NATASHA POV
Everything around me disappeared as I looked into Liliya's eyes. The eyes I thought I had seen the last of 10 years ago. I felt tears burn in my eyes as I took her hand.
"Hi baby," I said, holding her hand against my cheek. She half smiled and sat up, watching me.
"I can't believe you're here- that you're alive," I said, taking in everything about her. Her hair, her eyes, everything.
"You thought I was dead this whole time?" Liliya asked, her head tilted. I slowly nod.
"Dreykov said you traded me for your freedom from the Red Room," she explains calmly, fumbling with the belt around her leg. I freeze. Anger pools up in my thoughts.
"He did what? Liliya I swear to god I would have never traded you for anything-" She looks away from me and I could tell she way trying not to cry.
"He took you away from me when you were 3 years old. I did absolutely everything I could to keep you with me. Even after he took you away, I went back to find you," I explained, listening to myself relive the worst moments of my life. She turned to face me again, her eyebrows raised with question.
"You did?" She asked, watching as I adjust the belt on her leg to make it more comfortable.
"Of course I did. You're my daughter."
She closed her lips tightly and nodded her head.
"I'm sorry- I don't remember any of this," she explained with a shrug. I gently laid my hand on her shoulder.
"You remembered me though," I smiled as she looks into my eyes again. A faint grin spread on her face, making a warm feeling flooded throughout my body.
"I don't know why," she adds, "I don't remember anything before the Red Room." I could see that her brain was at war with itself- trying to find out what was the truth and what was Dreykov's lies. All I wanted was to make it better.
"I am so sorry Liliya- for everything," I apologized, watching as her eyes started to shine with tears.
"I believe you- about him taking me," she said as she leaned herself against my body. I pulled her into my arms, holding on as tight as I could without causing her pain. I lightly planted a kiss on the top of her head and rubbed her back.
"He lied to me too Lil. He told me that you didn't survive the first week of your training," I explained as she slowly allowed herself to get comfortable.
"So- how did he take me if you were in the Red Room when I was born?" She asked looking up at me with eyes that reminded me of my own. I sighed.
"Because the day I had you- I ran away." She sat up and looked at me.
"You ran away? How?" She asked, a mixture of wonder and confusion in her voice. I let out a shaky breath as I allowed myself to recall the events of that day.
"Well- Dreykov found out I was pregnant when I was about 5 months along. At first he was irate- which I'm sure you can imagine, but I was able to talk him down into allowing me to keep you. I knew that the second you were born he was going to take you from me- so I had to come up with a plan to get out."
"I had always wanted to leave to Red Room, but I now had a reason- a motive to go," I started, leaning back against the wall and helping her follow.
"But I went into labor early and wasn't able to escape before you were born. So I had to...improvise a bit," I say, watching as she intently listens.
"The guards took me to a medical room where they had me strapped down and numbed. You see- their plan was to surgically remove you and sterilize me at the same time. And so that's exactly what they did. Once you were out and they stitched me up, I grabbed a nearby scalpel and freed myself. I took you back from the doctor and made a break for it. And by a miracle of some sort I got us out alive."
Liliya looked up at me. I sighed and laid my hand on her non-injured leg.
"I thought we were going to have forever together- but our forever turned out to be 3 years in a trailer in the middle of nowhere - on the run and hiding from Dreykov and the other widows," I sighed. I felt Liliya lay her head on my shoulder. I gently leaned my head on top of hers and took her hand. I could tell that she was upset, but I didn't have the right words to make her feel better.
And part of me feared that I never would.