Epilogue 1
Rayna
Some Months Later
A scream rips out of my throat as searing pain hits me in another awful wave. I feel like my legs are going to fall off, and like there’s an actual fire blazing between my thighs.
“You’re doing great, baby. You’re almost there.” Apollo’s words, though encouraging and sweet, only make me want to cut his head off even more.
“I am never having sex with you again!” I hiss, squeezing his hand so hard, I swear he winces.
“Just breathe, love.”
“You try breathing with your cock splitting open, you fucking prick!”
“You’re so strong—”
“Don’t kiss up to me,” I growl, snapping my teeth at him. “I already told you, you’re never getting fucked again, Apollo Moretti. You’re celibate from today on. Ahhhh, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you. You did this to me!”
“Can you seriously not give her something?” my husband snaps, scaring the doctor and nurses surrounding us.
“Her labor is progressing too quickly for an epidural,” the head nurse explains for the third time. “She’s at ten centimeters and nearly crowning. An epidural will only slow her down, or even be impossible to place right now.”
Before he can bite out another comment, the doctor between my legs speaks up. “All right, give us another push, Rayna.”
I feel the urge to bear down right as he instructs me to, and a scream cracks from behind my lips as soon as I do. There’s so much stretching and burning, I feel tears blur my vision as the contraction comes to an end.
“I can’t do this,” I sob, lips wobbling. “It hurts so bad, Apollo.”
“Yes, you can,” he replies, bringing our locked hands up to his lips to kiss. “You’re so close, it’ll be over so soon, love.”
I sniffle and shake my head. “This is all your fault.”
“I know, baby,” he agrees, unaffected by my misplaced anger. “You can punish me after our son is here, okay? I take full responsibility.”
“S-stop being sweet,” I croak, hand shaking in his. “It’s hard to be mad at you when you’re sweet.”
Apollo dips down, pressing a kiss to the crown of my head, uncaring about the sweat building there. “I love you so much, micina. How could I stop being sweet to my wife as she’s creating life before my eyes?”
I don’t have time to respond before another contraction hits me hard. Everything becomes an excruciating haze as the height of labor takes over. I push and push, and scream, and fucking cry. Breathing feels more like an exercise ritual than a natural process as I struggle to keep up.
So many minutes pass that I don’t have the faintest idea how long I’m pushing for.
It feels incredibly fast and dizzying but like it will never end all at the same time.
I wish I would have prepared more thoroughly for this, and yet, I don’t think anything could have captured how intense the experience is.
But finally, after the hardest push of them all, something changes. The pressure releases with a whoosh, and air fills my lungs easier than before. I inhale deeply, trying to catch my breath like I’ve just run a marathon, and I realize how wet I suddenly feel.
“You fucking did it, baby,” Apollo says, kissing the side of my face.
It’s then that I understand, it’s over. Our son is here.
A shattered, sharp cry echoes around the room and my heart hammers.
“Congratulations, Rayna,” the doctor says, reaching forward to give me a pale and wailing infant. She settles the wiggling form onto my chest, and smiles. “You have a very healthy baby boy.”
“O-oh God,” I stammer, holding onto the slippery little thing. My baby. Holy shit, he’s real. “Apollo, oh my God.”
“I know, my love,” he whispers thickly, gently running the back of his index finger down our son’s cheek.
“H-he’s so gross,” I rasp, referring to the creamy white stuff scattered over his skin. “I love him.”
Apollo chuckles. “I love you both.”
“What’s he covered in?” I ask, wrinkling my nose. “Is it safe?”
“Vernix Caseosa,” the closest nurse answers kindly.
“It’s safe, I assure you. It’s beneficial for him to remain unwashed for at least the first hour or so.
The film can help regulate his body temperature, keeping your baby warm by trapping heat to his skin.
It also contains antimicrobial substances that can help protect him from infection.
We’ll give him a warm wipe down soon, and he’ll be all clean and happy. ”
“O-okay,” I agree, nodding. Turning down to look at my son, I add, “I’m glad you’re covered in the gross-looking stuff. It’s good for you.”
“She’s shaking,” Apollo suddenly says worriedly, attention swinging to the doctor. “Is she okay? She’s not bleeding, is she?”
It takes me a second to realize he’s referring to me. I’ve been too enraptured by our son to notice that I am in fact, shaking.
“Shaking is very common,” she tells him, voice steady and calm. “She’s delivering the placenta right now, but from what I can see, there’s very minimal bleeding. We’ll get your wife cleaned up and given some warm blankets to help her shivering.”
“I’m delivering the placenta?” I ask, shocked. “I can’t even feel it.”
