by V. Sousa
Tommy walked up to her and placed a kiss on her head. “Either way, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Her smile was so bright that I decided to spare Tommy from the wrath I was ready to unleash on him.
“Ready?” the doctor asked Claire.
She grabbed Tommy’s and my hands and took a deep breath. “Ready.”
“Okay, now push.”
An hour later, Claire’s baby girl made her debut, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Tommy included.
Even though the baby came a few weeks earlier than her due date, the doctor said the baby looked to be in good health. They had to run some tests, but they allowed Claire to hold her for a little bit before they had to take her.
“You know, I never thought of any names,” Claire said, not taking her gaze off her daughter.
Now, say what you wanted about me, but my instincts were usually very much correct, and I think I knew exactly what I needed to do right now.
“How about Delilah?” I suggested, looking down at the baby.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Claire look up at me for half a second before looking back down. “Huh, Delilah, I like it. It’s kind of perfect.” She grabbed my hand and gave it a small squeeze. “Delilah Rose.”
Twenty minutes later, the doctor came in and told Claire they had to take the baby for a little bit.
She sobbed when Delilah was taken to another room, and she couldn’t go with her.
Usually, the baby’s father would go with the baby, but Tommy went instead since that wasn’t an option.
My phone buzzed, and I ran to it, hoping it was Lorenzo.
Emmett: Hey, how’s it going in there?
Oh, shit. I’d forgotten that Emmett was still in the waiting room.
“Hey, I have to go and give Emmett an update. I forgot he was in the waiting room.” I started for the door, but Claire stopped me with a hand.
“No,” Claire said quickly. “Tell him to come up here. I still need to thank him for catching me.”
I nodded at her and sent Emmett a text.
Rose: Why don’t you come up here? Claire wants to see you.
Emmett: Okay. Be right up.
Ten minutes later, Emmett walked in with about five balloons and a huge bouquet of roses.
“I googled what you give someone who just pushed a baby out of their vagina, and this is what I got.” We all started laughing hysterically, and he placed the flowers and balloons on one of the tables.
Claire opened her arms, motioning at him for a hug. “Thank you so much, Emmett. It would’ve been awful if I’d fallen. I am so grateful for you.”
He pulled away and gave her a shrug. “It’s no biggie, so don’t mention it.”
Just then, Tommy returned, rolling Delilah in with him and parking her next to her mom.
“Emmett, meet Delilah Rose.” Claire lifted Delilah and gently placed her in Emmett’s arms.
His eyes softened when he looked at the tiny baby sleeping in his arms. “She’s so beautiful, Claire.”
He held Delilah for a long time, just smiling at her until she started fussing.
At the first cry, Emmett’s eyes grew wide, and he frantically looked from me to Claire, silently asking us what to do.
Claire laughed and put her hands out. “She’s probably hungry.”
“And that’s our cue to leave. Let’s go grab some food because Uncle Tommy’s hungry too,” Tommy said, slapping Emmett’s shoulder and rubbing his stomach.
I handed Claire a bottle, and ten minutes later, Delilah was fed, and all three of us decided it was nap time.
Thirty-Five
Rose
It had been a full two weeks since Delilah was born and I’d banished Lorenzo from showing his face. After he groveled nonstop, I was finally giving in and lifting the banishment.
He was MIA for a whole twenty-four hours after his fight with Claire, and when he finally reemerged from the depths of his indiscretions, he had to call Emmett to pick him up because he had no idea where he even was, let alone where he’d left his car.
He must have known he’d fucked up because he didn’t even bother to fight me when I told him he needed to stay somewhere else for a few days.
I was making lunch for everyone when I heard the elevator ding, followed by some heavy footsteps, and the next thing I knew, I was being hugged from behind.
I froze at the feel of someone touching me until I realized it was actually Lorenzo.
“I never thought being without everyone for two weeks would feel so lonely.” He sighed.
A pang of guilt hit me when I remembered that aside from us, Lorenzo was truly alone. Frowning, I pulled away and turned around.
I knew Lorenzo hated that he was so alone, so after Emmett and I got married, Lorenzo moved out of his apartment and into one of the many rooms here. Since then, I’d noticed he’d been a lot happier.
When he’d lived alone, he used to constantly take girls home for the night, and I always wondered if it was more to do with him not wanting to be alone and less to do with him wanting to sleep around.
At the sight of my huge belly, Lorenzo’s eyes went wide.
“Oh, shit, Rosie, you grew.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Thanks. Because that’s something a severely pregnant woman wants to hear.”
He laughed and pulled me in for another hug. “You know I’m just teasing.”
A throat clearing sounded, and I pulled away to see Emmett standing in the doorway, glaring at us.
“Stop touching my wife, Moretti,” Emmett growled.
“Suck it, Rossi.” Lorenzo smirked. “You wish you were as close to her as I am. I’ve been with her every day for seven years. Two weeks away from her felt like a century, and I missed her. Sue me.”
