Alexandra, exhausted but ecstatic, sat in bed holding Nicholas in one arm, Natalya in the other. Her labor and delivery had been long and difficult, and she'd lost a lot of blood, but she'd survived, and both twins were healthy.

Illya sat in a chair beside her, beaming. "I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you," he said, his finger lightly caressing her cheek.

"If someone had told me I was going to find love again after the loss of my Nicky, I would have laughed in his face," Alexandra replied.

"Yet here we are, with two beautiful examples of our devotion to one another." Illya chuckled as little Natalya yawned and flailed one tiny fist. "I cannot believe how much she looks like you."

"As Nicholas is the spitting image of you," Alexandra added, gazing adoringly at the tiny face of her sleeping son. "Alexei is going to be thrilled to finally have a brother. I hope that you don't mind that I wanted to name him after my dear departed husband."

"Not at all," Illya told her. "After all, my father's name was Nicolai."

"It's just such a miracle, Illya." Tears of joy were in Alexandra's eyes. "To think that you and your partner arrived just in time to save us, that love then blossomed between you and I, and that even at my age, I was able to once again bear children."

"There was a time when I didn't believe in anything that couldn't be explained by science," said Illya. "But ever since I met you, I've had occasion to question that belief over and over again."

The twins both began to cry, and Illya helped Alexandra to get them into position for nursing. As he softly stroked the top of his new daughter's soft, downy head, he knew that he was happier than he'd ever been before in his life.