CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Where We Begin27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaj6Zzhogi9
(Her POV)
It started at 3:17 a.m.
A sharp pain in her lower back.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejr5bfAyvt
Then another.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8CjKRUPQG
And another.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwSfFj70zgG
Until the bed sheet was soaked and her scream woke him up.
“It’s time,” she cried. “She’s coming.”
Matteo jumped from bed.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJg488MJ3mu
Pale. Barefoot.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6rdXgvPvqS
Fumbling for the bag they prepared days ago.
But his hands were shaking.
“Okay. Okay. Just breathe. We practiced this—”
“Matteo,” she grabbed his wrist, “we don’t have time.”
“We’ll make time.”
The clinic was an hour away.
They made it in thirty-eight minutes.
He ran red lights.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLCst6oFv8H
Prayed out loud.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8c9QsFohMi
Held her hand the whole way.
“You’re doing so good, baby. Just hold on for me.”
“I think I might kill you after this.”
“That’s fair.”
The contractions came hard.
Fast.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHXJsikdTQI
Blinding.
She screamed.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0i7YqyMHVl
Bit down on his shoulder.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX6J3FekTon
Cursed like a demon.
And then—
The doctor yelled.
“One more push!”
She used everything.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEZqPkR14PL
Every ounce of strength.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiWNcXXMfHd
Every broken memory.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCGlug0tH4
Every piece of her soul.
And then—
A cry.
High-pitched.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo58J4ZphdJ
Wailing.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WRhMX3G3M
Angelic.
The sound of new life.
“It’s a girl!” the nurse said.
Matteo didn’t move.
He just stared.
Blood on his hands.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeapPmdfqt
Tears on his face.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrs4kj3KSOa
And light in his eyes.
They placed the baby on her chest.
Tiny.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUvUvH1kw1
Red.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByrdon7KLt
Wrinkled.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVowx5QhTFS
Perfect.
“Hi, Arielle,” she whispered. “Welcome to the world, baby.”
“She’s beautiful,” Matteo choked.
“She looks like you.”
“Poor girl,” he laughed, then sobered.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR5rw6qx07O
“No. She’s lucky. Because she’ll grow up loved.”
He kissed her forehead.
Then their daughter’s.
“Thank you,” he whispered, “for surviving me.”
They stayed in that hospital room for hours.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7HH77OMPW9
No sleep.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjCOLovvFf
No noise.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKjvjI5NAs1
Just their heartbeat, and hers.
Later that night, Matteo took out the same notebook he started months ago.
He added one last entry:
“To Arielle —27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxnbOpSv06
You were born from fire and ashes. But you are not the flame. You are the light.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AZL1iRd6x
You are where everything finally begins.”
And that was it.
The doctor.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEm3dE0Zc5J
The storm.27Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ZYzJtMa8U
The sinner.
Now a father.
ns216.73.217.11da2
