by Zavi James
It wouldn’t be easy for her. Mia’s conscience was still intact. She still worried about what others thought and how they perceived her. It didn’t take much to silence it these days; the gentle reminder of our unborn son was enough. She had experienced the worst this life had to offer, the murder of a loved one, and she’d do anything to ensure she didn’t have to go through it again.
“Feeling inspired?” Marcello asked, jerking his head toward the festivities. “I take it you’ll not want to hang about in getting Mia up the aisle.”
“We haven’t discussed it much,” I admitted.
“No, I suppose not with a little one on the way.” He clucked his tongue. “Try to keep it to just one out of wedlock.” There was a faint burn in my cheeks from the comment. That was a pretty big step away from the traditional values I was raised with, but if I’d had it my way, Mia and I would have been married months ago.
“It’s actually your beautiful bride-to-be that I wanted to discuss with you.” Marcello took two glasses from the bar and handed one to me. He kept moving and I followed behind until he stopped by the speakers, music pulsing at a socially unacceptable volume.
“This is a conversation you couldn’t have had with her present?” I asked, raising my voice so he could hear me above the bassline.
“I’m not in the business of upsetting pregnant women. They are a different breed.”
That much was true. Mia’s moods swung like a heavyweight champion and landed every time. She could be completely fine one minute and pissed off at you the next with no reasoning as to why. Dom had looked traumatized as he recounted the way Mia had cried when she wasn’t able to tie her shoes because of her bump.
“I wanted to ask how everything is between the both of you.”
“Fine,” I replied shortly. Marcello wasn’t after a casual chat and I was wary.
“Are you sure?”
“What is this about, Marcello? I don’t want to spend the evening trying to guess what you want.”
He took in a deep breath through his nose. “Are you certain on this girl, Luc?” I had to read his lips to understand since Marcello continued to speak at a normal volume, drowned out by the noise around us. “No more games? Is she it?”
“Yes,” I told him nodding my head. “Yes. Mia is it.” There was no one else that could drive me insane the way she did. No one that made me feel alive. No one I would forgive at the drop of a hat because without them I felt incomplete. “Why?”
“You didn’t hear this from me, but Xavier’s not best impressed by your choice in life partner. He’s concerned about her commitment to you and the rest of us.”
“He doesn’t need to worry,” I told him. It was interesting that Xavier had decided to convey his dislike of Mia to his circle, probably in hopes of support. If he could get enough people dancing to his tune, they could attempt to talk me out of the marriage. “If that’s all.” I turned away but Marcello reached out and caught my arm in a surprisingly strong grip, forcing me to look at him again.
“I don’t know what you’re up to, Lucas.”
“I’m not up to anything,” I cut in quickly, heartbeat picking up.
“I wasn’t born yesterday. You’ve suddenly become quite the social butterfly, and if you’re not careful those wings are going to be ripped off.”
My face was inches away from Marcello’s. I wasn’t known for my social etiquette. I preferred time on my own, preferred to deal with people at work, but I’d started to push against those self-imposed boundaries with Mia taking the lead. She was polite, had memorized the names of wives and children she hadn’t met, and fielded every back handed compliment with grace that only crumpled when we were alone together. I was pushing her limits and paid for it behind closed doors when the guilt and the hurt bubbled over and she couldn’t hold herself together. It was only in those moments when I wondered if it was all worth it.
“Need I remind you that she doesn’t have any other family?” I hissed at Marcello, putting forward a solid excuse. “She’s intent on making amends and showing that she is committed to all of us.”
“There’s something more,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “You best be sure she’s worth starting a war over. If I’m suspicious, you can bet I’m not the only one.”
I pulled my arm from his grasp and straightened up. “You’re seeing things that aren’t there.”
“Watch yourself, Lucas. You have a lot more to lose now.” That was his parting shot as I stalked back across the room, feeling a little less composed than when he’d pulled me away from Mia.
