Between a Little Girl and a Friend's Advice

Between a Little Girl and a Friend's Advice
Maggie’s Point of View

I was lying on the spacious stretcher, the cool leather against my back, while my eyes remained fixed on the screen in front of me, waiting for that specific moment… the moment my baby would appear there. My heart was beating faster than usual, a mix of anxiety and an emotion I should be used to by now, but one that never lost its intensity. Dominic was by my side, at the level of my head, sitting in a chair. His presence was solid, constant, and even without touching him, I could feel every inch of it. His eyes were fixed on the screen, just as attentive as mine, perhaps even more so; he seemed tense, focused, as if that moment were a mission he couldn’t fail. I let out a small sigh when I felt the cold gel being spread over my belly. The contrast with the heat of my body made me shiver slightly, and right after that, the doctor began to slide the ultrasound device, making firm, precise movements.

“We can take the measurements, and that way we’ll have a more accurate estimate of the due date for you,” she said, in a professional yet gentle tone.

I nodded slightly.

I had already mentioned to her about the last appointment in the United States, where the doctor had estimated that the baby would be born between the beginning and the middle of next month, but still… hearing it again made everything feel more real.

“Can we try to see the baby’s gender too? We haven’t been having much luck with the ultrasounds… he’s trying to keep it a mystery,” I said, trying to sound lighthearted. I turned my face toward Dominic and added, with a soft grumble: “Another one with his father’s personality.”

His eyes left the screen for a second and met mine; his gaze darkened, deep, laden with things we hadn’t said.

Four days.

Four days since we said goodbye without many words exchanged. No long conversations, no attempts to fix anything, no promises. Just… us, for the last time. Everything had already been decided, the papers signed, the paths laid out. I was no longer Maggie Volkov, and he… he was the Boss of the Bratva again. Single, untouchable, free for any woman in the world to dream once more of taking the place that was once mine.

I would stay in Russia until the baby was born, after that… it would be over for good.

Without us.

Without “us.”

Just two children who would keep us connected forever.

“We can try, but we’ll need his cooperation,” the doctor’s voice broke the silence between us.

I turned my gaze back to the screen, forcing my thoughts to be still, as the device glided over my belly once more.

“And here we go… look, there’s your baby.”

My heart skipped a beat; there he was. The perfectly formed little head, the little face that already looked so… real, the tiny but complete little body. The open little hand, the little fingers moving slowly, as if trying to reach for something that didn’t yet exist outside of there.

“Oh God… I’ve seen this so many times… and yet…”

My voice simply died before I could finish the sentence, and my eyes filled with tears without warning, then I felt Dominic’s warm hand wrap around mine. I turned my face toward him immediately; he wasn’t looking at me, he was completely absorbed in the screen. His eyes were wide, shining, fixed. He barely blinked; it almost seemed as if he’d forgotten how to breathe. His hand squeezed mine tightly, as if he were anchoring himself there. If that was already overwhelming for me, who had lived through it before… for him, for whom it was the first time…

“Are you okay?” I asked softly, almost in a whisper.

“I…” he began, but didn’t finish. He seemed lost, completely lost.

I pressed my lips together, feeling my chest tighten, then turned my face toward the doctor.

“Could we listen to his little heartbeat? I think Daddy will like to hear it,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Of course,” she replied with an understanding smile.

She adjusted her position, fiddled with some controls on the machine, and in the next second the sound filled the room.

Loud.

Fast.

Steady.

Our baby’s heartbeat.

I immediately turned my face toward Dominic. I needed to see it, needed to hold onto it; every detail, every reaction. Because that moment… that moment would never happen again exactly like that. His face changed completely; it was as if a light had been turned on inside him. The same look I’d seen when he was with Jamie… but now even more intense, more raw, more vulnerable.

A smile appeared on his lips. Gentle, genuine, weightless, painless. His eyes sparkled, and I felt my own heart break… and mend at the same time. A tear rolled down my cheek as I watched him. Slowly, I slipped my hand beneath his and intertwined our fingers; he didn’t move, didn’t say a word, just stayed there. I left him in that moment, let him have it all to himself, then turned my gaze back to the doctor.

“So, doctor… is this baby still keeping us in the dark?” I asked, trying to regain a little composure.

Before she could answer, I heard a soft sound beside me.

“Shhh.”

I turned my head, incredulous.

“Are you telling me to be quiet?” I asked, half amused, half shocked.

The doctor let out a small laugh.

“Just give me one more minute,” he murmured.

His eyes met mine for a brief second… and then returned to the screen.

I smiled; I couldn’t help it. I turned back to the monitor, watching my baby, feeling my heart warm… for him, and for his father.

A few minutes later, with the doctor assuring us that we could continue and that the heartbeat was being recorded for Dominic to listen to as many times as he wanted, I returned to what was really consuming me inside.

I wanted to know, I needed to know if it was a girl… or a boy.

While the doctor adjusted the machine again, trying to find the best angle, I turned my face toward Dominic once more.

“Do you have a preference?” I asked.

He looked at me, without hesitation.

“A little girl.” The answer came immediately, firmly, as if he’d known for a long time.

