Chapter 34 #3
“It hurts,” she whimpered in the background, her voice weak but clear.
My chest tightened at the sound, my grip on the steering wheel tightening.
“I know, mi amore , I know, but I’m coming.
I’ll do my best to make it better, I promise.
” I had no idea how I could make that happen, but I’d try my fucking hardest for her.
Her screams erupted through the line, raw and primal, and my heart shattered.
“Drive safe. Our babies need you in one piece,” she managed to say, her voice trembling. Even in her pain, she was still worrying about me.
“I will. Don’t worry about me,” I replied, my voice hoarse.
“We’re pulling into the parking lot now. I’ll stay with her until you arrive,” Nicolo reassured me.
“Thank you! Ana, I love you,”
“I love you, too,” she whispered, her words mingling with her laboured breaths. The line went dead, and I floored the accelerator, my mind racing with thoughts of my wife and the two lives we were about to bring into the world.
I parked haphazardly in front of the hospital entrance and sprinted inside, my Oxford shoes skidding on the polished floor as I followed the signs to the maternity unit. “Anastacia Ricci. Where is she?!” I demanded at the nurse’s desk.
The nurse, a kind-faced woman with tortoise shell glasses, typed slowly into her computer. “Let me pull up her records and see what room she’s in for you,” she responded, taking her sweet fucking time at pulling up that file.
“My wife is in labour. I’d appreciate you hurrying up, please,” I snapped, my patience non-fucking-existent.
She looked up at me, her expression unflappable.
“I said please. What more do you want?!” I added.
Another nurse appeared, her eyes widening at the sight of Lorenzo.
“She’s in room three-zero-nine. Just down the hall, last door on your right.
” She smiled, pointing me in the right direction.
“Thank you,” I muttered. “You might want to tell your co-worker that urgency matters, especially today!” I didn’t wait to hear her reply. I already sprinted off in the direction she sent me.
The moment I reached the door, I paused, taking a deep breath. This was it. The moment I’d both longed for and dreaded. The next time we left this room, we’d be a family. I couldn’t pretend I wasn’t fucking terrified, but I knew we could do it together.
Time to meet our babies.
I pushed open the door and found Nicolo standing by Ana’s bedside, his hand clenched in hers as she rode out another contraction. “Thank God! I can’t feel my fingers,” he whimpered, his face pale.
“Thanks, Nic. I don’t know what we’d have done without you today,” I said, crossing the room to Ana. “The guys are on their way. They’ll be here in about thirty minutes. Are you going to wait?”
“Of course!” Nicolo replied, his voice a lot calmer now. He headed out of the room, probably to ice his hand, and left me alone with my wife.
“I’m here, mi amore ,” I said softly, taking her hand in mine. She looked up at me, her blue eyes shining with tears while her cheeks flushed a perfect shade of pink. She looked breathtaking, even while she was in pain.
“I thought you wouldn’t make it,” she sobbed, her voice weak but filled with relief.
“Oh, Ana, I wouldn’t have missed this for anything in the world.” I smiled. “I don’t even care if you break my fingers. Whatever helps with the pain.”
She laughed softly, her grip on my hand tightening. “Why would I do that? Then you can’t help with the diapers.” She chuckled. “Besides, I only squeezed his hand like that to calm him down. He was freaking out.”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I ran my thumb over her knuckles. “Whatever will I do with you?”
“I’m sure you can think of plenty,” she replied, her voice laced with a hint of mischief. I leaned down, savouring this moment with her as I kissed her forehead gently. “I love you, Ana,” I breathed. “And I will love our children unconditionally.”
“We’re lucky to have you, Lorenzo.” She sighed, gritting her teeth through the pain.
I fell silent as Ana rode out another contraction, her grip like a vice around my hand. I held her gaze, my heart swelling with love and awe for the woman before me. Together, we’d face whatever came next. No matter what it was.
As the pain washed over her, I whispered words of encouragement, my voice a steady anchor in the storm. "You're doing amazing. I'm so proud of you."
Her eyes were heavy with fatigue but sparkled with unshed tears. She offered me a weary smile. " We're doing amazing," she corrected.
"Trust me, this is all you. I'm doing nothing," I responded.
"You're here, Lorenzo. That's everything to me." Her words, simple yet profound, struck a chord deep within me. A single tear escaped the corner of her eye, tracing a path down her cheek. "We’re so lucky to have you.”
I leaned in, brushing my lips against hers in a tender kiss, a promise of forever. "It is us who are lucky to have you," I murmured against her lips.
The soft knock on the door interrupted our intimate moment. A doctor entered, her eyes flicking briefly to me before settling on Ana.
"Sorry to interrupt. I just need to check how many centimetres dilated Anastacia is. You can step out if you’d like to, Mr. Ricci," she said, her tone professional but carrying a hint of suggestion as if she wanted me to agree.
