"Vasily, I'm on my way with Lida to the hospital. Her labour is progressing fast so you need to get yourself down here right now," Red said sternly into the phone as she left a voicemail message. "I don't know where the f**k you are, but who the hell forgets their phone when they have a wife due to have a baby at any minute? Call me."
She hung up her cell phone and dropped it onto her lap. The carpet in the cab they were riding in smelt damp with mildew and the driver kept annoying her by glancing back repeatedly in the rear-view mirror, terrified that Lida was going to make a mess in his car. His eagerness to rid himself of them was causing him to swerve through traffic as quickly as possible, thus ensuring that they would be at the hospital in record time.
Running a hand over her face, Red glanced out the window at the grey and misty day and hoped that Gloria would be okay at the party without her. Gloria still had a lot of support with her, but Red hadn't liked some the looks Daniel had been giving Gloria. He still seemed to hunger for some control over her, even after all this time. It was subtle, but Red had noticed it because of the stories Gloria had confided in her before about him and what her marriage had been like. Red was sorry that she hadn't been able to stay, and couldn't help but think that her newest grandchildren already seemed to have a penchant for the dramatics.
"He didn't respond to my text yet either," Lida said tiredly. "Where the hell is he? Did you try everyone else?" She was flipping frantically through her phone and had already sent out messages to almost everyone else in the family. Her labours had always been relatively short, and this one seemed to be proceeding more rapidly than the others.
"I've left them all messages," Red reminded her calmly, turning away from the window she had been staring out of. "Try not to worry, he has time. And I imagine he won't be much use to you when he arrives anyway. Husbands are as useless as children when it comes to things like this."
"Well that's why I have you," Lida smiled. "Vasily is there more as something to laugh at between pains. He gets so nervous and tries not to show it, so instead he runs around like a headless chicken doing whatever tasks he can think of for me. It's quite sweet. He makes me feel loved."
"Hmm," Red mused, brushing the blonde tangled hair out of Lida's face. "Well, I'm sure he'll be along shortly."
The relationship between her son and his wife was endearing to her because it was such a good one. It went without saying that Vasily hadn't been given a great example of what marriage was supposed to be, but he'd appeared to overcome that. Red had worried her sons would never retain a healthy relationship. Yuri certainly hadn't, and Vasily and Lida had experienced several ups and downs, break-ups, and fights before they'd finally matured enough to fully commit and settle down. Red had never been privy to their most tumultuous early years, but Dmitri had always kept her well informed and she had always believed that Lida was the girl that Vasily needed to shape up for and marry before it was too late. She hadn't been wrong and things were very good now.
"Ahhh," Lida moaned, doubling over in pain as another contraction struck her. In the front seat their taxi driver scowled and honked his horn at an idling car that was in his way. Red automatically offered Lida a hand to hold, which she grasped onto as though it were a life preserver. Red was a reassuring presence through this anony that was labour, and Lida was pleased she was there for her.
"You're doing great," Red praised, while absentmindedly she scrolled through her phone. None of her sons had replied yet, which left little doubt in their mother's mind that they were all together somewhere. Nicky hadn't replied to her text yet either, which irritated Red to no end. Her finger tapping on her daughter's name on the screen, Red hit dial.
She held the phone up to her ear and squeezed Lida's hand back reassuringly. The girl was still emitting dull moans which concerned her. These contractions were extremely long, with several agonizing peaks throughout them. She'd been having one after the other so persistently that there wasn't even any point in timing them. The baby would be there soon.
"Hello?" Nicky grumbled into the phone, and Red let out a gasp of relief. She had just been about to hang up, ready to curse out all her children and their knack for disappearing right when she needed them most.
"Nicky!" Red exclaimed. "Oh, thank God! Why didn't you reply to my texts?"
"I was sleeping," Nicky explained nonchalantly. "What's up?"
"What's up?" Red repeated. "Lida is in labour."
"Really?" Nicky said, perking up a little as this bit of news peaked her interest. "Is that what that noise is? She sounds like a wounded cow…"
"Listen to me," Red said sternly, ignoring Nicky's remarks. "I need you to go by Vasily's house and see if you can find him. Then check Yuri and Maxim's...none of them have answered me either."
