Chapter 20
MADALINA
“ A re you excited?” Dario reaches across the seat to hold my hand. The truth is, I rarely get excited about anything these days. Ever since my father died I feel like I’ve been living my life on autopilot.
“Sure.” I manage a convincing smile and look down at the bump I’ve grown. It’s unmistakable now, and Dario is obsessed with it.
Lately, it seems like everything and everyone around me is moving forward and I’m just being dragged along for the ride.
Dario still hasn’t found out who murdered my father, Serena is barely answering my calls, and when I finally got hold of Nic the other day, he told me that she hardly comes out of her room. I feel as though I should be there for both of them, but I haven’t got the strength.
“Once we have the sex of the babies confirmed, you know Lorna is going to want to throw you one of those baby showers. I’ll bet she’s just holding out to get the color theme right, though I already know there's only one color she needs.” Dario looks excited as he pats my tummy.
“You're holding onto a lot of hope that there's a boy in there,” I point out .
“I know there's a boy in there. Two of them. There hasn’t been a DeMarco girl born into our family for over seventy years.”
The car pulls up outside the clinic and I allow Dario to help me out of the car. I’m too tired to be stubborn these days.
As always, Dr. Walsh greets us warmly, and I have to question how much Dario is paying to have him at our beck and call. He even made a house call the other night because Dario was concerned I looked too pale.
“So, today’s the big day.” He smiles at us both. “How have things been since the last time I saw you?”
“Good.” I climb up onto the bed and pull my yoga pants down so he has access to my stomach while Dario takes a seat on the stool next to me, looking nervous.
“I’ll make some checks on the babies' developments and then hopefully, we can determine what sex they are.” He proceeds to do the sonogram, while Dario takes my hand, and despite his confidence in the car, I feel him tremble. Up to now I’ve been so focused on his betrayal, and trying to hate him, that I forgot how important these babies being boys are to his plan.
The doctor focuses on the screen, poking around and getting his measurements, and I swear Dario holds his breath for the whole time. He’s on edge and for the first time since I met him, he actually looks vulnerable.
“All is well, the babies are growing exactly as they should be.” Dario releases his breath and smiles at me. “My advice to you is to carry on as normal and get plenty of rest. I’m sure your two little girls will be keeping you both on your toes when they arrive.”
My head swivels to the doctor.
“Sorry, did you just say girls?” I check I heard him right and when he confirms that I did with a nod of his head, for the first time in months a loud, uncontrollable laugh bursts out of my mouth. My belly jiggles and I feel a little like I’m going to pee myself, but suddenly everything about this situation seems hilarious.
“I guess there are some things you can’t control.” I take the tissue the doctor offers me to wipe the gel off my stomach, then getting up from the bed I take a satisfying breath and head out to the waiting room.
Dario follows me out a few minutes later, ignoring me as he opens the door and holds it open. I smile at him sarcastically as I pass, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction in knowing that he hasn’t gotten his way. He must be furious.
He doesn’t say a single word for the entire ride home, and when we get to the house he marches straight into his office. I wonder if he will be breaking the news to his father, telling him that he has broken the family mold and has two little girls on the way, and then suddenly it hits me.
Two little girls. I have two little girls growing inside me, and despite how they got there, and the fact this is one hell of a fucked up situation, I can’t help smiling as I stroke my hand over them.
I decide to give Dario his space, the news he got today isn’t what he wanted and I can imagine that he’s not the best company. But as night falls and he doesn’t show up for dinner, I start to get a little concerned. Dario has been taking such good care of me, even despite my coldness and how awkward I’ve made it for him. I don’t know how I’m going to feel about this sudden change of heart.
I eat dinner alone, and it comes as a shock when I don’t like how it feels. I decide to distract myself from the fact that Dario may no longer have an interest in the babies that he was so desperate to put inside me by watching a movie and I’m halfway through it when I notice him standing in the doorway.
“You really are pathetic.” I shake my head and fake a laugh. I saw the humor in all this back at the doctor’s office, but now that time has passed, Dario’s reaction is actually starting to hurt me. I’ll blame the hormones for that.
“What do you mean?” He steps into the room and places himself in front of me.
“Dario, you were the one that wanted to get me pregnant, you deceived me. And now that you haven’t got your heirs, you're pissed.”
“I’m not pissed,” he tells me flatly.
“Bullshit, you’re furious. And I’ll bet your father is too. His little plan to keep this family strong just took a huge hit.” I can’t help feeling a little proud of my two baby girls, for defying nature.
“You know what your problem is, Madalina?” Dario furrows his brow as he stares at me.
“Yes, I do. I was forced to marry a monster, who lied to me and betrayed my trust to get what he wanted, and now that hasn’t worked out, he hates me even more than he did before.” I hold back all the tears I want to cry and remain strong.
“Your problem isn’t that.” He shakes his head and laughs coldly. “Maybe you should try looking a little deeper.”
“Deeper? Dario, what the hell are you talking about?”
“You think I’m pissed because those babies you're carrying aren’t boys.” He bites his lip and shakes his head like I’m some kind of stupid.
“I know you're pissed.”
“Wrong.”
“Oh, please, don’t even try to pretend that you’ve been avoiding me since the sonogram isn’t because your precious little heirs are going to be holding purses, instead of pistols.” I toss the popcorn to one side and get up off the couch, heading for the door. I may have missed having him around today but I no longer want his company .
“Come back here,” he calls after me, but I ignore him and continue walking toward the stairs. I smile at the two guards that are standing by the front door and their faces don’t move.
“Madalina, I said get back here!” I hear the anger in his voice and now that I know the babies inside me aren’t precious to him anymore, I fear it, especially when he grabs my arm and spins me round to face him.
“Leave us!” he orders his guards, though his eyes remain focused on me.
He waits until they’ve obeyed their orders before he releases me and scrubs his hand over his face in frustration.
“You getting upset is bad for the babies,” he tells me softly.
“Like you care anymore,” I bite back at him, and when his concern turns into a confused frown he stares at me.
“You really don’t get it, do you?”
“I get it, Dario. I get how important it was for these babies to be boys. I get that you—” He cuts me off when his lips slam onto mine, forcing me back against the wall. And as his tongue rolls around mine, I suddenly realize that he’s never kissed me like this before.
“None of this is what you think it is,” he whispers.
“What are you talking about?” I force him back so I can get an explanation and when he hangs his head, I start to wonder if I’m going to like what comes next.
“I’m not ready to tell you, and I can assure you that you aren’t ready to hear it. All you need to know is that I’m happy.” His hands cradle my stomach between us. “We have two healthy, little girls, and I’m already sure they are going to have your temperament.” He looks up at me and smiles.
“But–”
“Shhhh, come upstairs and let me draw you a bath.” He drops his hand into mine and as he leads me up the stairs, there’s a look on his face that tells me not to question him. It’s not out of fear but sympathy, that I comply. I don’t know what has gotten into the man today, but I feel the adoration that he has for our babies and just lately I’m starting to wonder if maybe there’s a little there for me too.