That… took me completely by surprise. Surprise for two reasons. First, because I had never stopped to think that Dominic already had a real preference about this, and second… because he wanted a girl. The Volkovs had always talked about heirs, about legacy, about continuity. In my mind, if he had any inclination, it would be for another boy; that was the logical thing in that world.

“Why?” I asked, still trying to understand.

“Hmmm…” he murmured, as if he were about to answer, but his eyes quickly returned to the screen when the doctor called out:

“Dads…”

I turned my face immediately, too.

“I can’t see anything,” I said after a few seconds of looking.

The doctor let out a soft, quiet laugh.

“Exactly. The absence of anything is the answer.”

Blinking was automatic; my brain took an extra second to process it, until Dominic’s voice filled the room, deep and confident.

“It’s a girl.”

“A girl?” I asked, turning my face toward the doctor. She smiled and nodded. “Oh my God… I’m going to be a mother to a girl!” The words came out of me full of surprise, almost disbelief.

Even though I knew there was that possibility, somewhere deep down I always thought I’d have another boy. Maybe because I already had Jamie, maybe because it was easier to imagine repeating what I already knew, but a girl… my heart tightened in a different way. I heard Dominic’s breathing beside me and slowly turned my face toward him; this time, he was looking at me.

Intently.

“It’s a girl…” I murmured, as if confirming it for both of us.

He smiled.

“Yes… and I hope she’s a mini-me.” I felt my chest tighten. “That’s why I wanted a girl,” he continued, his voice lower, but filled with a sincerity that overwhelmed me. “I want to have a little human being who has your eyes, your hair, your sweetness, your smile… who is as smart and stubborn as you.” My throat tightened. “To have a copy of you… and to know that I was part of her existence… is the greatest gift I could ever receive.”

I couldn’t respond. There weren’t enough words for that. All I could do was squeeze his hand, intertwined with mine, a little tighter; it was the only way to respond without breaking down right there.

Two days later, I was in the garden with Jamie. The sun was pleasant, gently warming my skin as I sat on one of the wooden benches, my phone pressed to my ear. The grass was green and well-manicured, and the open space allowed Jamie to run freely, darting back and forth with that inexhaustible energy. He laughed to himself, tripping over his own feet, trying to pull up tufts of grass as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. I watched it all with a weary smile on my lips, aware that I no longer had the same energy to run after him as I used to.

“I haven’t talked to Dominic about this, but I’m sure there’s no way Yulia and I are going alone,” I told Chiara on the other end of the line.

“Noah said he talked to him, and that he’s not happy about going back to Degrassi territory, even if it’s just for a baby shower.”

“I can’t say much… it’s Marco’s house. Under normal circumstances, they were already enemies, and after everything that’s happened, the only thing Dominic wants from his uncle is revenge.” I sighed, placing my hand on my stomach and applying gentle pressure, trying to ease the discomfort.

Eating was becoming a real ordeal; heartburn seemed to follow me everywhere, as if it had decided to settle permanently inside me.

“But it doesn’t matter,” I continued. “I’ll be there to celebrate with you. I’m sure Yulia will be too.”

“Of course, Yulia will be there. I’m this baby’s favorite aunt.”

I looked up automatically when I heard that… Yulia was coming toward where Jamie was, probably after preventing some minor disaster involving the lawn. She walked toward me with that confident stride of hers, and… a smile on her face.

My heart skipped a beat.

We hadn’t spoken since I told her the truth about my “death.” I really thought she wouldn’t even be able to look at me for a long time, but there she was, smiling.

“Maggie?” Chiara’s voice called me back.

“Hi… hmmm, Yulia’s here,” I replied, still watching her every step. “She confirmed she’ll be at your baby shower too, wherever it is.”

“Oh… did she stop being stubborn and start talking to you again?”

“Up until now, I thought she hated me,” I said.

Yulia let out a snort loud enough for me to hear.

“You guys are so dramatic.”

That made me smile automatically.

“Chiara, I’m going to hang up, but I’ll see you this weekend. We’re not going to leave you alone with the DeGrassis, don’t worry.”

“Okay, thanks. I’ll be waiting for you guys.”

The line went silent, and I pulled the phone away from my ear, slowly ending the call. I looked up at Yulia, studying every detail of her face.

“So you don’t hate me?”

“You’re crazy,” she replied, her eyes glaring at mine, but without the same harshness as before. “But you’re the mother of my nephews and the love of my brother’s life, so no, Margaret Alice Volkov… I don’t hate you.”

A smile escaped me before I could even control it. I got up from the bench with some effort and took a few steps toward her, wrapping my arms around her in an awkward hug because of the huge belly between us.

“Oh, it’s not Volkov anymore… it’s Sullivan,” I said as I stepped back from the hug, trying to sound lighthearted, but feeling the real weight of that change inside me.

Yulia rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Oh, shut up. You two are going to get back together, get married again, and die together, old and gray, with a brood of kids, like an annoyingly lovey-dovey couple.”

I stared at her, and a sad smile appeared on my lips before I could stop it.

