That night, Ivan had just returned when his gaze caught sight of Yuki being helped down the stairs by Sasha.
After several months, Yuki's belly had grown noticeably round—visible even beneath the loose house dress she was wearing. The sight made Ivan stop unconsciously. He waited patiently as Yuki descended the stairs, then opened his arms when she hurried toward him, clearly eager to welcome him home.
"Welcome back, Ivan."
In the past, such a warm greeting was never something Ivan wanted in his life. But being with Yuki had made him realize one thing—being welcomed like this, in certain cases, wasn't so bad after all.
"I'm home."
Ivan lifted Yuki's chin with his fingers, forcing her to tilt her head back so he could kiss her more easily. After taking his fill of her lips, he brushed his thumb gently across the corner of her mouth and studied her face for a long moment. When his eyes fell on Yuki's pale skin, his mind drifted back to the doctor's words from that morning.
