Chapter 24: Artem

My eyelids fluttered for a moment, and I felt a slight pang at the back of my head. I hadn't been getting enough sleep lately, and this was because my wife was already nine months pregnant, and the babies could come at any time. This meant that I had to be more alert and observant of her. I spent most nights watching over her like a hawk, just to be sure that she was alright.

I knew this overprotective habit I'd picked up over time was unnecessary, yet I couldn't help it. She was my wife and the mother of the kids we were expecting, so it was my duty as a husband and father-to-be to keep my home safe. She was my home, my everything , and I would protect her with my life, even if it made me look like a fucking mother hen.

With a silent grunt, I woke up to the muffled sound of a thud coming from across the hallway, prompting me to regain awareness of my surroundings. Alert, I turned to face her side of the bed, and my heart paused for a second. My breath quickened, becoming shallow at the realization that she wasn't in bed with me.

Without thinking twice, I literally jumped out of bed, tossing the sheets aside as I sprang to my feet, thinking the worst in my head. I couldn't afford for the incident with Finch to repeat itself again, despite knowing that both Finch and the one who had sent him, the backstabbing Chris, were both dead.

The last time I thought the worst in a situation like this, it turned out that she was actually baking something for my niece in the kitchen. I had freaked out for nothing.

I wiped the cold sweat off my forehead as I let out a sigh, trying to calm myself. She was probably in the kitchen, but doing what? Sierra hadn't cooked or baked anything in months because of her condition, so why would she do so now? It didn't make any sense.

My eyes darted at the acrylic wall clock; it was just a couple of minutes past midnight. Maybe she was hungry. I rubbed my tired eyes, blaming these late-night cravings of hers on her pregnancy. My sister had done worse when she was heavy with Zoya, and her husband had to put up with everything that came with it. It was my turn to do the same.

The marble floor was chill beneath my feet as I headed out of the room, going straight to the kitchen. My descent down the stairs was quick, and in no time, I was already standing by the kitchen entrance. However, to my disappointment, she wasn't there, but my eyes were sharp enough to catch the yellow note pinned to the fridge.

With gentle steps, I walked forward to get a closer look. It read, Follow the Arrows .

That didn't make any sense to me at first until I turned around, scoffing at the game she was playing with me at this time of night. By the door, there was yet another note plastered on the handle, and I walked over to it, shifting my head in the direction the arrow drawn on it was pointing.

"What're you up to, Sierra?" I muttered, stepping out and heading toward the intended direction, which led me back to the stairs.

Standing at the bottom of the steps, I saw a note that I must have missed while rushing down. Peeling it off the railing, I read the content: Upstairs.

She chose tonight to play games with me. Classic.

I shook my head with a grin spreading across my face as I ascended the stairs, willing to play her game and see how it would end—what she was up to.

There was yet another clue plastered on the wall, and I read it silently, "Silent as the moonlit night. Where dust dances in the beams of light. Find the place where echoes dwell, where shadows fall." Scratching the back of my head, I muttered, "Are you kidding me…riddles?" I hated riddles, but I had to at least attempt this one.

Having considered the structure of the riddle, repeating the words over and over again in my head, I concluded that I finally got the message. With a triumphant smile lining the corner of my lips, I walked to the empty room directly opposite our bedroom.

Gently, I pushed the door, and it creaked open, allowing me to see the damsel, the goddess with a baby bump that was standing in the center of the room with a cake in her hand. She was dressed in her white nightgown, and her hair fell perfectly on her shoulders. She had a radiant smile that caused her eyes to sparkle, and under the moonlight filtering in through the window, her skin glowed elegantly.

She looked, in simple terms, divine.

Her divinity caused a chuckle to escape my lips as I stepped into the once-empty room, now decorated with balloons, some dim lights, a stack of gifts, and a banner that said, Happy Birthday .

I was so proud, and my heart was filled with gladness, so much that I couldn't help smiling all the way to my ears, wondering where she'd gotten the time or the energy to get this done. It wasn't grand, but it was amazing.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," she said with a tender, loving voice that melted my heart.

The closer I got to her, the more my nose was filled with the aroma of her pastry. I halted in front of her, my eyes locking hers in. "You know, I actually forgot that it's my birthday," I confessed, holding her delicately by the waist.

"I know. And that's why I decided to surprise you," she replied, placing the cake on the table by her side.

"Thank you." I combed my fingers through her hair, my tone tinged with sincerity. "No one has ever surprised me like this before."

Sierra sighed softly, dropping her head on her chest. "That's a relief," she said. "Because I went through a lot of stress to get this done."

"How?" I inquired, marveling with slightly lifted eyebrows.