"There's no way I'm leaving," I stated flatly.
The doctor, sensing the unspoken tension, directed her question to Ana. "Are you okay with him staying?" she asked, her gaze searching Ana’s face for any sign of discomfort.
Ana’s grip on my hand tightened as she nodded firmly. "Yes, I want my husband to stay," she said, her voice steady despite the pain etched on her face.
The doctor, seemingly satisfied, proceeded with her examination, her movements efficient and practiced. Ana’s face contorted momentarily, a silent testament to the pain radiating through her body. I squeezed her hand gently, reassuring her every step of the way.
“It looks like the two of you are ready to meet your babies." The doctor announced, a smile softening her features. .
My head snapped up, unable to hide my surprise as my eyes widened. “What?! That fast? She’s only just got here!” The words tumbled out of me in a mixture of awe and panic.
"Mr. Ricci, relax and take a deep breath. Babies don't always wait around, and it's obvious that yours are eager to meet you both." She chuckled, placing a gentle hand on Anastacia’s shoulder.
Her words, though intended to soothe, only heightened my anxiety.
I was a man who controlled empires. I didn’t bat an eyelid when I pulled the trigger to take someone’s life, but I felt helpless in the face of this natural force.
I took a deep breath, my hand never leaving Ana’s, my gaze never wavering from her face.
A midwife entered the room, listening to everything the doctor had to say, before she prepared everything.
I’d lost count of how many minutes followed. All I knew was that it was a blur of pain, determination, and unwavering love. I turned into Ana’s anchor, making sure my voice was a constant source of encouragement.
“You’re doing amazing, mi amore ,” I whispered.
She nodded her head as the room erupted in a chorus of encouragement, the midwife's voice guiding Ana through each push. Her face was a mask of concentration as my usual composure was completely shattered by the raw emotion of the moment.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a deafening cry pierced the air, followed by another, slightly weaker but no less powerful.
The midwife, her face radiant with joy, held up two tiny bundles, their cries filling the room with a symphony of life.
They were both placed on my wife’s chest. Their eyes, though unfocused, held a universe of wonder.
My eyes brimmed with tears as I reached out, my fingers gently brushing the hair of one of our babies. "They’re perfect," I whispered, unable to hide the emotion in my voice. "Our family is perfect."
Ana, her face radiant with joy, looked up at me, her eyes mirroring the love and wonder in my own. "We did it, Lorenzo," she said, her voice trembling with happiness. "We created this."
In that moment, amidst the chaos and the joy, the fear and the love, I understood something profound. I had once built an empire on strength and fear, but I finally found my true power. Not in dominance, but in love, in family, in the tiny, perfect beings cradled in my wife's arms.
I brushed a finger over Isabella's button nose, identical to Ana’s, as my thumb grazed her pouty lips, a miniature version of her mother's. "Just look at them, Ana. You did that."
Despite the exhaustion etched into her features, there was a glow about her that seemed to illuminate the room. Her gaze met mine before falling to Luca, who was nestled against Ana’s chest. He was the spitting image of me, even in his sleep.
"I love you, Mrs Ricci," I confessed for the umpteenth time today. "Now I have the life I have, I know I’ll never be able to live without it. Without the three of you."
“And I love you, too,” she whispered. “You're an amazing father already. They’re lucky to have you.”
My throat tightened, a lump forming that threatened to choke me.
I’d always prided myself on my strength, my ability to remain detached, to make the tough decisions.
But in this moment, with my family cradled in my arms, I felt a different kind of strength, a strength born from love and vulnerability.
Isabella, sensing the shift in atmosphere, stirred in my arms, her tiny fists balling up as she let out a soft gurgle. I smiled and gently rocked her, my hands surprisingly gentle as I soothed her back to sleep.
"She's stubborn," I observed, my voice laced with amusement. "Just like her mother."
Ana laughed, a soft, melodic sound that filled the room with warmth. "And Luca's got your determination," she countered, her gaze softening as she looked down at her sleeping son. "They’re going to be a force to be reckoned with."
My gaze shifted between my children. A surge of protectiveness washed over me, a primal instinct to shield them from the world's harsh realities.
"They’ll have the best of both of us," I said firmly. "And they’ll have the love and support of a family who will always be there for them."
As I held Isabella closer, the fear of losing this newfound happiness outweighed everything else. I would protect my family with every fibre of my being. Not out of duty, but out of a love that had blossomed in the most unexpected of places.
The future, once shrouded in uncertainty, stretched before us, bright and full of promise.
Together, we would face whatever challenges lie ahead, our love a beacon guiding us through the darkness.
We had found not only love in each other, but a home, a sense of belonging, and a future worth fighting for.