A grim look at what Red's life might have been like pre-Litchfield.

I do not own Orange is the New Black.

The deafening cries and shrieks emitting from the small apartment above the store should have been offensive to anybody's ears, but Galina Reznikov barely registered it. At two years old, nearly everything was offensive to her current youngest child, Maxim-especially bedtime. There were always more exciting things to do that falling asleep, and the little boy never seemed to fathom how his mother could stand a moment without his company. Wouldn't she be lonely?

Galina chuckled to herself as she collapsed onto the threadbare sofa she had found on consignment. The covers hid the well-worn cushions and whatever, it was comfortable. The truth was that without her sons she would certainly be terribly lonely. However, that didn't mean she wasn't above hurrying them into bed at the end of a long day and then gleefully tucking into long wakeful hours of blissful solitude in the rarely quiet home.

This was her time, the hours she depended on every day to nurture her introverted spirit and regain some hold upon her sanity, which she still had to question on a daily basis. She never did anything special; sometimes she read, sometimes she had a bubble bath, sometimes she baked, and sometimes she wrote letters back home to her family in Russia. It didn't matter what she did, it was her time to do with as she pleased. The only hours that nobody was demanding things of her and that she wasn't working. Nights were sacred.

"Mama," grinned a devilish little child, as he tiptoed out of the bedroom she had just put him it.

Over the sound of his brother's tantrum, Galina hadn't heard her oldest expertly climbing over the child gate she had installed to keep Maxim in the room since she had transitioned him from the crib into a real bed. Curled up on the end up the sofa, Galina gave Yuri a frown and pointed back to the door he had just emerged from.

"Bed," she told him sternly.

Yuri put on his most innocent of looks. "Mama, I need a hug and a kiss goodnight."

"I already gave you a hug and kiss," Galina replied tiredly. "Right when I tucked you into your bed, read you a story, and brought you a glass of water-in case those were going to be your next excuses."

"But I didn't kiss and hug my baby sister," Yuri answered sweetly, a smile that showed all of his teeth appearing on his sweet face. As his mother's expression softened, Yuri hurried forward and wrapped his arms around Galina's rounded middle. He kissed the bump through her red cotton maternity dress and then whispered gently. "Goodnight, baby sister."

"That's sweet, honey," Galina cooed, stroking Yuri's reddish hair back with a hand. "But you know that the baby could be a little brother and that would be nice too."

Yuri shook his head stubbornly. "I already have a little brother," he explained. "So now I need a sister."

"Well, you're just going to have to wait and see," Galina replied, hugging her son. "When I find out, you'll be the first person I tell. Alright?"

"Yes," Yuri nodded.

"But until then, no more excuses," Galina reproached him, sliding seamlessly back into her sterner voice. "It's bedtime, and tomorrow is another busy day." Kicking her feet back onto the floor, Galina pushed up using her arm for support and then reached for Yuri's hand. "Let's go," she told him.

"Mama, I want you to sleep with me," Yuri said predictably, the same way he did every night.

"I will later," Galina assured him. "But I'm not going to bed yet. It's time for little boys to be in bed though…. now, be quiet. I think Maxim fell asleep." She lifted her four-year-old son over the gate he was clearly more than capable of climbing, and then stepped over it herself. The dark small bedroom that her two sons shared was now blissfully silent, except for Maxim's gentle snore. Yuri scampered into his bed and beamed as his mother leaned down to lift the blankets up over him.

Wrapping his arms around her neck, he gave her a big kiss on the lips and giggled. "I love you, Mama."

Giving her son a quick kiss back in response, she smiled. "I love you too," Galina told him, "now get to sleep. Tomorrow is another busy day."

Galina turned around to check on Maxim, who was sleeping angelically in his own little bed. Dressed snuggly in footie pajamas he had no need for blankets on a warm summer night. Taking care not to disturb him, she leaned down to kiss his fair hair before stepping over the gate again and leaving both her boys to their dreams.