“That’s also not unusual,” my labor nurse assures me. “Your mind is elsewhere.” She nods gently to the baby on my chest. “I’m going to take his vitals while he’s on you, okay? Just to check that he’s doing well.”
“Please,” I agree eagerly.
“Do we have a name for this little cutie?”
“Yes,” Apollo answers gruffly. “We do.”
Minutes pass like seconds, as my adrenaline begins to fade. Warm blankets and fluids in my IV help my trembling cease, and eventually the “golden hour” has come to an end. Apollo watches like a hawk as the nurses clean up our son and swaddle him in a snug blanket.
Soon enough, it’s just us in the hospital room, the baby in my arms and Apollo by my bedside.
Part of me wishes I considered a home birth like Jade did with her twins.
I would give anything to feel the immense comfort the Moretti homes offer me.
But the feeling of safety that having professionals surrounding me in a building full of equipment and brilliant minds meant to save me in the case of an emergency was too good to pass up.
My vitals look good, but I’m going to need to eat soon. Not only because I feel like I could clear out a buffet with the way my stomach is grumbling, but because I can feel how low my blood sugar must be. But I’m not ready to part with the sleeping baby on my chest.
“He’s so perfect,” I whisper, voice hoarse from all of the screaming I did. “I can’t believe he’s all ours.”
“I can,” Apollo murmurs in response. “You did so fucking good, Rayna.”
“It wasn’t what I expected,” I admit. “I should have asked Jade more questions, or read more books. I felt like a fish out of water.”
“You were a natural,” he disagrees.
“I yelled at you a lot,” I argue lightly. “Is it fucked up if I say that I changed my mind already? I want another one. Look at how fucking precious he is. Do you hear him breathing? It’s the sweetest sound.”
“I can hear it,” he confirms, smiling softly. “I’ll give you as many babies as you want, love. Anything you want.”
“Anything? Even a double cheeseburger with a boat load of soft, salty fries?”
“Is that what you want?” he chuckles. “I’ll make someone go pick it up right now. Anything else?”
“Mozzarella sticks, too,” I gasp, mouth watering as I think of it. “And one of those electrolyte drinks Armani made me pack in my birth bag. The doctor said to stay hydrated so I can breastfeed.”
“You got it, baby.”
“After you settle that, will you let everyone in?”
“Are you sure you’re ready for guests?” he asks hesitantly. “It can be a lot. Even Jade only let us in for a few minutes with the twins before Dmitri kicked us out so we didn’t overwhelm her.”
“Well, I don’t have as big of a crowd waiting,” I remind him with a laugh. “It’s just Yordan, Elio, Jade, Ana, and your Dad. Leon isn’t going to make it out here until tomorrow. And there’s no kids so I don’t have to worry about any chaos to cause me stress.”
“All right,” he agrees, sounding almost reluctant. “But they won’t stay long. You need to eat and rest.”
“Agreed,” I concede happily. “I’m either going to have a wonderful nap, or never sleep well ever again. I feel tired and wired at the same time.”
“I promise I’ll make sure you get plenty of sleep, love.” He puts in a call for my food, and kisses the top of my head before quickly leaving the room
When he returns, Yordan is right by his side, practically racing to get to me. Jade and Ana follow right behind them, and Elio and Dante trickle in last, their calm demeanor plain to see. It’s comforting, not feeling swarmed by everyone at once.
Yordan comes to my bedside first, his eyes wide with wonder and astonishment. “You look fine,” he says with an exhale of relief. “I heard you screaming and I thought—fuck, you have a baby, sis.”
Happiness and a sense of pride swells in my chest, and I nod. “I do. Worth all the screaming, huh?”
His eyes fix firmly on the little blue bundle in my arms and he nods slowly. “Shit, yeah, as long as you’re okay. Does the whole adoption thing we did make him my brother or my nephew?”
A startled laugh bursts from my lips and my son stirs at the sound. “Brother, I think. Ask your stepfather.”
“Brother,” Apollo confirms without being asked.
I smile up at him, and gently lift our baby for him to take. He has an introduction to make. I watch with a watery smile as he approaches his father, the whole room coming to a stop to watch as well.
“This is Vaughn Dante Moretti,” Apollo says, gently passing our swaddled son into his father’s awaiting arms.
“Dante?” he asks, surprise evident in his tone. “You honor me, son.”
“Felt right,” Apollo explains, sniffing back any emotion before he can become sentimental. “He’s nine pounds, two ounces, and perfectly healthy. The future Capo of The Outfit.”
“Nine pounds?” Dante echoes, eyes widening slightly.
“Don’t remind me,” I whine from my bed, huffing. “I blame your son’s fat head and how tall you all seem to be. He’s going to be huge.”