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ANASTASIA

“ N ow, if you turn your attention to slide four, I think you’ll all agree that the swimming pools need a little more oomph . We’re selling to the elite here. We want them to brag about how luxurious their pool is, plaster it all over their socials, spend their entire time in the water until they look like raisins. The more shriveled they get, the better we look and then the more we can—ahh!”

Everyone around the table jumps in alarm as I double over, slamming one fist down on the table as white-hot pain lances through my abdomen.

“Anastasia?” Erik appears at my side and places his hand on the small of back, though I shove him off immediately.

“I’m fine.”

“Your contractions are getting closer together. You’re not fine.”

“Let me get through this,” I hiss through gritted teeth, unsure whether I’m speaking to Erik or the baby inside me who’s desperate to make an appearance.

As the wave of agony passes, I straighten up and puff out my cheeks.

“Anyway, where was I?”

“Swimming pools.” Someone to my left speaks up cautiously.

“You want obnoxious luxury?”

“Exactly. I want it so that they can’t afford it because then who do they go to for money? Tatiana. Do you all see what I mean? These designs are good but I need sickening—ahh!”

“That’s it.” Erik slams the laptop closed and grabs my arm as I pant and yell against the table.

“We’re taking you to the hospital.”

“Not yet!” I gasp, but I have no strength to fight him.

As the contraction passes and I straighten up, Erik’s brow is pinched with worry.

“I know you’re scared,” he says, cupping my sweaty neck.

“But you’re going to be amazing and I’m going to be right there with you.”

I labor for sixteen hours.

Despite their painful insistence, my baby seems less inclined to leave when I reach the hospital.

Erik stays by my side through every second.

I crush his fingers in my grip, yell obscenities at him when he makes suggestions, groan under the soothing touch of his massaging hands, and eat my body weight in ice chips.

Still, our baby doesn’t move.

Pain after pain, hour after hour, time drags by slowly and with each painful, stabbing muscle ache, my doubts about being a good mother fade from my mind.

In the days leading up to my due date, I feared I would repeat my father’s mistakes, that some part of me would be terrible because it’s in my blood, and I even asked Erik to take our baby away from me.

Luckily, he just laughed and assured me that he knew I would be a fantastic mother because I take care of everyone.

Now, with pain radiating like a hot whip around my abdomen, I make a hundred prayers to be the best mother in the universe if this baby would just get out of me.

Hours pass, pain worsens, and I nearly dislocate one of Erik’s fingers before, finally, my baby makes an appearance.

“Fuck!” I scream loudly, tossing my head back and forth as every muscle below my waist feels like it’s being shredded in two.

Erik is beside me, holding my hand and trying to keep my hair out of my face while a doctor rummages about between my legs.

“You’re almost there,” she cheers.

“One more push, Mama. One more push!”

“I can’t,” I gasp as all strength leaves me.

“I can’t, I can’t!”

“You can.” Erik catches my eyes.

“I’m right here. You can do it. One more push, baby. One more. Think of everything it took to get to this moment, how close we got to missing out entirely. All that anger, all that rage. Use that.”

I’d rather not think of Viktor at a time like this, but surprisingly, it works.

The thought of him ignites one last ember of strength inside me and I grip Erik’s fingers, then roar out my pain as I push and push and push.

My baby is born in a hot, slippery rush that feels like rug burn, and I sag on the bed like an empty paper bag.

Erik praises me constantly, peppering kisses over my forehead and holding me close.

A second later, a rough cry erupts in the room and tears spring into my exhausted eyes.

My heart swells with love as I peer past my raised legs, seeking a glimpse of my baby.

“It’s a girl.” The doctor grins, bundling up the screaming infant in a blanket.

“You’ve got a beautiful baby daughter.”

“A girl!” I gasp, gazing up at Erik.

“A girl.”

“Holy shit,” he breathes out, then he falls silent as the doctor brings the baby closer and gently eases her into my arms.