She padded into the bathroom and turned to stare at herself in the mirror above the sink. Not surprisingly her eyeliner had smeared since she had last inspected herself, but the dark lines spread to the side looked almost deliberate and she decided she liked the effect. Other than that, there wasn't much to say. Her skin was still pasty and pale despite spending many hours outdoor in the sunshine with two rambunctious young boys. Her long red hair was in desperate need of washing since it probably reeked of the onions she'd been cooking with all day. Most interestingly, of course, was the rounded stomach where her baby was growing.

Galina's lips curved slightly in a smile, as she undid the buttons down the front of her dress and then brushed her hands over the bump. Her skin was soft aside from the red grooves from stretch marks that raced along her abdomen. Although she had already grown to surpass what one would expect a woman only four months along to be, the scars on her stomach were the artwork of the two little boys who had come before this baby. However, Galina had no doubt that in due course this third child would add its own prints to her canvas.

She finished undressing all the way and then turned around to put in the plug and fill the tub up with lots of hot water. Women were advised to stick to warm baths while expecting, but Galina had generally made very little modifications to her regular life to accommodate her pregnancy. She worked hard, slept little, and chased after kids all day probably breaking about a dozen pregnancy rules in the process. If her back was aching and she wanted to unwind, then without hesitation she'd indulge herself in a hot bath without guilt. It was enough that she had been abstaining from her regular nightcap since learning she was with child.

She climbed into the tub while the water was still running and leaned back while her foot nestled beneath the spray. Her husband would complain about the water bill being too high but Galina would worry about that another time. She'd been surrounded by people all day and now she just craved some solitude. She shut her eyes as she kicked her foot up to turn off the tap as it filled to the max. Her shoulders and legs were submerged, but Galina had to use her hands to splash water up over her swollen stomach. She dipped deeper down into the pool, bending her legs so that her head was dipped back. The water plugged her ears and she didn't here anybody come in, not until she opened her eyes to feel her husband's shadow standing over her.

"Hello," Galina said dully, sitting up slightly with some difficulty. Ger hands began to stroke up and down her stomach protectively. She didn't miss the look he had given her body. It was not a look of admiration, or appreciation, or lust, but a cursory glance. Her body was something in the room, but nothing special. Dmitri knew what she looked like without clothes, he barely reacted to her when she removed them.

"You're getting big," Dmitri commented, as he moved back to lean against the bathroom sink with his arms crossed. "You almost don't fit in the bathtub anymore."

"Just enough," Galina rolled her eyes, as she splashed her hands in the water slightly. "Where have you been?" The question was more automatic than because she was genuinely curious. Dmitri rarely got home before dark, in fact he had come back earlier than usual today. Usually he wouldn't be back for another hour or so. Maybe that would bother most wives, but Galina preferred the solidarity of her days; with a husband who left before the kids got up and didn't tend to come home until they were tucked away in their beds. She didn't miss him. And maybe he knew that. Maybe that was why he stayed gone so much.

"At Ganya's," Dmitri replied. "He had some work for me. I'll probably be late again tomorrow."

"Okay," Galina said indifferently. She dunked her head back and then reached for her shampoo. Pouring a measured amount into the palm of her hand, Galina brushed it back through her hair and began running her fingers through the red locks.

"How was the store today?" Dmitri asked.

Galina shrugged. "We did alright," she replied. "The morning was quite steady. A lot of coffee drinkers."

"Make sure you're upselling," Dmitri advised, earning a haughty huff from his wife. "Offer them something sweet to go with the coffee."

Instead of responding, Galina leaned back to submerge her head back in the bath and rinse the shampoo from her hair. She took her time, irritated that her husband was still just standing there staring. It felt like an invasion of space. Even though she hadn't seen him since the morning, that had no merit to her right now. She just felt like being alone. It had been a long day.

"So, Ganya likes your work?" Galina asked, as she sat back up again. She reached for her washcloth and poured some soap onto it. "What exactly are you doing for him?" she asked, as she ran the brush across her breasts.

"Just some odd jobs," Dmitri replied. "You wouldn't understand. I'm so tired now though. Are you going to be much longer? I want to take a shower."

