Chapter 20
20
Giselle
“H ere, I brought you some soup and crackers. See if you can keep them down.” Evie walked into my bedroom.
I sighed and pushed myself up onto the bed. “How are the kids?” My voice sounded as rough as I felt.
“They’re all running—and crawling—around like crazy. You’re the only one who hasn’t recovered yet.”
I reached for the cold water bottle on the tray she’d brought in. I drank a few guzzles, letting the coolness soothe my throat.
“I don’t know why it hit you the worst. Everyone else was better in a day.”
I sighed. Because it was my luck, that’s why. Theo had brought in some kind of stomach bug from a play place Nick and Eve had taken him to when they went into the city. It was a quick trip. Eve was getting stir-crazy. So, Carlo told Nick to take his wife out for a while. And we’d watch their kids.
And surprisingly, Nick and Eve listened.
Except poor little Theo had an absolute meltdown. And then Eve felt guilty and started crying, too.
Nick rolled his eyes and immediately picked up their screaming son and packed him up to go with them.
A day later, Theo was sick all over the back patio. And then about a dozen other places.
A day after that, Eve, Dani, Marcello, and I all got sick.
Carlo said he was fine, but I swear I heard him get ill in the bathroom a few times. But I really didn’t care because I felt like death.
Thank goodness Eve had somewhat recovered by the time the kids and I came down with it.
At least there was one mom around to direct the troops.
But while everyone else had recovered, I was still nauseous and queasy.
And I actually felt worse now than when I’d first gotten sick.
“Three days of stomach flu is three days too many.” Eve sat down beside me and handed me a spoon.
I took it from her and reluctantly dipped it into the steaming hot bowl.
I tasted a partial spoonful, and my stomach growled.
We both laughed. “You must be on the mend.” Eve giggled and gave me a sweet—but worried—smile.
“Gosh, I hope so. I hate pawning the kids off on you. I mean, I know the men are helping, but we both know who does the lion’s share of work with those little ones.”
She rubbed my arm. “Don’t you even think about that. It was my kid who got you sick in the first place. Just concentrate on getting better.” She slipped out the side of the bed and said, “Supper’s in an hour if you feel up to it. Or just stay here and nap.”
I nodded and watched her sway out the door.
I actually was feeling hungry. Which surprised me. Maybe Eve was right, and I was better.
The plain broth didn’t look appetizing. And neither did the crackers.
I decided to shower and see how I felt after that.
Ten minutes later—I felt a lot better.
My hair was clean. My body was clean. And I didn’t smell like hot garbage anymore.
I dried my hair, threw on some yoga pants and a sloppy T-shirt.
I wandered downstairs to the sound of kids laughing.
When I turned the corner, I saw Carlo and Nick on the floor in the living room. The kids were “attacking” them, and the men were tickling them and play wrestling.
Carlo caught sight of me first. “You’re up,” he said, holding a giggling Theo above his head while the twins crawled over his legs.
Nick had Dani upside down and she was laughing her face off.
“I’m up.” I smiled at all of them and walked into the kitchen. Eve was there, frying something on the stove.
She turned around and cheered. “Yay! You’re alive!” She jumped up and down with the wooden spoon in her hand.
I walked up and hugged her. “Thanks. Your soup worked wonders,” I told her even though I hadn’t touched it after she left. I made sure to dump it down the sink so she wouldn’t see it.
“Good, I’m happy you’re better. Can you do me a favor and keep an eye on the meat? We’re having tacos. I have to get everything else out of the fridge.”
I pulled the spoon out of her hand and stepped up to the stove. A big hunk of half-cooked ground beef sizzled in the pan. Most of it was still pink.
The sour smell of uncooked meat quickly entered my nostrils—and even faster—turned my stomach.
“Oh, gosh,” I said as I dropped the wooden spoon on the floor. I turned and dashed toward the small bathroom off the living room.
I barely made it in time.
When I was finished, I flushed the toilet and sat back. I was exhausted.
“Are you okay?” Eve asked in a worried tone. She picked up a brown washcloth and ran some water over top of it.
“I was fine until I smelled the meat. I think it’s gone bad. You should chuck it out before anyone eats it.”
Eve squeezed the water out of the washcloth. Then she looked at me and grinned.
“The meat is fine, honey. I always check before I cook.”
I shook my head and accepted the warm washcloth from her. “No, it smelled horrible. It’s gone bad.”
She let out a small laugh and leaned against the counter. “I don’t think it’s the meat. It’s your sniffer.” She pointed to her nose.
“What are you talking about? Why would her nose be making her get sick?” Carlo asked, filling up the doorway with his huge body.
Eve grinned widely and looked at him. “Are you guys using birth control?”
Carlo’s mouth opened, but he didn’t say anything.
Eve laughed harder. “All right. I think we have our answer. I’ll go grab a test. I have a bunch.”
She sidestepped around Carlo.
Carlo who was standing there. Unmoving.
Unblinking.
Just staring at me.
“Why would you smelling rotten meat mean you’re—” He pointed at me and looked at my belly.
I bit my lip and considered what Eve had just said.
Could I be pregnant?
No.
I was just sick.
But the meat did smell horrible.
“Giselle!” He raised his voice at me, and I jumped.
“What?” I answered back and wiped my face off with the warm cloth in my hand. Gosh. Was she right?
Or maybe Eve’s nose was plugged, and she couldn’t smell how rancid the meat was.
“Honest to Christ. You need to explain this shit to me. I have no idea what’s going on.”