Emmett ignored him and turned to me, lifting an empty baby bottle in the air and shaking it. “Claire didn’t want to disturb you guys, so she sent me to grab some more milk for Delil—”
“Okay,” I yelled, cutting him off from finishing her name. “I’ll show you.”
His eyebrows pinched together, and I looked over to see a deep frown on Lorenzo’s face. I would have to tell Emmett later not to say Delilah’s name in front of Lorenzo. I knew he would find out her name eventually, but it wasn’t our place to be the ones to tell him.
I grabbed the milk that Claire had already pumped out of the fridge, and I warmed it up, handing it back to Emmett.
“Please tell Claire I’ll be there in a minute.”
He grabbed the bottle and left the room, shaking his head.
“You hungry?” I asked Lorenzo, turning back to the sandwiches I was making.
“Yes, please.” He took a seat and started fidgeting with his shirt. “How is she?” he asked without looking up.
“Claire or the baby?” I asked.
He shrugged a shoulder and let out a soft sigh. “Both, I guess.”
I cut his sandwich in half and placed it in front of him. “Why don’t you go find her and ask?”
He looked up at me and shrugged again. “She doesn’t wanna see me.”
“I love you, Lorenzo. You’re like a brother to me, but I wanna punch you in the throat. Don’t be a jackass.”
He didn’t respond and took a bite of his sandwich, ending the conversation.
I wished they would just open their eyes and see what was in front of them. Was this how people felt when they looked at Emmet and me? Because, if so, I felt terrible. This was frustrating.
Thirty-Six
Rose
Now that the threat from the Rossi family in New York was gone, I could finally leave the house without ten security guards and visit Sammy. It was our birthday today, and I was grateful that I could go alone. Well, still with Lorenzo, but at least now he could give me space.
We went to Sammy’s favorite bakery and got in line to order the cupcakes, and just as we were about to order, I felt a tap on my shoulder.
I turned around to see Victoria Die
go standing there. As if this day wasn’t already hard enough.
“Do you have a minute?” she asked.
I contemplated saying no and telling her to go fuck herself, but something in her eyes had me nodding.
Lorenzo nodded, already knowing the order, and I moved to the side with her, sitting at one of the nearby tables.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted out, “for everything.”
I didn’t reply, just continued to stare.
“I never told anyone, but when I was sixteen, I was attacked. I’m not going to go into detail because I’m not ready for that.” She took a deep breath, and I could tell this was really hard for her to say, so I put my hand out and placed it on her arm.
“You don’t have to tell me this,” I said to her.
“No, I do. I know that what happened to me is not an excuse for what I’ve said and done, but I’d like to explain myself.” She looked up at me before continuing, “I was horrible to you in high school, and at first, it was just me being a jealous bitch, but after the attack, well, I was still a jealous bitch, but I think I was also just looking for someone take my anger out on, and it was you.”
She took another deep breath and closed her eyes. “After high school, I had no one to pick on, so I would just start drinking a lot. One night, I was at a club, and I saw Emmett. I practically threw myself at him, but he rejected me. I don’t remember what happened after that, but I guess he found me twenty minutes later, slumped in a corner. He got me a room at a nearby hotel and left me there to sleep and sober up. The next morning, he came back and asked me what was going on, and I finally exploded. I told him everything, and by the end, he hugged me and tried to persuade me to talk to my parents about it, but I refused. After that, he checked on me sometimes and made sure I was okay. That night at your engagement party, I drank again, and I went back to being the jealous bitch from high school. After you hit me, which I one hundred percent deserved, Emmett helped me up and told me it was time to talk to someone. I took his advice and finally told my parents. I see a therapist now, and I’m working through things.”
She finally opened her eyes and looked at me.
“You didn’t deserve the awful things I said about your brother, and I am so sorry.”
I went around the table and pulled her in for a hug.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, and she put her arms around me too. I felt her jolt in surprise, probably at the large pregnant belly I had under this sweater, but she just continued to hug me.
I was surprised at how easily I forgave her. Maybe it was because today marked four years since I lost my brother, or maybe it was because my views had changed, but either way, life was too short for me to hold grudges. I couldn’t keep living my life with so much resentment. It was time to move forward.
My visit with Sammy was shorter than usual. My belly was so big, it was hard for me to sit on the ground for too long, and after half an hour, I couldn’t take it anymore.
Walking into the living room, I saw Claire and Delilah playing on the floor with cartoons on in the background.
It was the biggest room in the house, and Delilah loved the open space and being surrounded by toys, but Claire only came out here when Lorenzo wasn’t home.
I kept telling her that she couldn’t avoid him forever, considering they lived in the same house, but she just kept brushing me off.
“Hey.” Claire smiled when she looked up and saw me. “I made you an ice cream cookie sandwich. It’s in the freezer, so you should grab it before someone eats it.”
Every year on my birthday, Claire made me a homemade ice cream cookie sandwich. She knew not to go all out because my birthday was a hard day for me, but she always did this to show her love, and I was grateful.
“Thank you.” I smiled at her. “I’m gonna go lay down. I’m not feeling it today, but call me if you need anything.”
