CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Where We Begin30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8AuqUoHlPp
(Her POV)
It started at 3:17 a.m.
A sharp pain in her lower back.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxGwPe9u6KY
Then another.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgsTo7FJKJ
And another.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMt5DVuMfm
Until the bed sheet was soaked and her scream woke him up.
“It’s time,” she cried. “She’s coming.”
Matteo jumped from bed.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOcngG4AuC
Pale. Barefoot.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4qeK0fjh6c
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqBsZ52rMSh
Prayed out loud.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnObYGKFOAp
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7oqsHk8HZL
Blinding.
She screamed.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzGRBGvcYR
Bit down on his shoulder.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6sQjg6Urkz
Cursed like a demon.
And then—
The doctor yelled.
“One more push!”
She used everything.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEwTliOU0X
Every ounce of strength.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrgfaEiMrWk
Every broken memory.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgMUDQABoL
Every piece of her soul.
And then—
A cry.
High-pitched.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkwyI6Yv3S
Wailing.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRQbbNwhFvV
Angelic.
The sound of new life.
“It’s a girl!” the nurse said.
Matteo didn’t move.
He just stared.
Blood on his hands.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCPfpR3Q6WO
Tears on his face.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8ycdGXnpt
And light in his eyes.
They placed the baby on her chest.
Tiny.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR3y78nvwSZ
Red.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNX720P8K2E
Wrinkled.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13xqUJofbx
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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGa3xSNLEG
“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.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOj3orLfn92
No sleep.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡraEgvBVp38
No noise.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj00RxRQJGE
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 —30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMgIImvlRZM
You were born from fire and ashes. But you are not the flame. You are the light.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcH9Eb5o0Vj
You are where everything finally begins.”
And that was it.
The doctor.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ8jMCEIQAj
The storm.30Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ13o8MbZWHq
The sinner.
Now a father.
ns216.73.216.2da2