She’s the smallest thing I’ve ever seen in my life, with red skin and a wrinkly face and a wide mouth showing off her impressive lungs as she cries.

“My baby,” I cry, cradling her as gently as I dare.

“Oh, my God. Oh, my God .”

“You did amazing, Mama,” the doctor says, and she vanishes from view to clean me up.

Nothing else matters to me, though.

This tiny human in my arms suddenly becomes my world, and a new strength surges through me with every tired beat of my heart.

“Hey,” I whisper down at her.

“Hey, baby. Hey.”

Then I look up at Erik who is staring down with utter wonder in his eyes.

“Marry me.”

“What?” He blinks owlishly and tears his gaze away from our baby.

“Marry me,” I repeat breathlessly.

My darling daughter, Clara, sleeps soundly in the cradle next to my bed.

Drugs keep the pain of delivery at bay and warmth closes around my hand as Erik runs his thumb over my knuckles and chuckles softly.

“Morning.”

“Is it morning?” I croak softly, turning my head to face him.

“How long was I asleep?”

Erik glances at his watch and then back at me.

“Only a few hours. The nurse will be here soon to help you with breastfeeding but for now, our daughter sleeps as soundly as you.”

Our daughter.

It’s surreal to hear those words, and even more surreal to look beside my bed and see a small bundle of baby sleeping.

“Is it weird that I can’t wrap my head around how that came out of me?”

“Isn’t nature beautiful?”

“No, it’s weird.” I chuckle softly.

“An entire person grew inside me and then popped out of my vagina.”

“Pretty amazing.”

“Stop.” I groan softly, a smile playing on my lips.

“You’re just saying that.”

“Given everything we’ve been through, our baby is the least weird thing about this past year,” Erik replies, keeping his voice low.

“How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”

I shake my head, turning my hand in his grip to lace our fingers together.

“I have everything I need.”

“Please remember that when your nipples are raw from breastfeeding and you’re so tired that my own breathing makes you want to commit murder.”

“I’ll remember.” My heart swells and my smile widens.

“We really did it.”

“Yes.” Erik slowly licks his lips.

“Did you mean it?”

I frown softly, meeting his eyes.

“Mean what?”

“When you asked me to marry you.”

Oh.

I’d briefly forgotten about that in the chaos of delivering my baby, but the memory surges through my thoughts in a rush.

“Yes, I meant it,” I say softly.

“I… I’ve spent the past year, maybe my entire life, being days away from disaster. Walking on eggshells, fighting for respect and worth, and focusing on everything that isn’t me. But this?” I glance over at my sleeping baby.

“This is mine. Ours. I want to be selfish. I want something for myself. I want you.”

A wide, warm smile spreads across Erik’s face when our eyes meet once more.

“Ask me again.”

“I’m the Godmother,” I say softly.

“I don’t ask. I command.”

“Command me,” he whispers.

“Marry me.”

“Yes.” Erik leans up and brings his face close.

Our noses brush together and then his lips claim mine in a gently passionate kiss that sends my heart racing.

Tingles of excitement shoot all up and down my body as a soft waking gurgle rises from the crib.

“I will marry you,” he murmurs against my lips.

“I will be the best husband and father that I can be. And nothing will harm us ever again. I swear it.” He kisses me deeply.

“I love you,” I whisper against his lips.

“I love you too,” he replies.

Clara squeaks in her crib, gurgling softly and drawing smiles from both of us.

Erik moves away from me and very gently lifts her out of her crib.

I shift against the pillows to make myself more comfortable, and then Erik puts our tiny baby into my arms.

He sits on the bed next to me, wraps an arm around my shoulders, and kisses the top of my head.

“Welcome to the world, Clara Remizova.” I beam down at her.

In an instant, she changes everything.

With her to protect, the Remizova clan will be a force to be reckoned with.

We’re back on top, exactly where we belong.