"Okay," Nicky sighed. "I'll do my best."
"Thank you," Red said briskly, and she hung up the phone.
It was nearing three minutes by the time her contraction let up, and Lida all but fell sideways into Red's arms, breathless and needing a rest. This labour was progressing rapidly but it was really exerting her, which wasn't great when she needed to save her energy for pushing. She was getting hardly any breaks in between. Red felt relieved when the hospital came into sight and she realized that they had made it. Lida still had some time to go, but it wouldn't be long and Red felt better knowing that the baby wouldn't be born in a dirty cab.
"Let's go," Red said, wiping beads of sweat off of Lida's forehead with a Kleenex from her bag. "Are you okay to walk?"
"Yes," Lida said impatiently, struggling to stand up. "I don't want to sit anymore." She waddled ahead of her, through the automatic doors of the hospital, while Red retrieved Lida's purse and cell phone from the seat of the cab for her. She handed some waded-up bills to the driver and then hurried after her daughter-in-law
Lida hadn't make it too far when she was almost knocked over by a sudden rising peak within her. "Why the f**k do I keep doing this to myself?" she moaned, as Red hurried through the doors and to her side. While Lida staggered, bent over at the waist, Red pulled her hair back out of her face and made shushing sounds to try and quiet her. Everybody in the waiting room was looking over at them with utmost interest. And a nurse got up from behind the admittance desk with a knowing smile on her face.
"Where is the maternity ward?" Red asked.
"Third floor," the nurse replied. She tilted her head to examine Lida, who was beginning to recover from the strong assault. "You want a wheelchair, sweetie?"
"No, I don't" Lida said firmly.
XXX
She was given a hospital gown to change into and was led into a room while Red followed closely. She pulled off her dress and undergarments quickly and tossed them onto the bed. Slipping the gown on, she wrapped it around herself before she felt the rising peak of another contraction overcome her. She fell forward, with her hands braced on the bed and her head bowed. As Lida shivered and grunted in pain, Red went to stand behind her and began kneading deep circles on her back, using as much force as she could muster.
"Too many more like that and I won't be able to go on," Lida said desperately, when it had ended. She kept trying to remind herself that she always felt like this and that it only meant that her body was doing as it was supposed to. Everything was proceeding beautifully, although it didn't feel like that to her right now. All she could think about was the pain and, despite this being her third child, she was growing increasingly panicked with each rising contraction.
"You're doing such a good job," Red said. Reaching for the ties on Lida's hospital gown, she knotted it for her. "You're nearly there."
Lida nodded her understanding, her face still scrunched up in anxious anticipation. The resting time between her pains was minimal now. "Ahhh," she cried, after what felt like mere seconds. She bent back over the bed again, while Red's hand resumed their strong rubbing that seemed to help some. The peaks were beginning to climb over her fairly high pain threshold and she knew she couldn't tolerate much more. She was in transition and very soon it would be time to push.
"Mrs. Reznikov, once you're through with this one I'm going to get you on the bed so I can monitor the baby," an older and unimpressed looking nurse said nonchalantly, as she walked through the door. Catching Red's eye, she asked, "has her water broken yet?"
"Not yet," Red said, "but her contractions are coming one after the other. When is the doctor going to examine her?"
"He's on his way," the nurse replied.
Lida looked up at Red will wild eyes once her pains had lifted. "Lying on my back makes it worse," she said panicky. She was in the full throttles of back labour, and any position that added additional pressure to her tender back made her feel as though she were on fire.
"You're going to have to lie down for the doctor to check your dilation anyway," the nurse told her, "and I'm pretty sure he's going to want to break your water himself to move things along."
Red cupped her hand behind Lida's head, clenching a fistful of her tangled locks. "Just get onto the bed and stay seated until the doctor comes in," she coaxed, "you don't have to lie down right away."
