Epilogue
O ne Year Later
Bianca
My gorgeous husband is pacing the room. It’s wrong to love the concern on his face. “I think you should have the baby immediately. You’re close enough to the due date, she’ll be fine. I’m not okay with there even being a chance something could happen to you. I will not lose you for her.”
Earlier today, my blood pressure spiked for the fourth time in my pregnancy. I didn’t understand what was happening when there were no issues when I was pregnant with Max. Apparently, preeclampsia didn’t care how your last pregnancy went. The doctors are giving us this afternoon to think and make the decision to deliver early.
It's odd how Carina is dealing with almost the same thing, not preeclampsia, but she went into shock a few hours ago, and she and Sandro are only two doors down. There was no decision they had to make; their newest daughter was delivered a few hours ago—whether they were ready or not.
There are still seven weeks before our due date, and I was afraid of issues that could haunt us later if the doctors deliver now. I hold a hand out to him.
Instantly, he’s back at my side, taking my hand in his. “You’re not losing me. I wanted to wait to give her as much time as possible. But I can admit, I think you’re right. The doctors know what they are talking about. So I’m going to trust your much-hoped-for daughter will be okay in all of this.”
His relief is in every inch of him. Bringing my hand up to his mouth, he presses his lips to my palm. “I’m grateful beyond measure for our daughter, but all I need is you.”
With a nod, he presses the call button for the nurse. When she appears less than three minutes later, he tells her of our decision. She nods and is gone again. In less than ten minutes, she’s back with someone who is giving me an epidural. Then I’m wheeled into surgery. I hated the idea of surgery—being cut open is scary to me. Max came naturally, and in less than two hours. Trust my daughter to be the one to put us through the most hoops.
I wonder if this means she won’t be like Max, who loved nothing more than to sleep through the night so he could go hard all day, then hit a wall and sink into sleep by six every day. He was work for sure. I wanted to read him stories and help him play with building blocks. Max wanted to climb, swim, and jump around.
One of the reasons I wasn’t as upset as Gaetano was when we found out that I was pregnant again so soon was because I was hoping another baby would be a calming thing for him. Kind of like my two kitties, Sasha and Minka, who were chill cats as long as they had each other. Another part of me was hoping for another boy for Max to be rough and tumble with. Yet, when I saw Gaetano’s face when they proclaimed we were having a girl, I couldn’t have been happier.
A hand comes down on mine. I sigh with relief at my husband’s strength that he tempers to hold my hand.
“Your daughter.” He shakes his head. “Why did I not consider the drama she would bring to our life?”
Laughter comes out of me unchecked. “I can’t wait to see you with her, trying to tell her no.”
“I’m going to tell her no. There’s also her brother, who will ensure she doesn’t get everything she wants.”
“Hm, that will be interesting to see, considering your son is you in tiny form.” It was spooky how much Max was like his father in actions and thoughts, but he oddly looked more like Nico than Gaetano. Gaetano found it amusing. I worried people would think the wrong thing.
“Okay, are you ready to meet your daughter, Bianca?” My doctor asks.
I nod. “Very. How is Carina and Sandro’s baby doing?”
She’s their doctor, too. “Excellent. Little Filomena was in good health despite being early, as I’m certain your daughter will be. Okay, we’re about to begin. Would you like me to walk you through what I’m doing?”
“Please, no,” I shake my head.
“Not a problem. I understand,” she chuckles.
“Actually, Filomena isn’t her name. She’s going to be Serafina. Carina did it to get back at him for saying he thought Ludovica should be their daughter’s name,” I giggle as I think of my brother trying to accept Filomena as his daughter’s name.
Shaking his head. “Let me guess, you had something to do with it?”
“Not exactly. I simply suggested the name Filomena as a joke to Carina, and then it kind of grew from there.” I attempt to defend myself.
“Have you picked a name for yours yet?”
I look to Gaetano. “I’m letting him pick the name since he wanted a girl so much. I got to pick our son’s name. Thankfully, I like the names he’s been thinking of.”
“I would like to wait until I meet her before I pick it. While there are two I’m thinking of—it doesn’t feel right picking a name without seeing her.” Gaetano shrugs.
“I understand. Smart. One of my patients had a name picked, all of these beautiful blankets with his name on them. Then he was delivered, and for some reason, they said the name simply did not fit him. He left the hospital with a completely different name. Personally, I think you should meet your baby before naming them. That’s my two cents that I would never tell a couple who had a name picked out before their baby was born.”
The doctor goes quiet, then suddenly the room is filled with the screaming and crying of my new daughter. “Okay, we have a baby girl. And my goodness she’s got lungs on her. That’s something I love to hear. The nurse is going to clean her real quick to see how she’s doing. As I mentioned, she might need help in the NICU.”
Gaetano has my hand in his and his eyes on our daughter. “How is she?”
Sighing, he bends down to press his lips to mine in a gentle caress. “She’s perfect and beautiful like her mother. Thank you.”
Relief flows through me as a nurse presents Gaetano with our daughter, tightly wrapped in a blanket and with a hat on. Seeing with him her has me smiling so widely my mouth is hurting.
“Her APGAR score is excellent. You would never know she was early. I’m beginning to wonder if we were off on her due date. She won’t need to go into NICU, she’s in perfect health.” The doctor declares.
“Please, can I see her, Gaetano?” I whisper.
He brings her to me, lowering her so I can see her. “Oh my god, she’s perfect. She’s a little smaller than Max, but she’s perfect.”
“Yes, she is. Her momma in miniature. She has your nose and chin. What do you think about Sophia Adriana?”
“I love it. I was hoping you would pick Sophia.” I admit. “Helena is pretty, it just felt very old-fashioned.”
“Yes, I could tell.”
“You see everything.”
“I do, including how you can’t wait to meet your daughter properly. So I’m going to give her back to the nurse so they can do all the fun stuff, and we’ll see her in your room. “
“Have I told you how much I love you and how grateful I am for you lately?”
“It’s been a minute. But I already know that.” His smile is everything as he runs a hand over my hair. “Thank you for my daughter.”
“You’re welcome.” I sigh into his mouth as he kisses. Anything to see him as happy as he is now.