This must have been a crash course from God. I loved having Dimitri's family here, but it had only been two days and I already wanted to barricade myself in a soundproof room. There was so much noise and energy that I was becoming overwhelming.

Just needing a few moments to myself, I stuffed my feet into a pair of shoes and picked my keys up off the table.

"I'm just going to go and get some more marshmallows from the store across the street," I said to Dimitri as I slipped my coat on.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, no. I just need a minute," I said with a small smile. Dimitri nodded in understanding, pressing a kiss to my cheek. More than once Dimitri talked me down from getting too overwhelmed, so needing a moment wasn't a surprise to him.

I stepped out onto the snowy sidewalk and walked across the street, quickly getting my marshmallows for hot chocolate and heading back home. I made my way to the elevator and got in, noting that it was busier today than usual. But I guess that was because of the holiday. I smiled at my neighbours and pushed the button for the penthouse. I knew to wait until everyone else was out of the elevator before swiping my card.

I leaned back against the wall and sighed, shifting on my feet. I lifted my head up when my neighbour chastised her son, and I groaned internally when I saw that he pushed every button between the sixteenth floor and the twentieth floor.

When the elevator came to the next floor I got off, figuring that it would be quicker to walk than to stop at every floor. I walked into the stairwell and gripped the railing, making my ascension up to the twentieth floor. Plus, Olena told me that walking would help the closer I got to my due date, and I hadn't been doing much of that lately.

I was almost to my floor when my foot slipped off the step and I tumbled downwards, landing face and belly first onto the concrete steps. I bounced down a few more steps before hitting the level landing. I took a few shaky breaths and placed my hands on my stomach, carefully feeling around. My face hurt more than my stomach, and Sofia was squirming around like crazy. I pushed myself up into a sitting position and sat there for a moment, trying to calm myself before standing up.

After a few deep breaths, I managed to get myself off the floor and carefully climbed the last bit of stairs. I slipped inside the penthouse closed the front door and walked, well waddled, quickly to my bedroom to look at my stomach better.

"Roza? Are you alright?" Olena asked, making me halt. I turned and looked at her, and she instantly noticed my tear-stained face. Olena's expression furrowed and she followed me into the bedroom.

I pulled off my coat and sweater. "I slipped on the stairs. I think I went down at least half the flight of stairs between floor eighteen and nineteen," I explained, turning to look at her in my jeans and tank top. Olena nodded and came closer, sitting me down on the edge of the bed.

"Can I?" Olena asked as she crouched down in front of me. I nodded and she pulled my tank top up to reveal my stomach. I looked down and bite my lip. It was red along the front, and I could already see a slight bruise rising to the surface. Olena tsked while gently prodding my stomach, checking with me if I felt any pain. Aside from the initial sting, it didn't hurt else she touched it.

"Has she moved since?"

"Yeah, she was moving after the fall. She has been shifting a lot while I've been sitting."

Olena nodded and cupped my stomach, feeling for movement. I could feel Sofia moving regardless, but I think Olena just wanted to make sure. I remember Dimitri mentioning that Olena was a midwife in the village he grew up in Russia.

"How hard did you fall?"

"I think my face took the brunt of it," I said pointing to my nose and cheekbone, "but my stomach doesn't hurt as much as it did."

"Do you want to go to the hospital?"

"Do I need to?" I asked, carefully rubbing the bottom of my belly.

"You should. Just to be safe, or at least call your doctor. I may be a midwife, but you and Dimka have a doctor that you have been with since the beginning."

I bit my lip and nodded. "Yeah. I think we should go, I'll call Dr. Miles," I said. I couldn't live with myself if I decided not to go and something was wrong with Sofia. Olena nodded and stood up, squeezing my shoulder before leaving the room, in search of Dimitri I assume.


Dimitri's look of worry was starting to stress me out.

"You shouldn't have taken the stairs," Dimitri chastised gently, stroking his thumb over my forehead.

"I know. I'm regretting it, but I mean, how was I gonna know that the stairs were slippery?" I said, tilting my head up to look at him. Dimitri exhaled leaned his head against mine as Dr. Miles did the ultrasound. I noticed that the baby's heartbeat was a little fast than usual.

"Is her heartrate supposed to be that high?" I asked.

Dr. Miles looked away from the screen to Dimitri and me. "A little elevation is usual after a fall. But I'm not seeing any issues with the baby, bleeding, or excess fluid. I believe that you are just going to be a little sore for a few days. But, I want you to watch for vaginal bleeding or extreme cramping. If you experience extreme cramping call me and go to the hospital," Dr. Miles said as he wiped the gel off my stomach. I nodded and sat up, pulling my shirt back down.

"And no excessive exercise. I want you to be careful," Dr. Miles said as he wiped off his equipment, "Do you have any plans for the holidays?"

"My family is visiting from Russia, and we are having Rose's father and best friend over for dinner with my family," Dimitri said as he held my hand to help me off the exam table.

Dr. Miles smiled and looked at us. "I noticed that you two were close the last few times you were here," he commented.