Whimpering, Lida crawled up onto the bed with Red placing a supportive hand on her back. As soon as she sat down it felt like an electric current had raced up her spine and she jumped onto her knees. She changed her position so that she was on all fours on the bed, just when there was a popping sound and her waters gushed. As she felt the flow of water between her legs, Lida moaned and rocked her hips forward. Active tears were flowing down her cheeks as she was overtaken once again by another mammoth of a contraction.
"I have to push! I have to push!" she cried, completely losing her head in this moment of excruciating pain.
"Not yet!" the nurse cried," the doctor isn't here yet." Looking to the supply table she grabbed a pair of latex gloves and pulled them onto her hands. Then she reached for a cotton pad and placed in onto the bed, over the wetness where Lida's membranes had ruptured.
"You have to lie back," the nurse commanded, "and I'll check to see if you're fully dilated."
"Mmmmm," Lida moaned, as Red's hands found her shoulders and pulled her back persistently. Lida crushed her back into the mattress, pinning Red's hands beneath her and causing her to wince.
"Vasily's not here," she looked up at Red pitifully. "Where is he? You said he'd come…"
Red gritted her teeth and glanced helplessly towards the door. "Try panting if you feel like pushing," she suggested. "You're so close. The baby is going to be in your arms very soon. Focus on that."
"You're nine centimeters," the nurse informed her, "not quite done but nearly there. I'm going to go see what's keeping the doctor. Don't push!"
Lida let out a noise of frustration as Red succeeded in freeing her hands from between Lida's back and the bed. She walked over to the window where she had dropped her purse and reached for the two cell phones that had been stowed away inside. A piercing scream behind her caused her to drop the phones before checking them, and hurry back over to the bed where Lida was crying out in agony, the crushing pain in her back making everything worse. With difficulty, Red helped maneuver Lida back onto all fours so that her stomach was dangling and not adding any more pressure to her back.
"Pant, pant, breath," Red reminded her, and at the sound of her voice, Lida stopped panicking and began to take deep alleviating breaths until the contraction released its hold on her again.
She went through another one before the doctor finally appeared in the doorway. "I expect you're about ready to push," he said cheerfully.
"You think?" Lida snapped in frustration. It had taken all her willpower to refrain from attempting to push this baby out despite what they said.
When there was a lull between her piggybacking contractions, Red helped settle her daughter-in-law back into a sitting down position, which made Lida whimper in pain but couldn't be helped. Her legs spread as wide as she could, Lida reached her hands beneath her to grip at her own thighs and pull them as far back as she could, her knees almost brushing her breasts. The nurse had set up the stirrups for her feet, but Lida didn't use them. The doctor examining her cervix nodded his satisfaction when he realized she was fully dilated.
"Push," he said simply, when the next contractions rocked her. This time Lida didn't scream. So relieved she was to finally be able to do something. To give in to her urge to get this baby out. Her face turned purple, as she brought her chin down to her chest and worked as hard as she possibly could. Red and the nurse were each bracing one of her legs for support and everyone was cheering her on.
"I-can't-do anymore," Lida exclaimed, falling back against the pillows in exhaustion. The contraction was over and her body was now giving her time to rest. The breaks between pushing were much longer than the near constant agony of the transitional stage.
"I saw the top of the baby's head," Red told her, smiling encouragingly. "Two more pushes...maybe three...I bet she'll be out. You can do three more for me can't you?"
"Uh huh," Lida nodded her head frantically, and then she arched her back up off of the bed again and moaned. "Again!" she cried out, and pushed even harder than she had before. Holding up Lida's leg for her, Red couldn't resist taking another glimpse and saw the top of the baby's head emerging. She could tell that the baby was going to have thick black hair like her father.
"Oh my god, oh thank god, I made it!" a voice cried from the doorway, and everyone in the room turned to see Vasily rush through the door.
"Where the hell have you been?" Lida asked him angrily. As Vasily rushed over to her side and placed a hand on the top of her head protectively. "And don't you dare kiss me! I am so mad at you right now...I just want to-"
Her words were cut off as she felt the push to bear down again. Her body doing what it knew instinctively to do and Lida groaned through the agony as she worked with the pain. With Red and the nurse bracing her legs and Vasily's encouraging hands on her shoulders, Lida pushed harder than ever before. Wanting and willing this to be it. She grunted through clenched teeth and beads of sweat dripped down her face until she thought she had given all she had to give.
