22
As we walked down the hall, following Bianca I looked at the many photos on the wall and long night stands. Most of them were of us with Aunt Alicia and Alexander. I felt a quick smile play on my lips as I remembered each memory of the photos. Viktor was looking at all the photos and then looked around the place. Once we entered their large living room, Adonis was standing up from their couch frowning.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Adonis snapped, his arm pressed to his stomach. His bruises were lightly fading. At least he was healing. He was making a straight line toward Viktor and Bianca was in front of him.
"Hey, hey stop! Okay. Astrid came to talk." she said. Adonis frowned at me.
"How the hell could you bring him into my house!" he yelled. I stepped from Viktor and moved up to my brother.
"I told him he could come in. You both need to talk!" Bianca said and Adonis looked at her with betrayal in his eyes.
"You weren't returning any of my phone calls or my texts so one of us had to be the mature one." I said.
"Mature one? Nah this ain't about maturity. You've been sleeping with the enemy!" Adonis snapped. Bianca stepped out of the way so I could take her place.
"He's not the enemy, Donnie… he's just another opponent." I said and he scoffed.
"How can you say that! You know what his father did!" he yelled and I nodded.
"I know. But what happened those years ago, have nothing to do with us." I said. Donnie sucked his teeth and frowned at Viktor.
"Yeah like I'm supposed to believe that punch after the bell wasn't meant to lay me out permanently." he said. I just stared at my brother for a moment.
"Our father is dead, Donnie. And I know he did not mean to leave us, but he is gone." I said softly and my brother looked down at me with water in his eyes and I just stared up at him with tears swelling in my cheeks. "I know that it seems me and Aunt Alicia betrayed you and him by being with them. But Donnie it's love and what happened those many years ago have nothing to do with you and I and have nothing to do with Viktor."
He stared down at me sniffling some wiping the tear that quickly fell down his cheeks, before shaking his head as if in denial.
"How do you even know what ya'll got is real huh? You've slept with everyone I fought what makes him any different huh?" he asked as if trying to hold on to the anger and hurt he felt.
"Donnie!" Bianca said lowly and Viktor stepped forward.
"Watch your mouth." Viktor warned.
"Oh yeah or you'll what!" Donnie threatened, and I raised my hands to both men as Viktor made threatening steps over to my brother. My hands were on both their chests and Viktor took a step back after looking at me gently and I nodded at him to tell him the situation is handled. I looked back at my brother and looked him over.
"For years I lived in your shadow. Anyone who knew me was because of you. I had no name for myself, because of you. I couldn't. The attention I got from other men, made me feel better- made me feel seen. But Viktor saw me first before he ever saw you. I became alive again from my art and now through him. He has proven himself to me that nothing else matters, not our father's past or his legacy and not your legacy matters to me." I explained softly for inhaling gently and looking down feeling tears slide down my face as I looked back up at him. "Yes we are going to get married… and you will not only be a father, but an uncle too."
Adonis's eyes flexed at my words and he let out a gentle exhale.
"You're…. you're pregnant?" he asked. I nodded and he looked down at my stomach gently placing his hand over my stomach. His hand shook from the pain he felt to move it and I placed my hand over his. I gently leaned forward and placed my forehead against his. In a ultrasound I found of us, I saw that we were facing each other, foreheads pressed so gently into one another. It was our comfort position I used to call it.
"I don't ask you to accept any of this. I'll understand if you choose not to be in my life after this moment, but I needed you to know. No matter what happens in the future, you will always be my brother." I said softly. His eyes slowly closed at my words and he pressed his head into mine. Bianca released quiet tears as Viktor just watched with light eyes.
"To not have you in my life would kill me." he said gently and we lightly leaned back and stared at each other. "I can never turn you away even if I can't fully accept him right now." He motioned his head toward Viktor and I nodded.
"Just promise me that whatever happens, you'll be there for when my baby is born?" I asked and he nodded.
"I promise as long as you are here with me when Amara is born." he said and I smiled happily, sniffling some at the name.
"Amara. So beautiful." I replied and he smiled and embraced me gently. I gave him a gentle hug as to not make things worse on his healing. We pulled back and smiled at each other. "We should go." Adonis nodded and I smiled at Bianca as she approached us with a smile. I gave her a gentle hug and stepped back from them. As I moved over to Viktor, Adonis once more sent him a glare and Viktor returned it. He took my hand and we left the house. I knew it would be asking for too much for the boys to just shake hands. No what they were feeling couldn't be healed by me. They would have to make amends for themselves. Once we were both in, I instructed our driver to take us back to the hotel.
As we walked back into the hotel, Viktor looked down at me.
"So what now?" he asked. I looked up at him as I sat down on the bed removing my heels.
"We relax for a few days then we can head back to Kiev. I'm sure you're eager to train and talk to your father about everything." I said. He frowned and shook his head as he removed his hoody.
"My father does not want to speak about us: not our marriage or our baby. He's still trying to get back in the good graces of the delegates and her." he said with anger in his tone as he began to pace in front of me. I looked him over. I knew who he was talking about.
