CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Where We Begin24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoyH3dUm7R
(Her POV)
It started at 3:17 a.m.
A sharp pain in her lower back.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqqs2kypng2
Then another.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3rnPHdTjZu
And another.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg47FcGW0Rq
Until the bed sheet was soaked and her scream woke him up.
“It’s time,” she cried. “She’s coming.”
Matteo jumped from bed.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf8KwufAiPp
Pale. Barefoot.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfG8eym9WnC
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsde9zbN6iO
Prayed out loud.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpieATMJHq
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTTVRLBkfo
Blinding.
She screamed.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWSYK3Rumnn
Bit down on his shoulder.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwD0t8wIH51
Cursed like a demon.
And then—
The doctor yelled.
“One more push!”
She used everything.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqHaUlyQ3j
Every ounce of strength.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm56xDVKLOr
Every broken memory.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ArzeCpgfR
Every piece of her soul.
And then—
A cry.
High-pitched.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8w4XOss3kr
Wailing.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR46hN2eAAz
Angelic.
The sound of new life.
“It’s a girl!” the nurse said.
Matteo didn’t move.
He just stared.
Blood on his hands.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaLdvDE3Owm
Tears on his face.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYj0w99DJ0
And light in his eyes.
They placed the baby on her chest.
Tiny.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRY4ODVwac
Red.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0xGiCPwjC
Wrinkled.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijAb5V81zG
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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0wdftlhzx
“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.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡulgg5gcmxa
No sleep.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4rVXe7XwSQ
No noise.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2m1T76olJ
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 —24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpps9B4Pgd
You were born from fire and ashes. But you are not the flame. You are the light.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsuoPes3Sv
You are where everything finally begins.”
And that was it.
The doctor.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPjAddS1BI
The storm.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxUzvbsd1mE
The sinner.
Now a father.
ns216.73.217.11da2