I sighed and leaned against the wall. “Sometimes when women are pregnant, their sense of smell is—off. It doesn’t work properly.” I shrugged and shook my head. “No, it’s more like bionic smelling. You can smell everything from a mile away. And some smells, like raw meat, can be really gross to some women.”
He swallowed and asked, “When you were carrying Dani and Marcello, were you—”
I smiled and nodded. “Sicker than a dog. Meat was the worst.” Inside, a large part of me was sad for him. Carlo had no idea about anything that had happened during my pregnancy with Marcello. He didn’t even know about Marcello until I was in labor.
And obviously, he hadn’t even known me when I was pregnant with Dani.
“Coming through.” Eve squeezed around Carlo, a pregnancy test in her hand. She waved it around and handed it to me. “Good luck, honey.” Her eyes were already watering. Which in turn made mine do the same thing.
She instantly turned and squeezed one of Carlo’s big biceps. “And good luck to you.” Then she disappeared.
“I don’t think—” I started saying, but Carlo walked all the way into the bathroom and shut the door behind him. “Take the test, Giselle.” He crossed his arms and stood against the back of the door.
I felt my heart start beating a mile a minute.
“Carlo, I’m not—”
He glared at me. “Take the fucking test. I’m not leaving until you do.”
I rolled my eyes and stood. “Fine, but you can wait outside.”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
My head fell back, and I groaned, “I’m not peeing in front of you.”
His gaze narrowed. “You gave birth to our son in front of me.”
Well, he had me there. Darn it.
But still—“Can you give me a little privacy? Please?” I asked in a calm voice.
Again, he shook his head. “Nope.”
I shut my eyes and groaned, “Why not?”
He stepped up to me and took the test out of my hand. He ripped the foil package open and handed me the test. “Because I missed out on of all of this with Marcello. And this time, I’m not missing one fucking second. So, take the test, Giselle.”
Oh.
My.
Heart.
This man.
I’d had to grieve the loss of many things since—well, since our world blew up.
But so did Carlo.
He just didn’t talk about all the things he’d missed out on. But seeing him here in front of me—I could now see that he carried that loss with him, too.
I had suffered.
And so had he.
“Okay,” I said, but it wasn’t in a defeated tone. Not at all.
Carlo was right. He should be here for this.
Either way. He had a right to know.
I set the test down on the counter. Then I pulled my yoga pants and my panties down and sat.
After I took the test, I replaced the cap on the end. And plunked it back on the counter. “Tell me what it says.”
Carlo walked over while I finished up.
“What’s it supposed to say?”
I stood and pulled up my panties and pants before I flushed. Then I walked around him so I could wash my hands. “Two lines means I’m pregnant. And one means I’m not.”
He picked up the test and held it out to me. But I shook my head. “No, you tell me what it says. Or don’t. If you want to wait and tell me later, that’s okay, too.”
He frowned and cocked his head to the side. “Why would I do that when you can tell me?”
I dried my hands and then set them on his arms. “Because you weren’t there when I found out about Marcello. I can never make that right. But maybe this will help.”
I let him go and went on a search for a toothbrush. Or at the very least some mouthwash.
My mouth felt like I’d licked the bottom of a garbage can.
Luckily, inside the second drawer, I found a few new toothbrushes and a small tube of toothpaste.
I readied my toothbrush and started brushing.
“How long does this take?”
I shrugged. “It depends,” I said over a mouthful of toothpaste. “Sometimes the lines show up faster than others. But probably a few minutes at least.” I went back to brushing. After I finished, I leaned over and tossed some warm water onto my face.
I was feeling better.
“Do you want me to tell you?” Carlo asked while I dried my face.
I smiled at him and answered honestly. “I want whatever you want. If you feel like keeping the result to yourself for a while,” I gave him a small grin, “then that’s fine with me. Whatever you want.”
His eyes looked into mine for a long, long moment. I couldn’t read his face. Not at all.
If Carlo didn’t play poker, he should definitely start.
“Tell me again how to read the results,” he asked, his voice steady and calm.
“One line means I’m not pregnant. And two lines mean I am.”
He lifted the test up again and stared at it.
Then he looked at me. And back to the test.
It seemed like whatever the results were on the test, Carlo was going to be keeping them to himself for a while.
“I should go help Eve with supper. I’ll see you out there.” I lifted up on my toes and kissed his scratchy cheek. He smelled like a spicy pine forest. And I loved it.
I headed around him to the door.
Just as my hand touched the doorknob, Carlo said, “Don’t go near the meat.”
My heart stopped.
My head spun around. “What?”
Carlo cleared his throat. “You’re not going to be cooking meat for a long time.”
I turned all the way around and waited.
I waited for Carlo to tell me—
“You’re pregnant.” He held up the test. But due to the fact that my eyes were currently clouded with tears, I couldn’t see a thing.
“Are you sure?” I croaked out.
Carlo chuckled and walked up to me. The tears spilled down my cheeks, and I could see the test in his hand.
And it had two very pink lines on it already.
My chin quivered, and before I knew it, Carlo’s arms were wrapped around me. Lifting me up, against his body. “You’re having a baby.” His voice shook with emotion. Which only made me cry harder.
“No, we’re having a baby.” I sniffled into his neck. “And this time, you’re going to watch me get huge, and barf all the time. Doesn’t that sound great?”
He hugged me hard. In a gravely voice, he said, “Yeah, that sounds really fucking great.”
I let out a weird laugh/cry. “You’re right. It’s really fucking great.”