Between the Beginning and the End.

Between the Beginning and the End.
Maggie’s Point of View

I woke up from the sleep that had come over me from exhaustion sometime after my conversation with Dominic. It was a deep, almost dreamless sleep, as if my body had simply shut down to cope with everything that had happened. There were voices very close to my ear; they weren’t loud, just low murmurs, overlapping, as if people were trying not to wake me… but they were there, filling the space where before there had been only silence. I opened my eyes slowly, feeling my eyelids heavy, my body still aching and weak. The light in the room seemed softer, filtered through the curtains, and for a second it took me a moment to understand where I was, until I realized my room was full.

A slow, weary smile spread across my face when my eyes met Chiara’s and Noah’s. Soon after, Alina… and then, needing to blink twice because I thought I was seeing things, I saw Beckham.

“You’re awake, Mom.” Chiara’s voice was sweet, filled with emotion. I watched her hurry over to the bed, leaning in to kiss the side of my head gently, as if afraid of hurting me. “Congratulations, you had a perfect baby.”

“Thank you… I’m glad you’re here,” I murmured, my voice still low and hoarse from exhaustion.

“We wouldn’t miss this moment for anything,” Noah said, approaching right after. He leaned down and hugged me gently, as if he still saw me as fragile. “Congratulations. Dominic said you were amazing bringing that beautiful baby into the world.”

I smiled, feeling my chest warm.

“She’s got quite a temper,” I replied, with a slight, amused twinkle in my eye.

“I can’t tell where she gets it from,” Beckham said, getting up from the couch where he’d been sitting and walking closer to the bed, with that easy smile that never seemed to leave him. “Congratulations, neighbor.”

I let out a small laugh, still finding it strange, but somehow comforting, to see him there.

“What are you doing here?”

“He was with me when Dominic called and heard you’d had a baby, so he came uninvited,” Alina replied, stopping beside him, arms crossed and looking clearly unimpressed by his presence.

I looked from one to the other, curiosity mixed with mild amusement.

“Don’t even think about it,” Alina continued, casting a quick glance at me. “The idiot needs to find someone here in Russia, and he hired me for that.”

Her tone was dry, but there was something almost… familiar about it. Beckham just flashed an even bigger smile, as if he were enjoying himself.

“So delicate… it’ll be a real pleasure working with you.”

I laughed, the sound light despite my exhaustion.

“Shut up, idiot,” Alina retorted, but I noticed how her hard features softened when she turned to face me again. “Congratulations, Maggie. “Your baby is beautiful.”

“Thank you for coming… I wasn’t expecting you,” I said, and my eyes slowly swept over every face there.

My heart tightened.

Someone was missing.

Nicolai.

His absence was almost palpable amidst everyone else.

“A child is always a cause for celebration, Maggie. You’ve given us a gift,” Noah said, and I let out a quiet sigh, taking those words in.

But the moment was interrupted by a soft whimper.

My daughter.

I turned my face immediately, seeing her in Dominic’s arms. He was standing a little apart from the others, as if in a world of his own.

“I think she’s hungry,” he murmured, his voice low, almost intimate, even with the room full. Then he looked up slightly, finally acknowledging the others’ presence. “You’re all going to have to leave. Maggie needs to breastfeed her.”

The direct way he spoke made everyone laugh.

“Jesus, Dominic,” I murmured, widening my eyes slightly in surprise.

“They can see you and her as often as they want,” he continued, completely serious. “But right now my daughter needs to eat, and unfortunately only you can do that right now.”

Unfortunately…

I shook my head in disbelief, but a small smile escaped me anyway.

“It’s okay, Maggie. We just came to welcome this beautiful little baby and see how you were doing,” Chiara said gently, while Noah already had his hand on her waist, carefully guiding her away from the bed.

Chiara leaned in once more, kissing the side of my head.

“I’ll see you as soon as you go home. I want you to tell me all about this birth so I can prepare.”

She gave her own belly a light pat; it was starting to become visibly rounded.