She gave me a sad smile. “Okay. Tommy should be here in a little bit. He’s taking us to dinner if you want to join us.”
“Thank you, but I’ll be okay.”
She nodded at me, and I planted a kiss on hers and Delilah’s heads.
A few hours later, I was still up, looking outside my window at the stars, when I saw a shadow stop outside my door.
Every night like clockwork, Emmett came home from the office and sat outside my door for hours. Normally, I ignored it, but tonight, I didn’t want to be alone.
Walking up to the door and opening it, I found him sitting against the wall across from my door, and he jumped up when he saw me.
I put my hand out for him to take it. “Come look at the stars with me.”
He gently placed his hand in mine and smiled, letting me lead him into the room. He pushed my bed against the wall next to the window and motioned for me to lay down.
With me on the inside and Emmett on the outside, he gently placed his hand on my belly, and we both looked out the window.
I was starting to drift off to sleep when I felt Emmett kiss the hair behind my ear, and I heard him whisper, “Happy birthday, Rosie.”
That night, I fell asleep with a smile.
Thirty-Seven
Rose
I woke up in the morning in a puddle of water and my pants soaked. It took a full three minutes of mental debate before I finally concluded my water had broken.
And cue the freak-out.
I jumped out of bed when the realization hit, causing Emmett to shoot up, and then we were both freaking out.
And that, my friends, was what brought me to this exact moment.
“My water broke. We have to go. Like right now,” I rushed out.
“Shit.” He jumped out of bed, and I got a full view of his hot as hell naked body.
Well. That certainly distracted me from my frantic episode real quick. It was too dark when he climbed into bed last night, so I didn’t get to see him until now.
An excruciating contraction hit me, and I snapped out of my stupor, hunching over in pain.
He rushed to my side and wrapped his arms around me, and I felt his naked body pressed into me.
“Yeah, we have to go, big boy.” I tried to laugh, but the pain still wasn’t subsiding, so it came out as an ugly gurgle instead.
He threw some pants and a shirt on and quickly ushered me to the elevator.
“Wait.” I stopped moving. “We need to get Lorenzo.” When he lifted a brow and opened his mouth, probably to argue, I cut him off. “He has been with me for this whole pregnancy. He deserves to be there.”
I instantly regretted the words when Emmett flinched and looked down.
“I’m sorry,” I said, placing my finger under his chin and lifting his head up. “That was a low blow. I know you’ve been trying, and I didn’t mean it like that, so I’m sorry.”
He nodded and wrapped his hand around the finger that was still under his chin, then pulled me closer to him. He bent down and placed a kiss on my cheek. “It’s okay. I’ll get Lorenzo. I’ll be right back.”
He placed another kiss on my cheek and ran off toward Lorenzo’s room. Less than a minute later, Emmett was walking in long strides back to me, and Lorenzo was hopping down the hall, trying to put his shoes on and walk at the same time.
I started to laugh, but then another contraction slammed into me. Emmett rushed over, closing the distance between us, and I grabbed both his arms and hunched over.
When the contraction was over, Emmett tossed his keys to Lorenzo and wrapped an arm around me. “You drive. We have to go.”
Lorenzo nodded, and we made our way to the elevators, but I stopped again.
“Wait,” I called to them. “We can’t just leave without telling Claire.”
Emmett nodded and ran back down the hall, coming back again seconds later. “Okay, anything else?” he asked.
I shook my head, and then he wrapped his arm around me again. “Okay, let’s go.”
We rushed to the car and got to the hospital in record time. The nurse at the front desk took one l
ook at us before escorting us right up to the maternity ward and into a room.
Here goes nothing.
Two hours and an emergency C-section later, Samuel and Madison Rossi were born.
They were born October twenty-six, the day after Sammy’s and my birthday.
Madison had a lot of Emmett’s features. I’d seen a few pictures of him as a baby, and Madison was all him. The only thing of mine she had was her black hair.
Samuel, though? Well, I guess I chose the correct name because he looked almost identical to Sammy and nothing like Emmett and me.
After the nurses cleaned him up, I held my son and cried happy tears for hours at being able to see that face again.
Emmett, on the other hand? He wouldn’t even look at his son for more than ten seconds at a time, let alone hold him.
I could see the battle in his eyes. I knew he wanted to, but he wouldn’t allow himself to, and that broke my heart. He just continued to sit in the corner and only grabbed Madison when I needed help. No matter how many times I told him that it was okay, he looked at me and just frowned.
It wasn’t until the last day in the hospital that he finally gave in and held his son.
My eyes flew open when I went to put my hands on my babies, and I only felt one. Quickly scanning the room, I found Emmett carrying Samuel before taking a seat on the couch.
“Shh,” he whispered, “we have to let your mom sleep, okay? Just for a few more hours. She’s really tired.” Taking a deep breath, he continued, “You know, you look just like your Uncle Sammy. I’d be jealous if I didn’t miss him so much.”
Madison started to fuss, and he looked up, catching me watching him.
“Sorry,” I said while lifting Madison and cradling her in my arms. “I just didn’t expect to see you holding him. I wanted to savor the view.”