"I can't-" she moaned.
But Red cut her off. "More, Lida, more!" she coaxed. "This will be it! Don't stop!"
And even though she was shaking her head and wanting to give up, Lida started pushing once again, grunting through clenched teeth as beads of sweat dripped down her face. With Red and the nurse bracing her legs and Vasily's encouraging hands on her shoulders, Lida powered through the burning agony and was rewarded when the nurse reached and guided her hand down to feel the top of the baby's head. Excitement replacing her panic, Lida gave one more great push and then fell back as her baby's cries filled the room.
Feeling a rush of blood to her head, Red suddenly realized that she had been holding her breath in those final moments. All she could do was stare, as the doctor lifted the baby up to its mother's chest and the nurse covered the two of them with a heated blanket. Vasily reached out a hand to caress his daughter's head. He moved to kiss his wife's cheek-who did not resist, but deliberately turned so that he caught her lips instead. All was forgiven, and Lida was laughing happily as she stroked the baby's cheek.
The doctor delivered the placenta and Lida barely even noticed what was happening to her. Vasily cut the cord as he had done at Alexei and Vera's births as well. All Lida had eyes for was her newborn daughter. The pain of labour was already forgotten, as nature always intended it to. Red stood back and smiled as she saw tears brim in her son's eye while he held his family close. Even though she had wanted to strangle him when he'd rushed in at the last possible second, now all she felt was pride swelling up inside of her. She had raised a good son, who had grown up to be a wonderful man.
"What's her name?" Red asked. Vasily and Lida hadn't divulged that bit of information to anyone yet. They had been keeping it a secret. A little part of her that had only been known to her parents. Their secrecy had driven Red insane.
"Emilia Grace," Vasily told his mother. Lida grinned up at him and then turned her attention immediately back down to her baby. Nobody had examined her yet or had done anything. She was just being held by her mama, skin to skin, and all was well. When Emilia began rooting, Lida latched the babe onto her breast with the practiced ease that came from nursing the two babies before her.
"Posle babushki?" Red asked in astonishment and her son nodded. It had never occurred to her that Vasily would be inclined to name one of his children after the grandmother that he had never even met. After Red's mother, who had only known of her three grandsons through letters and photographs. She'd always loved them though, and had written to them weekly from the time they were born. Red had saved all of the letters and read them aloud to her sons as they grew up. Their Babushka would write them stories about her life, past and present, and all about what their mother had been like as a little girl, which were tales the boys had thoroughly enjoyed. It had always been a source of unyielding comfort to Red that both of her parents had at least died long before they'd ever learned of the mess that she and Dmitri had gotten themselves into. Her mother had always been so proud of her and had wanted amazing things for her. It would have destroyed her to learn that her daughter had wound up in prison.
Emilia nursed from both of her mother's breasts before Lida finally consented to allow the nurses to take the baby to examine and weigh her. She was a solid eight pounds, her biggest baby yet. And they diapered and swaddled her up before returning Emilia to her mother's waiting arms.
"Where's my bag?" Lida asked suddenly, looking inquisitively up at Vasily. "Did you remember my bag?"
'It's right here," Vasily replied, pointing at a chair by the door where he had tossed it hurriedly upon arrival. "Do you need something?"
"I want to take a shower," Lida said firmly. "And all my clothes and stuff are in there."
"Are you sure you feel alright to shower?" the nurse asked. "You've lost a lot of blood. You don't feel too dizzy?"
"I'm fine," Lida told her. "I feel completely normal now….also starving." she turned to her husband. "Will you go find me a burger or something to eat?"
"I'll see what I can do," Vasily chuckled. "I'll go down to the cafeteria."
After Vasily was gone, Red opened up Lida's hospital bag and began setting everything out for her. She had packed a lot for herself and baby. Red pulled out a pair of loose comfortable pajamas and the thick pads Lida had bought for herself because she hated what was provided in the hospital. She carried her shampoo and soap into the bathroom and switched the faucet on. The nurse had given her okay for Lida to get up, provided that somebody stayed with her.