Walking back to the table, I saw Mia was watching Jonah and Katia walk away. “What did they want?” I asked, coming up behind her.
She turned around, the flicker of something in her eyes that disappeared as she answered, “To apologize.” My eyebrows raised in surprise. “I think Jonah is missing doing business with you.”
I hummed in response. “What do you think? Should we forgive them?”
Mia cocked her head to the side. She had probably already granted forgiveness and closed a door on the comments. I was more willing to hold a grudge for the rumors than Mia was, but the next words from her mouth, caught me off guard.
“Let them stew.”
“Whatever you say,” I agreed once I’d recovered. I was curious to how the conversation between the trio had gone.
“What did Marcello want?”
“Ah.” I didn’t want to bear the news, but she needed to know and we needed to decide what the next move was. “We may have a small problem.”
Chapter Thirty Eight
Mia
Cerb was lying across the sofa with his head in my lap when Luc walked in from work. “Have you moved at all today?” he asked me. Cerb lifted his head and it took all my will not to throw the spoon in my hand at Luc’s head. Instead, I ignored him and dug into the tub of mint ice cream that was balanced on my bump.
Walking into the room, Luc threw his keys onto the coffee table and dropped down next to me, placing a kiss on my cheek. His beard scratched at my skin and I pulled my face away. “Dom mentioned you were moody today.”
“Dom can go fuck himself,” I muttered before sticking the spoon into my mouth and letting the cool, creamy taste of mint spread over my tongue. Luc let out a bark of laughter, causing Cerb to sit up properly and knock the tub off my stomach so that it hit the floor. “Luc!”
He bent over and retrieved the tub. “No damage done.”
I snatched it out of his hands as Cerb scampered off the couch, most likely in search of food.
“Do you want to tell me what’s wrong?”
“It’s a very long list.” I stabbed at the ice cream again, chipping off a small section.
“I have the time as long as you promise not to tell my wife why I’m late to dinner.”
I shot him a look. “You’re not funny. You’ll be lucky to have a wife at this rate.”
“You’re marrying me, Mia. You don’t have a choice,” Luc said casually. It frustrated me how he didn’t rise to the bait. When I’d first moved in, we’d get into little arguments whenever I felt moody but Luc learned quick and these days it was always a one-sided fight.
“No,” I told him despite the fact it was a lie. “No. I’m not marrying you.” The crease appeared in his brow. “Not so cocky now, are you?”
“Rather than pick a fight, why don’t you tell me what’s put you in this mood?”
“I’m not trying to pick a fight.”
“No, princess. You’re trying to break off our engagement because you don’t think I’m funny.”
“I’m not doing this right now.” Pushing myself away from the back of the couch, I sat up straight. Luc stood and offered me a hand and I swatted it away. “I don’t need your help.”
“Suit yourself,” he said, withdrawing his hand and putting both of them up in front of him. “I’ll get started on dinner.” Lydia had requested the night off and I was planning on putting something together but wasn’t
about to stop Luc if he was offering. “Something more substantial than frozen toothpaste.” He gave the tub a disapproving look before walking toward the door.
I shuffled to the edge of the seat and tried to pull myself to my feet without any luck. Gritting my teeth, I called out, “Luc!”
He appeared at the doorway, smug smirk in place. “Did you need something?”
There was an urge to just drop to the floor and shuffle my ass straight past him, but I swallowed my pride. “I need a hand getting up.”
Luc didn’t say a word, the smile said enough, as he walked into the room and took the tub and spoon from my hands before placing them on the table. He offered me his hand again and helped me get to my feet before collecting the things from the table. “Want any more?”
“No, thank you.”
“Come on.” He placed a kiss on my forehead and just like that I felt the anger seep away. “Did something happen?” he asked as we walked out of the room and headed toward the kitchen.
