CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Where We Begin33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDO7qg7vUo
(Her POV)
It started at 3:17 a.m.
A sharp pain in her lower back.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi54yZqrhGK
Then another.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIYKdGCHEUX
And another.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q972ZYnyW
Until the bed sheet was soaked and her scream woke him up.
“It’s time,” she cried. “She’s coming.”
Matteo jumped from bed.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ85HixSmDH
Pale. Barefoot.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡae5Zyh2xM5
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehkjzMbB6l
Prayed out loud.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNwj1nGcum
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBNxDi0Wcno
Blinding.
She screamed.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLhxsaORZDS
Bit down on his shoulder.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPAWE7dHkcg
Cursed like a demon.
And then—
The doctor yelled.
“One more push!”
She used everything.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkUYOrhepIg
Every ounce of strength.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrcyI21yWJH
Every broken memory.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC51chj9MOL
Every piece of her soul.
And then—
A cry.
High-pitched.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeGCZ4cYauL
Wailing.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQx93gT8O3V
Angelic.
The sound of new life.
“It’s a girl!” the nurse said.
Matteo didn’t move.
He just stared.
Blood on his hands.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOb6xbdpQ1
Tears on his face.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbDOTgLy8T
And light in his eyes.
They placed the baby on her chest.
Tiny.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAbnyflEuW
Red.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1iVjTzSqNv
Wrinkled.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5kP3mE3Ss
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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmZpm6xSKN
“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.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjby4b0bIH
No sleep.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Gmg8lQQ1F
No noise.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCJy8JE1Y1
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 —33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡef29kEQTZc
You were born from fire and ashes. But you are not the flame. You are the light.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuxoQ5fErD
You are where everything finally begins.”
And that was it.
The doctor.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIMsVzp7EB
The storm.33Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaxmyzZQ5Dx
The sinner.
Now a father.
ns216.73.216.247da2