"Will you hold the baby while I shower?" Lida asked.
"Is that a serious question?" Red asked incredulously, so eager she was to finally get to cradle her newest grandchild.
Lida passed Emilia into her grandmother's waiting arms and then slowly crawled out of the bed. She wrinkled her nose in distaste as she felt blood gush with every movement, but otherwise she was feeling perfectly fine. Just a little bit sore. She walked slowly into the bathroom and stripped off the soiled hospital gown, which she left in a heap on the floor. Stepping into the shower, she let out a contented sigh of relief when the warm water hit her body. She just wanted to feel clean.
Red had followed her into the bathroom to make sure she was okay and sat down in a plastic chair to snuggle the baby. Emilia blinked back up at her and Red felt a surge of love pass through her in this perfect moment. She hadn't held a newborn since her own children's births and had forgotten just how happy it made her feel. She had missed out on experiencing this with her other four grandchildren and was filled with a sense of gratitude that she'd never miss anything again.
One she was showered, Lida dressed herself in the fresh clothing and beamed down at her baby. "It's always worth it once it's done" she smiled. "Isn't she beautiful?"
"She's gorgeous," Red agreed, "and you did amazing today."
"Thanks for being with me," Lida said graciously.
Vasily returned with a load of food and Red was glad to have a reason not to hand the baby back over just yet. Lida enthusiastically ate the burger, fries, and strawberry milkshake that her husband had brought her. Red sat quietly in a chair, taking the time to memorize every piece of her newest grandchild. From her dark black hair, to her dainty little nose, and the pale blue eyes that were currently looking up at her. Red kissed each finger and smiled when Emilia wrapped her entire hand around one of hers. Red could have stayed and held her for hours, but once Lida had finished her food, Red knew she needed to give the baby back.
"Tomorrow I can bring Alexei and Vera by to meet their new sister," Red offered, as she handed Emilia back to Lida.
"Yeah," Lida agreed. "Aww I miss the two of them so much. I sort of want to call them, but they're probably already asleep. Do you think?"
"Probably," Red replied, though she doubted putting them to bed at their usual time had been on Gloria's list of priorities. She may have been stern about her own kids, but when it came to the grandchildren, Gloria was a complete softy. Red was pretty sure that she'd be returning home to two wide awake and very happy children.
"I'll walk you out, Ma," Vasily offered. She said her goodbyes to Lida and then forced herself to look away from the sleeping baby. It had been an incredible night and Red knew how lucky she was to be a part of it. It meant the world to her.
She shook her head. "I didn't know whether to kiss you or kick you when I saw you run in," Red said, as she and Vasily walked down the hall together. She shook her head. "You know your wife would have been heartbroken if you hadn't gotten here in time."
"Well, I did get here in time," Vasily replied. "So it's all's well that ends well, and I'll make it up to her."
"You'll be making it up to her for the rest of your life," Red told him. "I hope you at least have a decent alibi."
"I was fixing up some loose shingles on the roof," Vasily replied. "Yuri and Max were helping me. We left out cell phones inside. But fortunately, Nicky showed up and told me to get going. Thank God she did or I would have missed it."
"Who the hell doesn't check their cell phone for hours when they have a pregnant wife due at anytime," Red rolled her eyes. "Honestly-"
Vasily let out a little laugh and ran a finger across his mouth. "I guess I just didn't expect today to...amaze me as much as it did," he told her. "Like we already had the boy, had the girl...but," he took a deep breath and then smiled. "I was just blown away as soon as I saw her, Ma. It's like I didn't even realize how much I needed that precious girl until now.
"That's how I felt about you when you were born," Red said fondly. "I already had two little boys keeping me busy and I was working more than ever. When I found out you were on the way I couldn't figure out how I was going to make you fit." She reached out to grasp her son's arm as they walked outside into the cool November night. "And then you were born, and you were so perfect, and I loved you beyond all words. My third and final baby. All I wanted to do was cherish, soak you in, and never let you go. But you all grew up too fast."