“I’ll be waiting,” I replied, still smiling.

They began to walk away. I then looked at Alina, who was standing next to Dominic, watching the baby in his arms with a different expression… a quieter one. Then my gaze drifted to Beckham, who was still staring at me.

“How long are you going to stay?” I asked.

“Indefinitely,” he replied, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Until I find what I came here to look for.”

“Does this have anything to do with Marco?”

“No,” he replied, raising an eyebrow slightly. “This time I’m on my own. Do you think your husband would let me in here if I had any connection to Marco?”

I let out a small sigh, accepting his logic.

“I hope to see you again before you go back.”

He tilted his head, studying me.

“Does that mean you’re not going back? Is this your new home?”

Automatically, I looked at Dominic. He was still there, holding his daughter in his arms, completely absorbed in her. Then I turned my gaze back to Beckham and nodded.

“Yes. This is where my children and I belong.” The firmness in my own voice surprised me for a second.

Beckham just nodded, a faint smile appearing.

“I warned you.” He then turned to Alina. “Ready to go? Dominic doesn’t want us here.”

“You’re the intruder here, not me,” Alina retorted immediately. “And I’m not with you. You’re the one who followed me like a dog.”

Beckham let out a low snort, grabbing her hand rather roughly and pulling her toward the door.

“And now I’m going to follow you again. Let’s go.”

“At least let me say goodbye,” she protested, turning around as she neared the door. She looked at me, and this time there was something more sincere in her expression. “Seriously, congratulations. Your family is beautiful and… you two are better together.”

I automatically looked at Dominic, and this time, he was looking at me too.

His gaze was different, calmer, more… full.

When I looked back at the door, Alina and Beckham were no longer there.

Dominic walked over to the bed with steady steps, but there was an almost reverent care in the way he moved, as if any sudden gesture might shatter that fragile, precious moment. He was already handing our baby to me, his arms reluctant to let her go, even though he knew he had to.

“She needs to eat,” he said in a low voice, as if it were an order he didn’t even want to carry out himself.

“I understand, Mr. Volkov,” I replied with a small, weary smile, settling myself against the pillows as I cradled her in my arms.

My hand trembled slightly as I guided her to my breast, but the moment she latched on—instinctively, perfectly… everything inside me seemed to fall silent for a second. I exhaled slowly, watching that little miracle.

“We really need to give her a name,” I said, without taking my eyes off our daughter, but feeling the weight of Dominic’s gaze upon the two of us.

He sat down on the edge of the bed, the mattress giving slightly under his weight. His hand moved slowly up to our baby’s head, his fingers touching with almost unbelievable care, as if he were memorizing every strand of hair.

“Can I make a suggestion?” he asked slowly.

I looked up at him, finding his eyes calmer than I’d expected…

“Of course,” I replied with a soft smile. “I chose Jamie’s name; it’s only fair that you choose this baby’s.”

For a second, he was silent, then…

“Lilia Yulia Volkov.”

My heart… simply stopped. I stared at him, feeling my eyes well up almost immediately, a pressure rising in my chest that I couldn’t control.

Yulia.

The name echoed inside me, laden with everything. With love, with pain, with longing.

“Didn’t you like it?” he asked, his voice lower now, almost cautious.

I shook my head quickly, tears already streaming down before I could stop them.

“I loved it,” I whispered, my voice faltering. “It’s beautiful… I couldn’t have chosen anything better.”

He nodded slowly, looking away for a moment, as if he, too, were holding something inside.

“Lily…” he began.

“It’s the flower associated with purity and renewal,” I finished, a small smile emerging through my tears.

His eyes returned to me, and for a second… it was just the three of us in that room.

“It’s perfect for her,” I murmured.

The silence that followed wasn’t uncomfortable.

“Maggie…” he began, his hand finding mine, his fingers wrapping around mine firmly, yet gently.

I felt his touch as something more than physical. It was… a presence, but before he could continue, a soft knock echoed at the door. Dominic turned his face immediately, his shoulders tensing reflexively, but the door remained closed. He turned his gaze back to me, and I was already cradling the baby against my body, carefully covering my breast.

