CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Where We Begin16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTIoPK5MMW
(Her POV)
It started at 3:17 a.m.
A sharp pain in her lower back.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOXfsEMcLPF
Then another.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWh1k9EQP1n
And another.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfaSsCKfhg0
Until the bed sheet was soaked and her scream woke him up.
“It’s time,” she cried. “She’s coming.”
Matteo jumped from bed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY3X1TrZGXO
Pale. Barefoot.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGseu4HUgDs
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTrT2NzXxB2
Prayed out loud.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXHnezSc3e
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQW6Roe0A7D
Blinding.
She screamed.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMZnn4fcx1P
Bit down on his shoulder.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8FCpRax9uR
Cursed like a demon.
And then—
The doctor yelled.
“One more push!”
She used everything.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4Tgx4KYdQ
Every ounce of strength.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAgdBvBO4b
Every broken memory.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwJbx3K9DBB
Every piece of her soul.
And then—
A cry.
High-pitched.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKTJrmff2L
Wailing.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfx5reL213s
Angelic.
The sound of new life.
“It’s a girl!” the nurse said.
Matteo didn’t move.
He just stared.
Blood on his hands.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujOuoO3vlc
Tears on his face.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNkPaOd94lY
And light in his eyes.
They placed the baby on her chest.
Tiny.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQ355N6NpE
Red.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8vYzpJDLZ
Wrinkled.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDm9Icci3th
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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4yyOY29gr
“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.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxi8sTn6G9
No sleep.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx8pD3dpm8P
No noise.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MohvOrXzk
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 —16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4jpzHFWKsW
You were born from fire and ashes. But you are not the flame. You are the light.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCv7iVZgOGC
You are where everything finally begins.”
And that was it.
The doctor.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qpDpD5dtf
The storm.16Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqFrLJzeAq
The sinner.
Now a father.
ns216.73.216.239da2
