Denny was sound asleep when he was awakened by his wife's shaking him.
"Wake up, Denka!" Darya pleaded. "It is time to go to the hospital, now!"
Denny moaned him as he rolled over and looked at the digital clock. Two thirty in the morning.
"Are you sure, this time?" he asked. A little over a month ago, Darya had been so upset by the news of the terrorist attacks she'd gone into premature labor. Denny had rushed her to the hospital, where she'd been given medication to make her contractions stop.
"Yes, I am sure!" Darya insisted now.
Denny got out of bed and pulled his pants and shirt on, then sat on the side of the bed to put his shoes and socks on. Then he went into the bedroom where three-year-old Joshua lay fast asleep in his toddler bed.
"Come on, buddy." Denny picked the little boy up and held him. "Time to go to Nana and Deda's."
"Deda," Joshua mumbled without opening his eyes. Denny drove the short distance to the Kolchins' and rang the doorbell.
Alison heard the doorbell and her heart almost stopped. Ever since the terrorist attacks, the least little thing would make her jump ten feet in the air.
Carefully, so as not to awaken Alexei, she slipped out of bed and padded down the hallway to the door. She switched on the light and looked through the peep hole, and relief flowed through her when she saw her son standing there, holding her grandson. She opened the door to let them inside.
"Darya's having the baby," Denny told his mother. By now, Alexei had realized his wife was up and joined her, rubbing his eyes.
"Are you sure this time?" asked Alison as she reached for Joshua and pulled him into her arms.
Darya nodded vigorously.
"I sure hope everything goes well." Alison held the little boy close, kissing the top of his head.
"We'll keep you posted." Denny and Darya left.
"Nana?" mumbled Joshua.
"I'm right here, baby." Alison took him into Daisy's bedroom, where she kissed him goodnight and placed him into the toddler bed he used when he slept over. Then she and Alexei went back to bed.
Darya fussed, squirmed, and swore in Russian all the way to the hospital. Denny became worried that the baby would be born right there in the car. He dropped his wife off at the emergency entrance and then went to find a parking space.
By the time he got inside the hospital, Darya had already been wheeled up to the maternity floor. He entered the room to find her lying in bed hooked up to an IV and in obvious discomfort.
"I don't remember it being like this with Joshua," he remarked to no one in particular.
"I think she's having back labor," the nurse told him. "If you apply alternating warm and cold compresses to her back, it will help her get through it."
Denny sat at his wife's side continuously as nurses brought him bowls of hot and cold water and soft cloths. He also pressed his knuckles into her back, which seemed to relieve the worst of the pain.
This went on for several hours, and it was right before seven in the morning when Dr. Lloyd examined Darya and told her it was time to push.
Darya groaned as she bore down with all her might. She pushed again and again, and at last the infant emerged - face up, just as the nurse had predicted.
Alison had fallen into another sound sleep when the ringing telephone awakened her. Suddenly remembering the events of the previous night, she sprang to her feet and dashed to the telephone.
"She's here!" Denny announced as soon as he heard her say hello.
"The baby? You have a little girl?"
"A beautiful little girl, Mom, seven pounds and eight ounces."
"Oh, Denny, I'm so happy! How's Darya?"
"Resting. She had a rough time of it this time around. The baby was facing the wrong direction, so her labor was a lot more painful."
"So did she have a C section, then?"
"Oh, no. In the end, she came out just fine the natural way."
"Oh, I can't wait to see her!"
Denny laughed. "And I can't wait for you to see her!"
As soon as she got off the telephone, Alison shook Alexei awake.
"Wake up, Alexei! We have a new granddaughter!"
Alexei blinked, startled awake. "What? Oh, we do?"
"I just talked to Denny. She was born just before seven. Seven pounds, eight ounces."
Alexei smiled. "A big, healthy baby! I am so happy!"
"After breakfast, I'll stay here with the kids so you can go meet her," Alison volunteered.
"Oh, no, that is all right. You should go first."
Secretly glad, Alison didn't argue with him. She prepared breakfast, then quickly ate and dressed. She was almost out the door when she remembered it was a school day.
"Let Dayushka sleep in," Alexei chuckled. "It will not hurt her to miss just one day."
Alison reached the hospital, parked, and went inside. She pushed the elevator button for the fifth floor and rode up.
She entered the room to find Darya sitting up in bed, holding her newborn daughter and beaming. Denny sat beside her, grinning ear to ear. Alison sat down on the opposite side of the bed from her son and gathered the tiny, soft bundle into her arms. The newborn squirmed and opened her milky, dark blue eyes.
"Oh, you are precious!" Alison breathed.
"Her name is Alyssa Hope," said Darya. "My mother's full name was Nadezhda. That means 'hope' in Russian."
"I can't think of a more perfect name," said Alison.