That’s not at all what Natasha pictured it was going to happen when they left Ohio. As a matter of fact, 10-months ago, Natasha Johnson Romanov was in the backseat of their family car, listening to Don Maclean’s ‘American Pie’ for what she thought it was the hundred time, trying to figure out a safe way to jump out of a moving car without hurting herself and a 6-year-old. The blue-haired girl realized quickly enough that her plan wasn’t functional, so she begged for mercy to a God that she didn’t even think existed, she asked for forgiveness to all the life’s she would have to take it to keep her own.
She doesn’t know what worked that night, as the now red head remains as, if not much, skeptical as she ever was, but there she is again asking to whoever is listening to her thoughts to help her mom bring this baby, her sibling, to the world.
“Do you think mommy is gonna die?”
It isn’t an unreasonable question, not giving the context. Most 7-year-olds don’t get to spend their Friday night at a hospital hallway listening to the relaxing sound of several women screaming at the top of their lungs while giving birth, at least not in their cool new unicorn pajamas.
“Don’t be stupid, Yelena. She’s not gonna die” It sounds less rude in her head, Natasha thinks.
Maybe it is the thought of loosing Melina, or the chilly air coming from the A/C they are sitting under, but she feels a shiver coming down her spine.
“Then why is mama screaming like she’s in big pain?”
“Because, she’s is! Mom is pushing a baby out of her body, you don’t expect that to be easy do you?”
The younger girl nods her head no, still looking a bit frightened
“See” Natasha points to an older woman down the hall in a wheelchair with a newborn wrapped around a blue blanket in her arms “That’s gonna be Mama in a few minutes.”
Then they hear another scream “Or hours.”
It’s almost ticklish.
So much, that he has to pretend she’s hurting his hand so the nurses won’t think they never been trough this, that this isn’t actually their biological first.
“C’mom, Melina. You can do this.” He tucks her hair behind her ear. “You know you can”
“You wait until I’m back on my feet. I’m killing you. Why did I ever agree to have sex with you?” she whispers the last part as another contraction comes
“I know. I know. I’m sorry” Alexei is trying so hard not to laugh. He knows she’s in pain, but he finds his wife to be the most funny when she’s threatening to choke the life out of him, which may have been now the 14th or 15th time since they arrived the hospital.
“You better be. You better fucking be”
“Mrs. Johnson. You just have two more big pushes, okay? it’s head is almost out” The doctor holds both her legs in his hand. “You’re two pushes away to meeting your new baby”
“Two more?” she cries out “Give me the drugs. I’ll take them now”
There’s panic in her eyes, Alexei can see it.
He has seen her in pain before, he has seen her after throwing punches and choking men with her legs. But never in his short 34 years of living, Alexei Shostakov has seen her like this, vulnerable, fragile, afraid.
“Mrs. Johnson, you can’t have an epidural now, the baby’s almost out. Just two big pushes, and it’ll be in your arms! You’ve waited 9 months for this, what’s 2 pushes!?” The younger nurse tried to be sympathetic.
Melina searches for her husband eyes.
“Alexei” she’s whispering again, tears in the corner of her eyes “I can’t do this. I can’t. I can’t care for a baby. I can’t even push it out, I can’t.”
“Look at me” he traces her nose with the tip of his thumb, then leans to her ear. His accent slipping a bit. “They told you couldn’t bare children and you can. They told you would never be free and you are. They told you didn’t have a heart but you have, Melina. You have. You can birth this baby. Don’t let them tell you can’t.”
He kisses her temple and gives his hand so she can hold it once more, the tickling is gone, because she’s hurting him for real now.
Melina isn’t sure which comes first, the sound of her undying screams or the newborn’s cry.
“Congratulations on baby girl number 3, Mr. and Mrs Johnson!”
The nurse quickly cleans the baby, rocking her shakily body on a failed attempt to make her red, pouting lips to stop trembling.
From the corner of her eyes Melina sees Alexei tearing up as he cuts the umbilical cord. Such a softie, such a girl dad.
They handle Melina her daughter.
“Hi” is all she can say when she feels the weight and warmth of her baby’s skin on hers.
Melina could say how much she loves her already, she could kiss her little knuckles a thousand times as she’s sure she will do later, but right now she wants their first interaction to be simple, uncomplicated. Because that’s all she wants her daughters life to be, as simple and uncomplicated as a hello.
“Happy birthday to you” Alexei sings “happy birthday dear baby to be named yet” he makes Melina snorts even trough her tears, her happy tears. “And Melina.” he adds “Happy birthday to you”
He was right, it wasn’t just the birth of their daughter but the rebirth of Melina Votoskoff as well.
“She looks like you” he says kissing the older’s woman forehead.
“You’re only saying that because she has dark hair”
“No, look” both staring at her now “She looks like you when you’re sleeping”
“And how do I look like when I’m sleeping?
“Like an angel”
“You’re on the top of your game aren’t you?”
Alexei doesn’t get the chance to reply as their daughter starts slowly opening her eyes. They watch it as she lazily stretches her arms blinking heavily until her bright blue eyes are fully open.
They greet her one more time and present themselves as Mama and Papa.
“God, she’s perfect” she counts and kisses the newborn’s fingers and toes. All 20 of them. “The girls are going to love her”
“Natka will be pissed tho” Alexei smirks as he remembers the conversation he accidentally heard few weeks prior “She bet Yelena it was a boy, poor thing is now making her bed for three months.”
“Make it ten, it’s Yelena we’re talking about.”
They laugh.
“You should call them, let them know everything is fine, I bet they’re worried sick” she sighs “also, I miss them”
Alexei frowns. Did she not saw them yelling at him to get past the red sign?
“Honey, they’re down the hall.”
“They’re what?”
“Seriously, were you even in the car?”
“I was pretty busy birthing your child, Alexei.”
“our child”
“our children”
“our family.”
“our family”
It’s overwhelming, Melina thinks.
Having Yelena ask her all the types of questions about where babies come from, while Natasha tries to decide if she likes being the oldest child or not, not to mention being alert every minute she’s in that bed to see where the hospital staff is taking their newborn.
But she wouldn’t change for the world.
“I think she looks like me” Yelena crawls in the hospital bed, being careful to not hurt her mom or sister.
“She doesn’t look like anyone yet, Yelena.” Natasha rolls her eyes “Newborns look like potatoes”
“Hey!” Melina protests
“I’m not lying.” The red hair shrugs her shoulders, standing by her statement “She’s a cute potato, tough”
“Give her time, malyshika” Alexei wraps one arm around her shoulders and gives the girl a kiss on the forehead.
“Does she have a name, mama?” Yelena asks in a high pitch voice “I don’t see a name tag on her”
“Yes, yes she does, honey.” Melina whispers, figuring the young girl will take the hint and lower her voice. “Irina.”
“Irina Grace” Alexei adds
Natasha remembers the first time she heard that name. It was only three months into their new family arrangement when she decided to run away. It was a good plan, until they found her running through the neighborhood.
She expected to be punished, after all she deserved it. But instead, she got tea, a blanket and a russian tale. The Irina tale. Her favorite tale.
Not thinking twice, Natasha crawls into the small bed taking her baby sisters small fists on her hand.
“I love it, mama.”
And in that moment, surrounded by her daughters and the man she loves, Melina knows.
She knows the red room ripped part of her heart out, unlucky for them, the piece that remained grew again. Wiser, braver, stronger.
And it belongs to her family. Every piece of it.
It’s Alexei’s, Natasha’s, Yelena’s and Irina’s until the last beat of it.