I smirked up at Dimitri as I slipped my coat on and put my boots back on.

"Yeah, I guess I grew on him," I joked, but my smile was jubilant. Dr. Mills smiled at us again and walked us out of the clinic. The clinic was closed today but he came in when I called.

"Have a Merry Christmas you two," Dr. Mills said as he locked up. Dimitri and I wished him a Merry Christmas as well before heading to our car as well.


Dimitri was stunned when Lissa and her new boyfriend arrived, only for me to find out that he knew him through Tasha. Christian Ozera was Tasha's estranged nephew. He had been considered the black sheep of the family, but within minutes I knew that we would be at each other's throats. And I could see a friendship blooming immediately.

Lissa was slightly nervous about meeting Dimitri but seemed to calm down within a few moments of meeting his family. Dad had a big smile for me the moment he walked in, scooping me up in his arms the best he could. She faltered for a moment when she saw Dad, but gave him a welcoming smile and embrace when it clued into her that we were mending our relationship too.

I turned and watched Christian, Dimitri, Paul and Dad converse in the kitchen while Dimitri cooked, Dad helping with Christian doing tasks. Dimitri practically removed his mother from the kitchen and insisted that she relax with the rest of us. Ivan arrived shortly after Lissa and Christian, lugging a sack of gifts, claiming that he was this year's Santa Clause.

I laughed when Ivan pulled a rectangular box out of the bag and kissed my cheek, and then clapping Dimitri's arm, giving him a one-armed hug.

"Thank you, Ivan. You didn't need to get me anything," I said flipping the box over in my hand and running my finger under the edge to lift the tape.

"Oh, but I did. It was perfect for you, and it'll go so well with Dimitri's gift," Ivan said to which Dimitri cuffed him in the back of the head. Ivan swore and rubbed the back of his head as I opened my gift.

I opened the lid to find a stunning vine-like tennis bracelet. "Awe, Ivan. You really did not need to get me this," I said as I pulled it out of the box and tried to put it on. My fingers slipped on the clasp and another set of fingers moved into place, clipping the bracelet together. I gave Dimitri a smile of thanks before admiring it.

"So if Ivan bought me a bracelet, what did you buy me?" I chirped, giving Dimitri a curious look. Dimitri raised and brow and shook his head. He wasn't going to budge until I opened it tomorrow morning. After taking the wrappings from me, Dimitri whispered for me to go sit and relax, ushering me into the living room with him mother, sisters and Lissa.

I was roped into the conversation quickly, Olena wrapping her arm around my shoulder when I sat down next to her.

"Christmas Eve has always been my favourite," I said with a small smile. I turned my gaze towards the kitchen where Dimitri, Dad, Ivan, Christian, and Paul were standing and talking. Olena's gaze followed, and a small smile graced her lips.

"Why's that dear?"

"Dad never celebrated Christmas until he had me, and we always made Christmas Eve our night. He'd always let me open a gift then, usually pyjamas. Then we'd drink hot chocolate and watch old Christmas movies. My favourites are It's a Wonderful Life and Miracle on Thirty-Fourth Street," I explained, rubbing my thumb against my mug.

Lissa snickered with her hand covering her mouth. "Rose watches them on a loop. She also is a sucker for the Polar Express," Lissa added, smiling at me.

Olena had a fond smile on her face as she listened to me talk, patting my knee gently. "Those are the best traditions. When the kids were all little, Christmas was just allowed to be openly celebrated again, so we used to decorate the tree on Christmas Eve. Dimitri as a child used to lay under the tree until bedtime and look at the lights," Olena reminisced and I smiled at the mental image. Olena got Zoya's attention and asked her to bring her her wallet. Zoya was only gone a few moments before coming back with the wallet. Olena smirked at me as she opened it and pulled out a few small photos.

I took them and flipped through them, chuckling at some of the ones of Dimitri. He was adorable as a child, but I could tell that he had always been tall. But instead of being filled out like he was now; he was lanky and all limbs.

"It's hard to think of Dimitri being little," I sputtered, making Olena break out into laughter.

"He was always tall for his age, but he was quite adorable when he was young."

I laughed and handed the photos back to Olena, getting up from the couch to get some more snacks. I waddled towards the counter, pressing my hand to my lower back. Reaching the island I leaned against it instead of walking around it.

"Dad, can you pass me some cookies?" I asked, stretching downwards while keeping my hands firmly against the counter. The cramping was getting a little annoying. It wasn't excessive but it started about an hour ago.

Dad placed the plate of cookies in front of me and I stood up, reaching for a cookie when I stopped. The popping sound wasn't easily forgettable, neither was the feeling of liquid running down my legs and onto the floor.

"Dimitri?"

"Yes, Roza?" Dimitri asked with his back was to me, pulling the turkey out of the oven.

"My water just broke."

