle anything that needs attention while we’re gone.
“Dr. Martinez? It’s Radmir Vetrov. Danielle’s water just broke, and she’s having contractions.” He pauses, listening to instructions while I lean against him and breathe through another wave of pain. “Understood. We’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
The drive to Scripps Memorial takes exactly eighteen minutes, with Radmir navigating traffic while I focus on the breathing techniques we learned in childbirth class.
The contractions are coming every seven minutes now, being strong enough to require concentration but not so close together that I panic about delivering in the car.
“You’re doing great.” His voice is calm and steady, anchoring me through each wave of discomfort. “Just breathe through them like we practiced.”
“Easy for you to say.” I grip his hand during the next contraction, squeezing hard enough that he winces. “You’re not the one whose body is trying to turn itself inside out.”
“True, but I’m the one who gets to watch you do the most incredible thing a human being can do.” He brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. “I’m so proud of you.”
The words make my eyes fill with tears that have nothing to do with pain. “Save the pride for when I actually deliver her. Right now, I’m just trying not to have a panic attack. I don’t know why I’m so alarmed. I’ve been through this before.”
I know the origin though I don’t verbalize it, worried in in some superstitious way that speaking it aloud will make it happen.
Leo was born six weeks early and spent two weeks in the NICU.
The thought of repeating that experience makes my chest constrict each time I think about it.
She’s full-term but could still need a NICU stay if something goes wrong.
“You won’t panic. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met.” He pulls into the hospital parking garage and kills the engine. “Ready to meet our daughter?”
The next eight hours pass in a blur of medical procedures, breathing exercises, and pain. Radmir never leaves my side, coaching me through contractions and advocating with the medical staff when I need additional support.
“I can’t do this.” The words escape during a particularly brutal contraction that makes me feel like my spine might snap. “I’m not strong enough.”
“Yes, you are.” He wipes sweat from my forehead with a cool cloth. “You did it with Leo, and you’ll do it for her. Besides, she’s almost here.”
Dr. Martinez appears between my legs with encouragement and instructions. “I can see her head, Danielle. Two more pushes, and you’ll be holding your baby.”
The urge to push overwhelms every other sensation, and I bear down. Radmir counts through the effort, his voice providing rhythm and structure when everything else feels chaotic.
“One more.” Dr. Martinez’s voice is excited now. “Give me everything you have.”
I push with desperation and determination and love for the little girl who’s been growing inside me for forty weeks. The sensation of her body sliding free is one of overwhelming relief and completion and the most incredible feeling I’ve ever experienced for the second time.
“She’s here.” Dr. Martinez holds up a slippery, squirming bundle of arms and legs and indignant cries. “You have a beautiful, healthy daughter.”
They place her on my chest immediately, skin to skin, and I get my first look at the face I’ve been imagining for months.
She’s perfect, with dark hair that’s already curling slightly and eyes that are tightly closed against the bright lights of the delivery room.
She resembles Leo at this age, but bigger and with more plumpness since she’s full term.
“Oh, my god.” The words come out as almost a whisper. “Look at her.”
Radmir leans over both of us, his expression transformed by wonder and love and awe. “She’s so small.”
“Seven pounds, two ounces.” The nurse provides statistics while checking our daughter’s vital signs. “Perfect size for a full-term baby.”
“Leo was four pounds, five ounces,” I say, feeling the phantom sensation of holding his tiny body in my arms for the first time for a second. That fades when our baby girl wriggles and squirms, opening her mouth wide to cry out her protest at this invasion.