“Come in,” he said, his voice controlled.

The door opened slowly, and the moment I saw who it was, my heart sank. My lip trembled, and my eyes filled with tears again.

Nicolai.

He was there… but it wasn’t him, not completely. His light had vanished, his mood that used to radiate from every pore was gone, he was thinner, with dark circles under his eyes, and the beard he always kept neatly trimmed was now longer. The life that once existed in Nicolai seemed to have drained away, and now there was only an empty shell.

“I heard there’s a new little Volkov here,” he said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

That hurt—it hurt more than I expected.

“Yes,” I replied, trying to smile despite the tightness in my chest. “And she was waiting for her Uncle Nicolai.”

He entered the room with slower steps than usual.

“Uncle Nicolai would never miss seeing her,” he replied.

Dominic had already stood up; he walked over to Nicolai without hesitation, and the two embraced. I watched in silence; that wasn’t just a congratulatory hug. It was heavier, longer, more necessary.

“I’m glad you came,” I heard Dominic say.

“She’s your daughter, man,” Nicolai replied, as if that were reason enough for anything.

They stepped back, staring at each other for a second.

“I’ll pick her up, so you can see,” Dominic said.

He came back to me, and I had already taken our daughter from my chest. He picked her up with the same care as always, as if every time were the first, then carried her over to Nicolai. I watched closely. Dominic hadn’t done that with anyone else that I’d seen. Nicolai took our daughter in his arms and stared at her for a long moment; the entire room seemed to hold its breath.

“She’s beautiful,” he said finally, his voice lower. “God… you’ve done a wonderful job.” He looked up at me and at Dominic, who was now sitting beside me, his arm protectively wrapped around my shoulders. “She…” Nicolai looked back down at the little one in his arms, clearing his throat. “Does she have a name yet?”

I looked at Dominic and he nodded. I turned my gaze back to Nicolai, feeling my chest tighten once more.

“Yes… she does,” I replied softly. “Lilia… Lilia Yulia Volkov.”

Nicolai’s eyes widened and then… sparkled. I saw a tear slide down his face.

“It…” he cleared his throat, his voice faltering slightly, “suits her.”

I smiled, even as I felt the weight of that moment settle in my chest in a way that was both sweet and painful at the same time.

“Yes, I think so too.”

Silence filled the room for a second, heavy with unspoken emotions, memories, and absence. Nicolai looked up and met Dominic’s gaze.

“I wanted to talk to you for a moment, if that’s okay?”

I watched Dominic get up from the bed without hesitation.

“Sure.”

He walked over to Nicolai and, carefully, took Lilia back from his arms. It was almost instinctive, as if every second away from her was a conscious effort. With his hands now free, Nicolai turned his attention to me. He approached the bed slowly, as if each step weighed heavily.

“Can I give you a hug?” I furrowed my brow slightly, surprised by the request, but nodded immediately.

“Of course you can give me a hug.”

He leaned over me and wrapped his arms around me. The hug was firm, tight… yet still gentle, as if he were afraid of breaking something in me, or perhaps in himself.

“Thank you,” he murmured against my hair.

I didn’t understand. Thank you for what? But I didn’t ask. I just returned the hug with the same strength, holding him as if that could prevent anything else from being lost. When we pulled apart, I looked directly into his face, and that’s when I felt it. It wasn’t just sadness; it was… something deeper, darker. As if a part of him had been left behind… and he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to find it again.

“Congratulations, little mom,” he said, trying to smile. “I’ll see you again.”

“Of course,” I replied, even though my throat was tightening. “I’ll wait for you at home when I get back with Lilia.”

He nodded, giving me a small, broken smile… and then turned away. Dominic was already by my side again, carefully placing Lilia back in my arms.

“I’ll be right back, okay?” he said.

I just nodded, still staring at the door as the two of them walked out; as soon as it closed, the room seemed… bigger and emptier. My eyes fell to my daughter, nestled against me, so small… so peaceful, but my heart didn’t share that peace.