"I'm so glad that you were here today, Ma," Vasily said, wrapping an arm around his mother's shoulders. There was a waiting taxi, but neither made a move towards it yet. Red was looking up at her son with a tender expression on her face, waiting for him to continue speaking. "I was without you for so long and we survived it, but now I don't even understand how I managed to do one day. I just needed you so much."
"I know," Red agreed, bowing her head in shame. "I don't know how we survived it either. I suppose we did because we didn't have any choice."
"I never take for granted having you around to see and talk to whenever I want," Vasily rubbed his mother's arm. "And it means the world to me that you're here for all the important moments now, like for my daughter being born."
Red looked up at him again and smiled. Her blue eyes were sparkling and she said seriously, "I'm never going to miss anything again." Vasily walked her over to the idling taxi cab with his arm around her shoulders and then hugged her tightly.
"I love you, Mama," he said.
"I love you too," Red kissed his cheek. "I'll call you tomorrow and we can make a plan about when to bring by the kids. Maybe after lunch?"
"Sounds good to me," Vasily replied.
XXXX
On the drive, Red rested her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. It had been such an emotionally charged and exciting day. She could barely contain herself and was eager to get home so that she could tell Gloria everything that had happened and about how precious Emilia was. It had turned out to be one of the most incredible days of her life and she hoped that Gloria had coped alright with Daniel and Sarai once she had gone.
It was nearing ten o'clock when Red unlocked the door to her apartment and let herself inside. Julio was on his laptop at the kitchen table and Benny was playing video games, but they both paused and looked up expectantly when she walked in.
"Well?" Julio prompted her.
"Did Lida have the baby?" Benny asked eagerly.
"Let me get my coat off first," Red told them with a smile. She unzipped her jacket and hung it up. Then she slipped off her shoes and placed them carefully on the mat.
"Gosh, you're slow," Benny complained, when Red finally came over and sat down beside him. Julio got up from the table and perched on the arm of the sofa.
"They named her Emilia Grace," Red told them. "After my mother. She has dark black hair, like Vasily, and blue eyes. And she's already so alert, looking all around at everything with such a serious expression."
"Nice," Julio smiled, "how's Lida?"
"She's good," Red told him. "Was up out of bed and doing everything herself before I left. She and the baby will probably go home tomorrow or the next day."
"Cool," said Benny. Losing interest with the conversation he picked up his game controller and then turned back to Red. "Feel like racing against me? Julio won't-he has homework," he rolled his eyes.
"Maybe tomorrow," Red told him, stifling a yawn. "I'm too tired."
"It's only ten o'clock," Benny pointed out. "What are you so tired for? It's not like you had to push out a baby, you just watched somebody else do it."
"Not everybody slept in until noon like you," Red reminded him, "no wonder you're so wide awake." Smoothing his hair back, she got to her feet. "I'm going to bed...I'll see you in the morning."
The door to her bedroom was open ajar and Red could see the blue light from the flickering screen bouncing off of the walls. Careful not to make a sound in case they were all sleeping, Red pushed the door open more and tiptoed inside. A flush of happiness warmed her insides as she took in the adorable scene before her. Gloria lying in the middle of the bed, with a bowl of candy on her lap, and a sleeping child cuddled on either side of her. Alexei and Vera must have dozed off in the middle of the movie, but Gloria hadn't moved. She didn't want to wake them.
"No Little Mermaid?" Red asked in surprise, citing Vera's favourite, which she asked for every single day.
"We finished it a couple of hours ago," Gloria told her, busy digging around in the mix bowl of candy for a kind that appealed to her. "You know these kids have never seen Pocahontas? I mean seriously, so we watched that one too."
"And what's this one supposed to be?" Red asked, pointing at the screen.
"Lilo and Stitch, where have you been?" Gloria teased, pausing with a sugary gummy worm mid-way to her mouth. "You'd probably like it. Stitch kind of reminds me of Nicky."
"Really?" Red chuckled, as Gloria popped the gummy worm into her mouth. Red perched herself on the foot of the bed and raised her eyebrows at Gloria expectantly. "You haven't even asked about her yet," she pouted.