“I don’t see how that’s possible… Dominic and I have gone too far. There are things you can’t go back on… or get around.” My voice trailed off at the end, carrying everything I wasn’t saying out loud.

“You two are stubborn idiots,” she retorted immediately. “I’m the smart one in the family, so believe what I’m telling you.”

I shook my head, letting out a small sigh.

“Thanks for forgiving me…”

“Yeah,” she replied, crossing her arms for a second. “Actually, I was planning on keeping you grounded for a while… but I need some advice, so I had to change my plans.”

I laughed, for real this time. God… I really loved her.

“Then I’ll be grateful for that.”

I walked back to the bench slowly, feeling the weight of my belly, and sat down again. Yulia followed me, settling down beside me, still with that restless energy that never seemed to leave her.

“Well… what do you want my advice on?”

She looked away for a moment—something rare for her; she had hesitated. That was enough for me to know what it was about.

“Is it about Nicolai?” I ventured.

“What? You know?” she almost shouted, turning her face toward me with wide eyes.

I laughed.

“You two aren’t as good at hiding things as you think.”

“We are!” she retorted immediately. “No one has figured it out in months, and you show up a week ago with that scary pregnant woman’s sixth sense and figure it out out of nowhere? How long were the three of us together? Ten minutes?”

My laughter grew louder, so much so that I had to put my hand on my stomach.

“Does Dominic not know?” I asked, still smiling.

“No!” she answered too quickly. “Or at least… we thought he didn’t, but now I’m not so sure.”

I nodded slowly.

“I think he might have a hunch… a feeling that there’s something he doesn’t know. But I don’t think he’s seen what I’ve seen yet.”

She let out a sigh of relief so exaggerated that it made me smile even more, bringing her hand to her chest as if she’d just survived a heart attack.

“How do I tell him, Maggie?” she asked, and this time there was vulnerability in her voice. “He’s his best friend… they’ve been around me for so long, with me being the annoying little sister, and now…”

“And now his best friend is head over heels in love with his little sister,” I finished for her.

Yulia blushed, and it was almost unbelievable. I smiled even wider, because Yulia never failed to react.

“We didn’t plan this,” she continued, running her hand through her hair, clearly nervous. “We just… got closer after you left… and very confusing feelings started to surface. I thought, for a while, that it was one-sided, but… then we were having a pointless argument and he kissed me.”

My smile grew, warm and genuine. I was so happy for them; they deserved this… they deserved each other.

“I’m so happy for you two,” I said, squeezing her hand gently.

She let out a sigh, looking ahead, as if sorting through her own feelings.

“I thought that when I decided to give myself to someone… when I fell in love, I’d be in control of everything,” she confessed. “But he… he throws me off balance. He makes me feel things I didn’t even know existed. He gives me a different perspective on life… he makes me want more.” She swallowed hard. “It’s strange… because it’s scary. It’s really scary to realize that your heart isn’t inside your chest anymore… but out there with someone else who could very well destroy it whenever they want… but at the same time…” she let out a small, humorless laugh. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt happier than I do when I’m with him.”

I felt my eyes fill with tears. Again. I sniffed, quickly wiping them away before she could comment.

“Sorry… it’s the hormones. I cry over anything these days. Just yesterday I cried because I couldn’t tie my shoelace.”

We both knew that was a lie, and we knew exactly the real reason for those tears.

“It’s okay,” she said, her expression softening completely as she looked at me. “You can cry whenever you want with me.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath, trying to pull myself together.

“So…” I wiped my face carefully. “What advice do you want?”

Yulia let out a long sigh.

“What’s the best way for me to tell Dominic? Should I tell him? Should Nicolai tell him? Should we both do it together… or should we just not hide it and let him figure it out?”

I laughed.

“Don’t laugh,” she complained immediately. “I’m really nervous about this. I wanted to keep it a little longer, but Nicolai is adamant. He wants to tell Dominic as soon as possible… he said he hates hiding things from him.”

I nodded.

“That just shows how much he respects you… and your brother.”

A small smile appeared on her lips at that.

“You’re good with words,” she continued, staring at me. “And my brother loves you. If you go there with Jamie, sweetie, holding his giraffe, that big belly with a little girl he’ll love to the core, and that pretty face he’s head over heels for… and tell him… he won’t make a big deal out of it. That’s it, you tell him.”

“I’m not going to tell your brother,” I retorted, amused. She snorted. “That’s something you two have to do. I think it might be more comfortable if it’s Nicolai… they get along.” I tilted my head slightly, thinking. “And I think you’re overthinking this. Your brother loves you, Yulia. He just wants you to be happy, and there’s no one he trusts more than his best friend.” She fell silent, taking in every word. “Dominic trusts Nicolai with his eyes closed,” I continued. “His life… Jamie’s life… everything. I can’t see a scenario where he wouldn’t be happy for you two.”

Yulia bit her lip, clearly still unsure.

“I hope so… because I couldn’t choose between my brother and Nicolai, and I’d hate for their friendship to end because of me.”

I nodded firmly.

“That won’t happen. You both deserve to be happy… and I’m sure Dominic feels exactly the same way.”