"Well, I bought these balloons—and by the way, they're quite expensive—then I baked this cake, and—"

"Wait, you baked the cake?" I'd already suspected before, but hearing her make the claim hit me differently.

"Yes, now pay attention," she said and continued. "It was difficult to have this room cleaned up without you noticing, but I didn't do it alone; Irina helped a lot."

"Sierra," I called softly, but she wouldn't stop talking. It was one of the side effects of being pregnant; at least that was what Irina told me. "Sierra," I called her again, catching those eyes that wouldn't stop darting across the room.

"Yes?" She gazed at me with heavy breaths, overwhelmed by emotions.

"You did good." I cupped her face in my palms. "And I love you even more for that."

Her cheeks flushed, lighting up her face with a radiant smile—a rather contiguous one that warmed my heart. "I love you, too," she said, batting her lashes at me. "Now, make a wish." She gestured at the cake and the lone candle towering on top of it.

"I wish—"

"Ah-ah-ah," she cut me off. "As much as I'd love to hear your wish, you're meant to say it in your heart." She tapped her index finger against my chest.

In my defense, I wasn't used to these sorts of celebrations, but in fact, that was intentional. I wanted to see her reaction, and it was just as I had predicted.

Leaning toward the cake, I shut my eyes, made my wish, and blew out the candle.

I wish for our love to never die.

She clapped for me and pulled me to herself, then kissed me with closed eyes. "Happy birthday once again," she whispered, looking right into my eyes.

I placed a palm over her big belly and caressed it lovingly. "How are the kids?"

"They've been on their best behavior recently, which is kinda weird because Dr. Everest said that I'm…ahh!" The slight pause came when I drew backward; she was slightly bent over, with a hand on her belly.

"Wh…what is it?" I asked, tensing up as my brain was thinking a million and one things at once. Confusion settled in, and I was disoriented for a second. "Is it the babies?"

"Ahhh, I think my water just broke," she strained to say, staggering, but I was quick to hold her. "The babies are coming, Artem…they're coming," she announced with trembling lips.

**********

"Ahhh!" Her wails echoed through the ward as she lay on her back in the labor room, sweating profusely.

Her grip on my palm tightened the louder she screamed, and I could tell that she was in so much pain; it was obvious. I'd never been more scared in my life despite the type of danger that I faced every day. Sweat dampened her dress, her face was moist, her pupils were dilated, her skin was paler than usual, and her voice was so faint when she managed to speak.

The first baby had already been born, a boy, and she was on her second delivery now.

"Artem, Artem…" she called with almost a whisper. She was so tired and completely drained, her breaths coming out in short pants.

My heart ached, and I whispered, "I'm here. I'm still here."

"I don't think that I can…."

"Yes, you can!" I rebuked the negativity creeping into her mind.

"Almost there, Sierra, you're doing a good job. Just one more push," Dr. Everest urged her.

I looked my wife in the eyes, encouraging her with my gaze. "You can do this; I know you can."

She shook her head, but I wouldn't let her utter one more negative word.

"Listen to me. You are Sierra Tarasov, and you never give up. You won't start now. You can do this."

She nodded in affirmation, drawing in a deep breath with determination coloring her eyes. Sierra let out a series of sharp exhales in an attempt to gather momentum.

"That's it. That's the spirit," I said, my voice helping to charge her up.

"Alright, Sierra, I need you to push with everything in you. Can you do that?" Dr. Everest asked her.

My wife nodded, panting.

"Good. Now push!"

Sierra strained so hard that veins lined her forehead and her whole body stiffened as she pushed with what seemed to be her last strength. Her eyes were squeezed shut, her teeth were gritted, and her lips trembled.

Seconds later, the cry of a baby filled the room, and her body dropped to the bed, exhausted. It wasn't until she loosened her grip on my palm that I realized how firm it had been all this time.

"You did it," I said to her, chuckling as I wiped the sweat on her face.

She was too tired and too excited to speak, but the smile on her face was priceless.

"It's a girl," the doctor announced with a bright smile.

At the sound of that, I felt a different kind of joy gradually creeping into my heart, and all I wanted to do was hold that cute little baby girl. Smiling, I stretched out my arms, and the baby was handed to me. She looked so adorable, and the moment that I carried her, she stopped crying. I felt a deep connection to this child, and I knew at that moment that I would kill for her; I'd go to war for her, and no harm would ever come to her for as long as I lived.

I jerked my head toward my wife, and there she was, cradling our baby boy in her arms with a beautiful grin spread across her face as she looked down at it.

"This is the best gift I've ever received," I said to her, sitting on one side of the bed. "Thank you." First, I kissed her forehead; then, I moved down to her lips. "I love you, Sierra."

"And I love you, too, Artem."