CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Where We Begin15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGU7SEUNJ2a
(Her POV)
It started at 3:17 a.m.
A sharp pain in her lower back.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FkJb4mwNi
Then another.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYog8T9hFJ8
And another.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbXqG0KklWT
Until the bed sheet was soaked and her scream woke him up.
“It’s time,” she cried. “She’s coming.”
Matteo jumped from bed.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWJwGDDUJw
Pale. Barefoot.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJyLdbDfCT
Fumbling for the bag they prepared days ago.
But his hands were shaking.
“Okay. Okay. Just breathe. We practiced this—”
“Matteo,” she grabbed his wrist, “we don’t have time.”
“We’ll make time.”
The clinic was an hour away.
They made it in thirty-eight minutes.
He ran red lights.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNECIvMhqN5
Prayed out loud.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8c6yjKASSV
Held her hand the whole way.
“You’re doing so good, baby. Just hold on for me.”
“I think I might kill you after this.”
“That’s fair.”
The contractions came hard.
Fast.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2yrGmINxVb
Blinding.
She screamed.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg4bXkpP27q
Bit down on his shoulder.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQSDds9Yf0
Cursed like a demon.
And then—
The doctor yelled.
“One more push!”
She used everything.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98rh2LtWt5
Every ounce of strength.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vR1Lg0VCt
Every broken memory.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeQjq6g0yZF
Every piece of her soul.
And then—
A cry.
High-pitched.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPk0Otj0sH8
Wailing.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkwWYul6vl7
Angelic.
The sound of new life.
“It’s a girl!” the nurse said.
Matteo didn’t move.
He just stared.
Blood on his hands.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMdAmVxbDb0
Tears on his face.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn83nT3VmaA
And light in his eyes.
They placed the baby on her chest.
Tiny.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNRY7DhCB3P
Red.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLJQGsRIqS
Wrinkled.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi3Wghxq1My
Perfect.
“Hi, Arielle,” she whispered. “Welcome to the world, baby.”
“She’s beautiful,” Matteo choked.
“She looks like you.”
“Poor girl,” he laughed, then sobered.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1eYzU3ghO
“No. She’s lucky. Because she’ll grow up loved.”
He kissed her forehead.
Then their daughter’s.
“Thank you,” he whispered, “for surviving me.”
They stayed in that hospital room for hours.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogn6iWWSwo
No sleep.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qucMNm2zc
No noise.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbF5wyLgUq6
Just their heartbeat, and hers.
Later that night, Matteo took out the same notebook he started months ago.
He added one last entry:
“To Arielle —15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkLSdLj67A
You were born from fire and ashes. But you are not the flame. You are the light.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdF6w2tge1Y
You are where everything finally begins.”
And that was it.
The doctor.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7hBv3hTX3
The storm.15Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBoNRepHVKP
The sinner.
Now a father.
ns216.73.216.239da2