Gloria laughed, "I was wondering how long it would take you to burst," she teased. "Tell me all about the little angel."
"Oh, Gloria, she's so perfect," Red gushed. "Eight pounds and eighteen and a half inches. She has lots of black hair and blue eyes, and the cutest little nose. I'd say she definitely takes after her father. She looks just like Vasily did when he was born."
"She sounds beautiful," Gloria said. "What did they name her?"
"Emilia Grace," Red replied. "Emilia was my mother's name. Vasily never even met her, but Lida let him name this baby because she picked Alexei and Vera. And Grace was Lida's Grandmother."
"That's so sweet," Gloria said. "I pissed everybody off when I had my kids because they're not named after anybody. I just picked names that I liked...well, Danny named the girls, I suppose. But Lourdes was offended that I didn't honour my mother for the middle name at least."
"Hmm," Red considered her. She trailed her hand over Gloria's leg that was hidden beneath the comforter. "How did things go with him after I left? Did he talk to you any more?"
"Oh, yeah," Gloria breathed, and she felt Red's hand tighten around her calf protectively. "But I handled him."
"You did?" Red nodded her approval.
"Well, he tried to corner me in the dining room once everyone else had left," Gloria explained quietly. "He and Sarai together actually-but I stood up for myself. That's about all I can do, I guess."
"Khuyesos," Red cursed Daniel in Russian. "You shouldn't have to do that at all."
"Such is life," Gloria shrugged. "I've been trying not to think about it since I left, actually. I've been distracting myself with these two tiny friends." She motioned to the sleeping kids nestled up against her. "Even though they bailed on me and passed out right in the middle of the good part. Left me with all this tempting candy to eat alone too."
"That is a lot of candy," Red said, peering into the bowl. "Where did it all come from?"
"Benny keeps a stash in his dresser," Gloria told her. "The kids and I raided it when he wasn't looking...hey, if he didn't want me to know about it, he should have put his own laundry away."
Red laughed and pulled the blanket up a little higher on Alexei. "I sort of want to wake them up and tell them all about their baby sister," Red admitted wistfully, "but I suppose I'll restrain myself."
"You better believe you will, lady," Gloria replied. "You wake them up and it will take forever for them to fall asleep again, and I'm tired."
"I thought you were enjoying your movie?" Red motioned to the tv screen where "Lilo and Stitch" was still playing.
"Actually, I was just waiting for you," Gloria admitted with a smile. "I figured that you would be home soon, and I haven't fallen asleep at night once since I moved in here without kissing you goodnight first."
"Really?" Red whispered.
"Yeah," Gloria nodded. "I didn't want to deprive you…"
Red trailed her hand up Gloria's leg as she got up from her perch at the foot of the bed and leaned over to kiss Gloria's lips. "Mmm," she murmured appreciatively, "you taste delicious." She licked the residue sugar off of her own lips and then brushed Gloria's mouth again, savouring the sweetness. In sleep, Vera shifted and Red reluctantly pulled away. "I suppose I'll go get changed," she sighed.
When she returned from the bathroom, Gloria switched off the television, engulfing the room in darkness. The light from the street danced across the covers and Red used it to guide herself to bed. Gloria held open the blanket for her to crawl beneath, which she did. She squeezed herself onto the edge of the mattress. Fidgeting uncomfortably, she wriggled closer to Alexei and stroked his blonde hair back.
"Is this okay?" Gloria asked her sleepily. "I should have set up the air mattress for them or something before, but I didn't think."
"No, it's cozy," Red replied. "I like sharing them with you-sharing my life with you, and getting to be a part of yours. Like your sons, they're just such a gift to me. I don't think I say that enough…"
Gloria reached out a hand to caress her cheek in the darkness. "I love our life so much," she whispered back. "Every day I wake up and think about how blessed I am to have you, and everything that comes with that. It's just pure happiness."
Red covered Gloria's hand on her cheek and then pulled it back, entwining their fingers. She kissed Gloria's knuckles, and then rested their joined hands on top of her pillow, next to her face, and above their sleeping grandson. "Goodnight, my love," she whispered.