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that followed. Dimitri turned to face me with an expression that was a mixture of joy, fear, and concern. Olena and Dad both moved before Dimitri, but he moved almost immediately after them. Olena fretted around while moving me away from the puddle beneath me, setting me into a chair while Dad cleaned up the mess. Dimitri didn't seem to know what to do and hovered beside me until Olena told him to help me get into clean clothes.

Dimitri nodded and helped me up, guiding me to our bedroom and helped me strip. I insisted on showering before getting into clean clothes. Dimitri hovered in the bathroom while I rinsed myself down. I stepped out and towelled down, taking the leggings and clean sweater from Dimitri. I stopped him once I was dressed and cupped his cheeks.

"Hey."

Dimitri focused on my eyes. "Take a deep breath, I think we have a few hours before we need to go," I said gently, trying to calm him so that I could stay calm. I was trying not to freak out about the baby being early, but he had never been through this before. Dimitri nodded and took a few slow breaths before kissing my wrists and then got up.

"Do we still need to pack the baby bag?"

"Yeah, I meant to do it but got sidetracked with your family coming," I said as I got up from the bed. I wandered back out to the kitchen, reassuring Dad that I was fine and that I wasn't going to give birth in the next hour. I sat back down on the couch with Olena and gave her a smile.

"Have you had any contractions?"

"Not a lot. I think I'm still in the early stages. I thought I was feeling crampy because of the fall earlier, but I guess this is why," I said.

Olena nodded her head and turned back to her conversation with her daughters, Lissa chiming in while casting a glance at me. I gave her a reassuring look and stood up to get my abandoned cookies. Dad gave me a look and gave him a small smile, leaning against his arm as I snacked on my cookies.

"You know we are about to eat, right?"

"Yes. But who knows when I'll be able to eat again," I said with a chuckle. Dad shrugged and nodded his head, understanding where I was heading with my train of thought. Once I go to the hospital, they weren't likely to let me eat solid food until after Sofia was born.

"Everything's ready," Dimitri called out, coming around the counter and slipping his arm around my waist. I hummed and smiled up at him, ready to sit down with our family.


Trying to move around enough to ease some of the cramping, I decided to do the dishes with Lissa while everyone else sat in the living room. Lissa kept throwing me glances when I tensed up before her eyes would go to the clock. They were becoming more frequent and longer. And from the first contraction to know, it had only been five hours. Much faster than it was with Jenny.

"How are you feeling? Emotional, I mean. I know that you don't feel all that great physically," Lissa asked as she handed me a glass to dry. I shrugged and dried the cup before setting it on the counter.

"I'm okay. A little freaked out because she's early but other than that I'm okay. Speaking of early, I need to call Dr. Miles. He needs to know," I explained before wiping my hands on my pants and reaching for my phone. I wasn't able to get him directly but left a message that I had gone into labour and that my contractions were getting closer together. I turned around to find Dimitri leaning against the island.

"Lissa? Could you give me and Rose a minute?" he asked kindly. Lissa nodded and wiped her hands on the towel I was using to dry the dishes before walking into the living room. I smiled up at Dimitri as he came around the counter, slipping his arms around my waist and pulling me close to him.

"How are you feeling my love?"

"I'm okay. Contractions are about ten minutes or so. How about you? Ready to become a dad?" I asked as I looped my arms around his neck.

"Now that I've gotten over the shock, yes. I am very ready," Dimitri said tenderly, resting his forehead against mine. I smiled and let my eyes fall closed, savouring a moment of calmness before the chaos begins. This was the last moment that Dimitri and I would have where it's just him and me. Soon it will be him, me and Sofia. Dimitri pulled away and used one hand to reach into his pocket and produced a small square box, wrapped in beautiful green paper.

"I was going to give you this in the morning, but I think this should be your Christmas Eve gift instead," Dimitri said, kissing my forehead. I took the box from him and opened it. Inside was a simple necklace with two silver disks hanging from the chain. I pulled it out to examine it, gasping quietly when I saw the initials engraved in the disks.

J on one and S on the other. Jennifer and Sofia.

I gripped the chain tightly in my hand as I slipped my arms around Dimitri's waist, burying my face into his chest.

"I love it. Thank you," I whispered. Dimitri wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head before resting his cheek there. I stayed there contently until I winced and groaned, shifting in his arms when discomfort rippled through my lower abdomen. I quiet moan torn out of my lips and Dimitri tried to comfort me, but I brushed him off. I needed to breathe through it and didn't want to be coddled. The only comfort I took was squeezing his hand.

"I think it's time we leave now," I grunted a moment later, looking to the clock to see how much time was between this contraction and the last. It was less than seven minutes now. Dimitri nodded and kissed my head.

"I'm going to get the bag and let our parents know," Dimitri said once the contraction ended. I nodded and leaned back against the counter, taking a deep breath before picking up my phone again.

"Dr. Miles? It's Rose Hathaway again. My contractions are five minutes apart, Dimitri and I are heading to the hospital now," I said into the phone, hoping that he would get it in time.


Hello hello! I'm sorry for the late update. The week got away from me and I realized I hadn't finished the chapter.

I hope you are all having an amazing week.

Let me know what you think!