"Give me a minute," Galina said stiffly, as she washed the rest of her body as best she could from a sitting down position. "Maybe it would be less awkward if you weren't hovering over me?" It bothered her that he didn't spare any mind for how she was doing at home with the kids all day. Dmitri just expected her to juggle everything, because she was the wife and the mother, and that's what she was supposed to do. He hadn't even asked her how the boys were, and this enraged Galina because he hadn't seen them all day and didn't care. He said he'd get more involved when they were older and could do things with him.

"Well, this is the only time I get to talk to you," Dmitri replied shortly.

Galina sighed as she dropped her wash cloth against the edge of the tub and reached for her razor. "Have you thought more about names?" she asked. "I still like Vasily for a boy."

"It's not going to be a boy," Dmitri said confidently. "But I don't really like that name anyway."

"Well, it could be another boy," Galina reminded him. "I like Zoya for a girl. Do you?"

"Yes, that's pretty," Dmitri nodded. "Or what about Rozalina?"

"No," Galina shook her head firmly. "A girl by that name was mean to me in elementary school. So, I don't like it." She lifted her leg with some difficulty so that she could shave it. The position left her quite exposed, but Dmitri barely noticed. She didn't care; it wasn't like she had been trying to seduce him. She finished the right and then worked on her other leg.

"I have an appointment a week from tomorrow," she reminded him. "We'll find out what we're having then."

"Make sure you call me as soon as you know," Dmitri ordered.

Galina nodded. "Will you pass me a towel?" she asked, as she pulled out the stopper to begin draining the water from the tub. She got up clumsily, using the edge of the tub for support. Beads of water dripped down off of her body as she accepted the towel that her husband handed her.

"Thank you," Galina said, wrapping the towel around herself, and stepping out of the tub.

"Hey," Dmitri grabbed her arm and pulled her back as she passed him, "I missed you," he leaned down to brush her lips with his own.

"Really?" said Galina skeptically, with raised eyebrows, when he had finally removed his lips from hers.

"Very much, I love you" Dmitri looked his wife dead in the eye. "Now this is the part where you say you love me."

Galina turned her back on him to walk out of the bathroom and peeked into the bedroom to check on her sleeping babies. Deep down she knew they were fine, but she couldn't stop herself from frequently checking to ensure they were both still breathing. She did this multiple times a night.

It was strange how the two little beings who had brought Galina more joy then she had ever known before, could also provoke so much of her anxiety. But she carried all the worries of the boys on her own, almost as if she was a single mother. She rarely confided in Dmitri about her parenting concerns because she wouldn't listen to his advice anyway and talking to him only ever intensified her self-doubt.

Once confirming that her boys were fine, Galina went into her bedroom and slipped her cotton nightgown over her head. She didn't plan to go to sleep yet but decided to be comfortable. She slipped on her underwear and then turned around to see her husband walking into the room with a towel wrapped around his waist.

"That was fast," Galina observed, referencing the quick shower he had taken once she had gotten out of the tub.

"You used up all the hot water," Dmitri complained, "I had to be quick."

"Oh," Galina murmured unapologetically, as she made to walk out of the room. Her progress was halted however, when her husband reached out a hand and gripped onto her arm tightly.

"Do you want to have sex?" Dmitri asked bluntly.

"Not particularly," Galina replied honestly, attempting to shake off the hand that was holding her.

"We haven't done it in a long time," Dmitri complained. "You can't keep me waiting any longer."

"That's because I've been very sick," Galina reminded him, as she succeeded in freeing her arm. It was the truth. She'd been plagued with debilitating nausea and vomiting since the early weeks of her pregnancy and it was only by taking a lot of prescribed medication to treat the Hyperemesis Gravidarum, that she had managed to even remotely function.

"You've been using feeling sick as an excuse for months," Dmitri told her, dropping the towel from around his waist. "And you're better now. I can't wait any longer."

Exhaling slowly in exasperation, Galina did not refuse again as she allowed her husband to take her hand and lead her back over to their neatly made bed. He pulled back the covers and she laid down, tucking the pillow beneath her chin. She wrapped her arms around her large stomach and waited for Dmitri to initiate things. He sat down beside her on the bed and used one hand to lift the blue cotton nightgown she was wearing up. Then he tugged the white cotton panties she was wearing down that had a thick maxi pad affixed to them.