“I’m just uncomfortable, Luc.” I could see him open his mouth and I raised a hand to stop him. “I’m anxious about everything. I feel like we’re walking on very thin ice.” Ever since Luc had told me what Marcello had spoken to him about, I’d wanted to pull back, but Luc refused. It’d look even more suspicious if we just tucked ourselves away again, so we continued our routine, with my nerves on edge.
A twinge ran across the bottom of my stomach and I huffed, rubbing the spot.
“You need to stop worrying.”
“You telling me that doesn’t make me worry any less,” I snapped. Luc was about to shove the ice cream back in the freezer when I took it from his hands again. “Mia, you’re going to ruin your appetite.”
“It’s not me. It’s your son.”
“You know you won’t be able to use that excuse for much longer.” We were a week away from our due date. A week until we’d have an additional member in the family. The thought made me both excited and nervous.
“I’m going to make the most out of it then.”
Luc rolled his eyes and I sat down at the table, directing him on how to make falafel from scratch. His shirt was rolled up to his elbows, tattoos on display as he molded them between his hands and set them aside to cook. He was far from a domestic God, but I wouldn’t be without him. Leaving the ice cream on the table, I walked over to him. “Am I not doing it right?” he asked, looking down at me.
“You’re doing it fine.” Pride was a hard pill to swallow. “I didn’t mean what I said earlier.”
“Oh, I know. I’m the funniest man on the planet.”
“Forget it.”
Luc wrapped an arm around me before I could even move. “Sorry. Go on. What didn’t you mean?”
I sighed. “That I wouldn’t marry you. I’m going to marry you.”
“What a relief,” he deadpanned. “You and that conscience. What did I say to you?”
“I can’t keep everyone happy and not everyone will like me,” I repeated back to him. “But you like me, right?”
“Mia.” Luc put down everything in his hands and looked at me. “I love you.”
“And I love you too.”
Luc leaned down to kiss me. “Good. Now that we’re clear that we both still love each other, put the damn ice cream away and help.”
I shuffled off to do as he said, but as I reached the table, I felt something warm and wet trickle between my legs and I couldn’t stop it. “Oh no,” I breathed. Looking down, the grey of my sweatpants had turned dark with a small wet patch.
“Did you just piss yourself?” Luc asked, looking over to me.
“No!” God help me with this man tonight. “I think my water just broke.”
The traces of amusement left Luc’s face and he wiped his hands on a towel. “What do you need?”
“Let’s start with pants.”
The food was left forgotten in the kitchen as Luc and I moved upstairs. I changed into fresh pants and understood that the twinges I was feeling were my body’s way of trying to communicate that I was going to have my baby. The panic balled up in my chest and I tried not to give into it as Luc stuffed things into a bag for the hospital. I hadn’t gotten anything ready yet, leaving it on my list for later in the week because I believed this baby would hold on until it was due. Apparently, he had other plans.
“Are you sure you have everything?”
We walked down the stairs and I paused as the cramp took over my abdomen. “If we don’t, I don’t care,” I told him when the pain subsided.
Luc nodded and we managed to make it out of the house, the last time we would leave as a twosome. He almost vibrated with energy as we got into the car and he set off toward the hospital. “Mia.” The grin on his face was possibly the widest I’d seen it. “We’re about to have a baby.”
Chapter Thirty Nine
Lucas
When we arrived at the hospital, Mia was settled into a room. I’d made a few calls to let those close to us know the situation, but it was taken as a bat signal because soon enough we had visitors. Despite my reluctance to admit them, Mia seemed more than happy for Dante, Dom and Lydia to join us.
Dante was sitting on the bed next to Mia, both of them drinking milkshakes while he grilled her. “I know they’re painful, but what do they feel like?” His current line of questioning was regarding her contractions as they slowly became more regular.
Dom, sitting in a chair beside the bed, reached out and slapped his leg. The crack of the motion echoing in the room. “Let the lady give birth in peace.”
“Slap me again and I’m going to swing,” Dante told him.
“Go ahead.” Dom jutted out his jaw and tapped it. “I’ve seen you fight.”
