Lev is frozen. Staring at the monitor. I see his throat work as he swallows hard.
Then tears start streaming down his face.
"That's the heartbeat," Dr. Hale says gently. "Very strong. Very healthy."
"It's so fast," I whisper, my own tears falling.
"Normal for this stage. Around 160 beats per minute." She moves the wand slightly. "And here, see this? That's the head. These are little arms beginning to form. Legs here."
"They have arms already?" Mila is riveted. "Can they wave at me?"
"Not yet. But soon they'll be able to move more. In a few months, Valerie will be able to feel the baby kicking."
"That's so cool!"
Lev moves to my side. Takes my hand. His grip is almost painful, but I don't care.
He's crying openly. Lev Volkov. The Pakhan. The man who terrifies grown men without effort.
Crying while watching an ultrasound of our baby.
"Everything looks perfect," Dr. Hale continues. "Development is right on track. The due date still looks like late August. Do you want to know the sex?"
I look at Lev. He's staring at the monitor, devastation and wonder mingling.
"Not yet," he says finally. Voice rough. "Not yet.”
Dr. Hale nods in understanding. Takes measurements, and prints images.
Mila gets her own copy of the ultrasound photo. Clutches it like treasure. "I'm going to show the baby when they're born. I'm going to say 'look, that’s you in mommy’s tummy!'
When Dr. Hale leaves, it's just the three of us.
Mila hugs me carefully, mindful of my stomach. "Thank you for giving me a baby brother or sister."
"You're welcome, sweetheart."
She kisses my bump. "See you in a few months, baby!"
After Lev tucks her into bed, he returns to our room. Sits on the edge of the bed holding the ultrasound photos with shaking hands.
"That's our baby," I whisper.
"Yes." He sets down the photos carefully. "That's our baby. Real. Growing. Alive."
More tears. I've never seen him cry like this.
"I love you." It bursts from him like a confession. "I've loved you for a while now, but I was too scared to say it. Too scared to be that vulnerable again. But watching that heartbeat, seeing that tiny person we made together, I can't keep pretending I don't."
My breath catches. "Lev—"
"I love you, Valerie. Love you despite the betrayal. Despite the lies. Despite every reason I shouldn't. You're it for me. You and Mila and this baby. My family. My reason for everything."
I'm sobbing now. "I love you too. So much. Even when I was lying, even when I was supposed to be your enemy, I was falling for you."
He kisses me. Gentle. Reverent.
When he pulls back, his forehead rests against mine. "We're going to survive this. Patrick. The threat. All of it. Because I will not let anything happen to you or our baby."