"Are you sure you're all right? You look a little pale to me," Michael said to his wife one morning several weeks after they were married.

"I'm fine." Natalya smiled bravely as she began to prepare breakfast. She was buttering a piece of toast when her stomach suddenly felt funny. She made it to the bathroom just in time.

Michael heard her and rushed down the hallway to the bathroom, where he found Natalya sprawled on the floor, still heaving.

"Tasha!" He knelt beside her and gently wiped her face with a cool, damp cloth.

"I don't know what happened," Natalya said weakly. "I didn't even feel sick before, and I haven't eaten anything unusual lately."

"Come on back to bed," Michael gently urged her. He helped her to stand and helped her back into the bedroom and to bed, where she sank beneath the soft sheets gratefully. She slept for a good part of that morning.

Natalya felt poorly for the next several days in a row, and Michael, deeply worried, took his wife to the doctor.

"You're perfectly healthy," the doctor told her with a smile. "The symptoms you are experiencing are perfectly normal for a woman who's in the early stages of pregnancy. You're going to have a baby in about eight months."

Natalya was on top of the world. She couldn't wait to tell Michael.

"Oh, Michael, we're going to be parents!" she exclaimed as soon as she saw him.

"That's wonderful news!" Michael embraced his wife tightly and kissed her. "I have to admit I'm surprised it happened this fast, but I'm really glad it did."

"So am I," Natalya murmured from the warmth of his arms.

The first few weeks of the pregnancy were a very special time for Michael and Natalya. Although Natalya was tired and queasy much of the time, they were both so happy and excited that she barely noticed the discomfort.

The only thing that marred their happiness was the disapproval of Michael's family, especially his mother and brother. Although no one was ever overtly cruel to Natalya, she felt the rejection in small ways such as their refusal to invite her to parties and other affairs at the Winter Palace, and it stung bitterly. Michael generally refused to attend such functions as well, unless his presence was sorely needed for some reason.

By her fourth month, Natalya felt much better physically, and her pregnancy was beginning to show as well. One day she and Michael were going for a stroll in the park when they almost bumped right into another couple, literally. The man looked very surprised to see Natalya, but he recovered quickly and smiled. "Natalya!"

"Sergei!" she exclaimed. "It's been ages, hasn't it?"

"Forever," Sergei chuckled. "This is my wife Elena, my son Boris, and my daughter Anya." Boris was about four and Anya was about two.

"This is my husband, Michael. This is Sergei Mamontov," Natalya said.

"Natalya and I were once engaged," Sergei added. Michael glanced at Natalya with surprise.

"It's true," she whispered. She smiled at Elena. "Your children are adorable!" she exclaimed.

"Thank you," said Elena. "I see that you're going to have one of your own soon as well."

"Five more months." Natalya put her hand on her swollen belly. "I'm so happy to see that you have such a lovely family, Sergei," she said to her former fiance, who smiled generously in return.

"He's a very good, kind man," Natalya told Michael after Sergei and his family had gone. "I left him for Vladimir because I thought he was too boring." Her voice was heavy with regret.

"I see," Michael said gently.

"I can't begin to tell you how many times I regretted that decision," Natalya continued softly. "I'm so glad to see that he has a happy marriage and a beautiful family now. He deserves it, and I thank God every day that I met you, Michael, so I got another chance at happiness as well, whether I deserved it or not."

"Oh, sweetheart, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself." Michael stopped walking to gently cup his wife's face in his hands and kiss her lips. "We all make mistakes."

"Marrying Vladimir Wulfert was a big one," she mumbled.

"But that's all behind you now," Michael reminded her. "We have all the rest of our lives to be happy together."

"I love you, Michael." Natalya wrapped her arms tightly around her husband's body and buried her face in his chest.

"I love you too, darling." Michael stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "It's all right. Everything's going to be just fine."