Something wasn’t right.

The time they spent out there seemed longer than it actually was. Maybe because every second carried a silent anxiety I couldn’t explain. When the door finally opened again, my eyes shot up immediately and Dominic walked in.

His face looked different, more closed off, heavier.

“What happened?” I asked, feeling my heart race inside my chest.

He approached the bed, each step slow, as if he were choosing his words before even speaking.

“He’s leaving.”

“…What?” My voice came out confused, almost a whisper.

“He’s taken an indefinite leave of absence,” Dominic continued, running his hand over his face. “He said Russia is killing him. That he needs to get out of here… to stay away from everything that reminds him of her.”

I swallowed hard, feeling my eyes burn.

“Where is he going?”

Dominic shook his head slowly.

“I don’t know. He said he’s going to travel the world. It’s always been his plan… he’s been talking about it since he was a teenager.”

I closed my eyes for a second, trying to sort through the whirlwind inside me.

“Now… he has nothing here,” I murmured, opening my eyes again. “And what he does have… just reminds him of what he’s lost.”

Dominic nodded.

“Yes.”

“Oh my God…” I shook my head, feeling the tears return, hot and inevitable.

But before I could lose myself in them, his hands cupped my face. Firm and warm. Making me look directly at him. The movement was quick, intense… catching me by surprise.

“I love you.” My heart… just raced. For a second, I couldn’t respond, couldn’t think. Nothing made sense besides those words. “I don’t want to live far from you,” he continued, his voice low, but laden with a truth I’d never heard so raw. “I don’t want to be apart from you. You said it’s not wrong to follow your emotions and your heart… I’m following mine now, Maggie.” His breath faltered slightly. “I’ve already lost too much. I don’t want to lose anyone else.”

I let out a shaky sigh, feeling everything inside me give way. I leaned forward until my forehead touched his.

“I don’t want to lose anyone else either,” I murmured. “I’ll give you as much time as you need… I can wait, if that’s what you need…”

“I don’t need that,” he interrupted immediately. “All I need is you… and my children. You are all that matters to me.”

It was as if something inside me had finally found the right place.

I cried, without holding back, without trying to be strong.

“I love you,” I replied, my voice faltering. “All we need, too, is just you.”

And then… he kissed me. Slowly at first, as if he were relearning the way, but soon the kiss deepened, intense, filled with everything we hadn’t been able to say until then.

Pain.

Love.

Fear.

Hope.

When we finally pulled apart, we were breathless, our foreheads still touching.

“Tulipa… we’re going to be happy,” he murmured. “I promise we will.”

I closed my eyes for a second, taking those words in.

“I know that,” I replied softly. “There’s no other place in the world I could be… that would make me happier than by your side.”

That night, I stayed at the hospital, holding my daughter in my arms with Dominic by my side. At some point, exhaustion got the better of me, and I ended up falling asleep leaning against him, feeling his chest rise and fall beneath my head, while he held our daughter with his usual care.

When I woke up…

Daylight was already filling the room. Blinking slowly, still half-lost between sleep and reality, I turned my face and then saw. Dominic was by my side, holding our daughter, and Jamie… was between us.

“Mommy’s awake!” he announced, excitedly.

My heart… simply melted. Dominic looked at me and smiled.

“Surprise.”

I opened my arms immediately, pulling Jamie into a tight hug.

“Have you met your little sister? Do you like her?”

“I like my little sister, Yulia!” he replied, smiling proudly.

I chuckled softly, looking at Dominic.

“He’s been calling her that ever since I said her name.”

I turned my gaze back to my son, watching the tender way he held her tiny hand.

“Yes, my love… this is our Yulia.”

“Jamie, Mommy, Daddy… and Yulia,” he added, happily.

“Yes, son.” Dominic reached out and pulled me closer, wrapping his arms around the three of us—or rather… the four of us. “This is our family,” he said, his voice firm but full of emotion. “And you… are my legacy. Everything that matters to me.”