"I've forgotten how disgusting you are when you're pregnant," he laughed, "you seriously need to wear that so you don't pee your pants?"

"You wouldn't laugh if you'd been pregnant three times," Galina said defensively, "and sometimes the baby presses on my bladder in weird ways."

"That's gross," said Dmitri quickly, "don't talk about that anymore." He petted her down there and ignored the way she seemed to recoil from his hand. She wasn't always this cold to him, but they hadn't been intimate since Galina had gotten sick at the beginning of this pregnancy and there was an extra layer of awkwardness that Dmitri was fighting to overcome. He pulled his wife close to him and held her tightly through the act, trying to pretend that she wanted it as much as he did. When it was done, his kissed her forehead and then moved away from er.

"I'm starting to get happy about it, you know" he confessed "Another baby that we created with our love. I love you, Galina." He rubbed her belly and then brought his hand up to cup her face. She was lying on her side facing away from him as he moved in her gently, wanting this to last as long as he could.

"Do you love me too?" Dmitri asked her.

"I love you," Galina whispered quietly. She bit her lip and hugged the pillow she was resting her head on.
As Dmitri continued to plunge inside of her, Galina could no longer resist the urge to move with him. Rocking up and down, she grabbed his leg and sandwiched it between hers. She rolled as far onto her back as her comfort would allow, almost lying in his arms, and then hugged his leg towards her. Slowly and strongly she began to grind against his leg. Using it for pressure on her clit as Dmitri continued to sink even deeper inside of her.

Her heart was beating more rapidly now as she breathlessly inhaled and exhaled hurriedly. Her body rose and fell with months of captivated desires into an orgasm so strong that it caused her to dig her nails as deep into Dmitri's leg as she could, leaving obvious scratches. He began to thrust more fiercely, moaning loudly against her ear as he came too. He didn't know how he had survived all the long months of abstinence.

"That was amazing," Dmitri exclaimed tiredly, hugging her tightly. Galina nodded her agreement and then wriggled away to separate their joined bodies.

"Are you going to bed now?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Dmitri replied. "Are you?"

"No," Galina shook her head, "I want to read my book."

"Okay then," Dmitri gave her another kiss, "goodnight, I love you."

Galina hesitated, "I love you, too," she said reluctantly. She rolled out of the bed and searched for her underwear that he had tossed onto the floor. Pulling them back up her legs, Galina gave her husband one final look before walking out into the living room where she could be alone. She fetched her book from the desk and then curled up on the sofa to read. She had read less than a full page, when she felt an urgent need to check on her sleeping boys again.

After confirming they were still fine, Galina walked to check that the outside door was locked. It wasn't. Dmitri must have forgotten when he'd come in. "F**king idiot," Galina grumbled to herself in annoyance. She started walking back to the living room when she began to panic that she might have forgotten to lock the door of the store when she closed up for the night. Anybody could break in if she'd forgotten!

Turning on her heel, Galina went back to the entry to put her shoes on. Then she hurried down the exterior stairs to check on the store. All was well, but she retraced her steps twice, as if to confirm that the door hadn't magically become unlocked in the few seconds since she had last checked it. Galina knew her behaviour was irrational, but she couldn't seem to help herself. If drove Dmitri crazy, how she was always worrying about whether she had forgotten to lock the doors or turn the stove off. Sometimes Galina could be very peculiar and her hormones seriously triggered her anxiety.

She yawned as she walked back up the stairs and into the apartment. She locked the door carefully behind her and then kicked her shoes off. Feeling too tired to read, she decided to abandon the attempt and just go to sleep instead. She went to check on her sleeping boys one final time and then decided to just spend the night in there instead. Yuri was bound to end up in his parents' bed before morning anyway, and Dmitri always complained when that happened. She crawled into the bed beside her sleeping son and kissed his plump cheek softly.

Galina's last thought before she drifted off was that she hoped neither of her sons would wake her up before morning. She was tired.