"Did you ever try and reach out to your mother growing up?" I asked lightly. He shook his head.
"No. I knew she walked out on us. I see her on TV growing up with her new husband… all my life I'd wonder when she'd walk through the door and smile and open her arms to me, embrace me as if she had missed me." he said his tone soft and distant. I winced as I heard the clear pain in his voice as he shook his head and finally looked at me, his eyes watering. "I asked myself every day "how come she does not want me?"" Finally a tear streamed down his face and I felt utter pain from just hearing him in such pain. I stood up and moved over to him embracing him hard as he wrapped his arms around me, burying his face into my shoulder.
"You're safe with me. You'll always be safe with me." I whispered in his ear. His embrace was mildly tight as I could feel a light dampness in my shoulder. He gently nodded as I could hear him sniffling some. It hurt me to know my love was denied love and a childhood. I remembered his eyes when he first looked up at me as I held the umbrella over his head. Shy and inexperienced with talking to women I was sure. He held the ticket out to me like he was presenting me with flowers in hopes I would say yes. And when I did, his eyes lit up with a happiness I could see he was not use to showing. I vowed that I would always be his solace, his comfort in times of doubt. I didn't care if he lost a fight of if everything is taken from him. If his father and his country turned against him, then I would show him that they are not worth fighting for.
Aunt Alicia knew I would not be visiting her this trip as we didn't plan to stay very long. I did not want her and Viktor in the same room since there were many broadcasts in America of Viktor's continuing wins and taunting of my brother. I didn't really like it but in the world of boxing, I knew everything was for the media. Once we were back in Kiev, Viktor went right back into training. I returned to painting and taking pictures of the world around me, refilling my home with the art that Ricky destroyed. The Giver and The Protector was finally in a large portrait hanging on the wall where The Giver used to be. I smiled at the spot and gently rubbed my stomach. I had a light pudge poking out of me. Soon I would be going in for my ultrasound and Viktor would be with me.
As time went on, Bianca would send me pictures of her stomach growing and it made me even more excited that our babies would be able to play together. I wanted Viktor to move in with me, but I would never bring it up into a discussion. I know it wouldn't be a good idea at the moment. He wouldn't say it, but I knew Viktor wasn't entirely ready to up and move out of his father's place. It's all he's ever known. But now with the baby growing I knew we had to discuss it.
We lied together on my bed our fingers playing with each other's.
"I just can't abandon him. I am all he has. I am all he's ever had." he replied. I nodded gently.
"But soon… it will not be just him or me in your life." I replied. He nodded.
"I know… I know he'll be afraid that everything he worked for will be for nothing if I move out. I don't want him to feel like I deserted him too." he said looking at me with gentle eyes. I nodded as I listened understanding him.
"Will you at least try and talk to him? He knows we are getting married soon… I'm sure he's expecting that married couples live under the same roof." I replied and he nodded. "Unless you don't want to live under the same roof." His eyes mildly hardened on me and he sat up some.
"Of course, I want that. It would mean the world to me if we did. I'm just…" he looked down at the bed and shook his head. I gently rubbed his head.
"You're conflicted." I replied. He nodded slowly.
"Yes." he said almost sadly. I nodded and gently rubbed his cheek.
"We have time to discuss it later." I replied and he nodded smiling.
"Come on let's go see what our baby looks like." he said. That brought a smile to my face and I nodded and we both got up and got ready and headed to our appointment. Within an hour and a half, I was in a gown in the doctor's office watching the cold gel was slid across my belly by the wand the doctor had. Viktor was behind me, his hand squeezing my hand a bit tight. I could tell he was nervous. We were all looking at the black screen that showed different little things of what was inside me. Dr. Ilana was looking at the screen, her eyes squinting some at the screen. She wasn't saying much and I was unsure of what that meant.
"Shouldn't we be seeing the baby or something?" I asked and she nodded.
"There it is, but I am looking for a heartbeat." she said lowly, and I felt my hand squeezing Viktor's hand even harder as I looked up at him worry immediately showing on my face. His face was paling as he looked the screen over trying to look for something he knew he nothing about. The doctor continued to move the wand over my belly, looking from my stomach to the screen from time to time. My heart was starting to pound hard in my chest.
Suddenly, a low thud noise made us all gasp in relief. Dr. Ilana smiled wide, her eyes matching her expression as she looked at me. Just as she did, we heard another thump overlapping the first thump. She then pointed to the screen at a curved orb.
"There's baby one… and baby two." she said pointing to the second orb beside it. My mouth dropped in utter shock and I whimpered and looked at Viktor who just stared at the screen with large stunned deer eyes.
"Twins." I said gently. Dr. Ilana nodded and smiled.
"Twins… would you like to know the sex?" she asked. I looked up at Viktor who looked down at me and we both had questioning eyes but I nodded and he nodded too and we looked back at the doctor who pointed back to the first orb.
"Baby boy and baby girl." she said happily and I covered my mouth with one hand and cried out in complete happiness. I looked at Viktor who just looked frozen and before I knew it his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he was out like a light, falling right to the ground.