“Are you two being serious right now?” Mia asked them. “In a hospital? When I’m about to give birth?” They muttered apologies to her before she settled back against the bed, a look of discomfort washing over her features before it passed.
“How are you feeling?” Lydia joined me by the wall, watching the three of them.
“Honestly?”
“Of course.”
“Scared,” I admitted quietly as Mia tipped her head back and laughed at something Dante said, her previous irritation vanishing as quickly as it came. I was grateful to my brother for easing Mia’s fears by helping to distract her from the fact that she was on the verge of giving birth. “There’s going to be a tiny human being here soon that will rely on me, Lydia. I don’t want to fuck it up.”
My own fears had been kept at bay by the fact that I wasn’t the one carrying our child. One step removed, I’d been able to let the excitement overtake any anxiety, but once Mia had been admitted, reality had hit hard. My responsibility had doubled. There would be two lives that were imperatively more important than my own and I feared that I would disappoint them.
“You won’t, Luc,” she said, placing a hand on my arm. “That boy is lucky to have you but none of us are perfect. You’ll make mistakes. Every parent does because it doesn’t come with a manual. We just do what we think is best for our children.”
I’d known Lydia long enough to know she wasn’t just referring to myself and Mia. “You’re talking about Mom.”
“I’m not saying what she did was right, but maybe you should try speaking to her again.”
There was a silence between us.
“Maybe,” I sighed eventually. Mom and I had not spoken since that day at the home. The more time passed, the more I could see her side of things. Thinking about my son, there would inevitably be decisions made by myself and Mia that would make him unhappy. I’d call her eventually, maybe even visit, but for now my family, Mia and the baby, were my priority.
As time passed, Mia started to get increasingly uncomfortable. The calm and ease she had possessed had left, and I replaced Dante on the bed, rubbing her back to try and subdue the pain. Our family left the room, and Dr Vega, who I’d only had the pleasure of meeting twice, guided Mia as the contractions came in wave after
wave, to push with her chin to her chest. “We’re so close,” he told her, as if he was also pushing out a child. “Put everything into this next push.” There was a death grip on both of my hands as Mia did as she was told, screaming through gritted teeth. A few more agonizing moments of pushing, then cries filled the room as our baby boy was born. Mia collapsed back against me, breathing heavily, and I kissed her head.
“You did it, Mia,” I told her as she caught her breath. “You did it.” There would never be another moment in my life where I thought I was stronger than this woman. Watching what she’d endured to bring our son into the world had proven to me that Mia had strength beyond what anyone would believe her tiny frame could possess.
She lifted her head and held her arms out before a pink, screaming body was handed over to her and, immediately, Mia broke into tears. I shuffled out from behind her and stood next to the bed, allowing her to lean back properly and get comfortable as she cradled our son against her bare skin.
“He’s perfect,” Mia whispered, peering down at our baby. He was perfect. My entire world was in front of me, and watching them both I knew that I would tear the world apart if that was what was required of me to protect them. As he settled, Mia looked up at me. “Come and hold your son.” A wave of panic flooded my chest. “It’ll be fine,” she assured me.
She carefully passed the baby and he nestled into my arms. His mouth opened and closed, and I felt a tear slide down my face. “My boy.”
“He looks tiny in your arms,” she commented.
I sat on the bed, facing Mia but unable to take my eyes off my son. This small human was someone that I’d had a hand in creating and he was completely flawless. I hadn’t realized you could love a person so much until he had been placed in my arms.
Mia and I took some time together as a family, three people who would forever be linked by love. Despite the fact she looked exhausted she refused to sleep, just as obsessed with our son as I was. Eventually, I popped my head out of the room to see if anyone had survived the long hours of Mia’s labor. Lydia and Dom sat in chairs in the waiting room, both seemingly asleep after the wait. It came as no surprise to me that Dante was pacing along the hallway, on the phone. When he turned around, he cut the call quickly. “Everything okay?” he asked, rushing toward me.