Chapter 94

“Chris, if you want to go back home and sleep—you can go to sleep.” I cracked a smile at his zombie state. It was around 3 AM when we had finally reached the hospital, but the baby was definitely taking her time.

“No, what if the baby suddenly comes and the car breaks down or something crazy happens like a sinkhole and I can’t get here in time?” He ranted as he exactly proved my point. He was so tired.

“You don’t even know what you’re saying, go home and get some sleep.” I sighed as I raised myself from the hospital bed so I could take a better look at him. “Shut up, I’m fine.” He mumbled.

“Serena!” Ramiro burst through the door again with Amanda following behind him. Seeing them in their usual uniforms and actually in the hospital was definitely different from the safehouse.

“Your mom and Cesca are on their way.” He told me as my eyes widened. What was wrong with these people? “At 4 AM?” I asked as Ramiro nodded his head. Was that even allowed?

“You told me the baby won’t be here for a while, so what’s the rush?” I yawned and laid back. “This is so easy, I’m barely in any pain, I could do this every year.” I smiled while Ramiro and Amanda gave each other a look.

“If you feel so comfortable I think you should get some rest while you still can, Serena,” Amanda told me.

“Yes, I’ve been watching some birth videos and they do not look nice—maybe you should get some sleep.” Christian agreed and pulled a scared face.

“Stop it, you guys are overreacting—I have been through worse, so I really don’t think I have to worry.” I rolled my eyes, referring to the Fabio situation. I doubted childbirth was any worse than Fabio.

Nothing could make me cry anymore, not even a baby.

~

“I think I’m dying.” I cried in Lita’s and Cesca’s arms the next afternoon while Christian and Beau gave me a hopeless look. “That’s it, you’re never having babies again.” Beau spoke as he wiped away my tears.

“We were actually planning on having six.” Christian stopped Beau from talking me into any crazy ideas while I shook my head. “No, just one,” I spoke through tears.

“Yes, sure,” Christian reassured me and held my hand. “It looks like you want to kill all of us, so if you want us to leave—“

“No!” I yelled at him. “Please don’t leave, I’m scared.”

“We’re not going anywhere, Christian doesn’t know what he’s talking about!” Francesca spoke and pushed him away. “Are you sure she’s fine? She looks like she’s dying.” Christian asked Ramiro.

“That’s because I am dying,” I agreed with him and looked at Ramiro who was holding a needle in his hand. “You know, if you really can’t take it anymore—“ He spoke but I shook my head in defense.

“No, there’s no needle going in my back—I’ve seen enough needles for today.” I turned my head. “I’m doing fine actually, I think I just like to overreact.”

“You’re so stubborn like your dad.” Lita pouted and held her hand against my head. “Where’s dad?” I asked, not realizing that I had even called him dad until Lita’s face lit up. The stuff pain did to me.

“He’s right outside, just like everyone else.” She smiled. “Okay.” I huffed and focused my attention on Beau. “You’ll be here for the delivery, right?” I asked him, but the look on his face said enough.

“Serena, the poor guy obviously doesn’t want to.” Christian decided to save him from the situation. “Despite that, I don’t think your brother wants to look at your...you know.”

“I don’t care, he can stand at the front,” I complained. Beau being my twin meant a lot to me and I would’ve preferred to have him here. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just stay outside, Serena.” He rejected my offer in his usual calm tone.

“How about your sister, Carmen?” Christian suggested.

“Carmen?” I spoke surprised. Carmen, the same little sister who had only given me eye rolls and side-eyes wanted to be here?

“You know, she seemed really sad that you didn’t ask her to be here,” Lita told me while I started feeling guilty. To be fair, she never asked me so my first thoughts automatically went to my mom, Cesca, and Beau.

“Carmen?” I asked once again as my mom nodded her head. “She was just too shy to ask you, but she wouldn’t want to miss the birth of her first niece,” Lita spoke.

“When she found out Emilio was having a boy, it ruined the entire pregnancy for her. She loves Milo, but she wanted it to be a girl so bad.” She sighed.

Right, Milo. The same Milo who did not have a mother anymore, because of childbirth complications. “Oh, no—don’t even think about it.” Lita held my hand after seeing the scared look on my face.

“Were you there when it happened?” I asked and looked in her tearful eyes. It was obviously not something she wanted to talk about. “No,” She gave us a sad smile. “At that time we weren’t on speaking terms so I wasn’t there when he needed me the most—and that’s why I’m not going anywhere, I’ll be here with you until the very last second,” Lita promised.

It was always interesting to see how open she was in sharing her stories and seemed completely unfazed by everyone else’s presence in the room. “Don’t worry Serena, Milo’s mom already had health issues.”

“And you are extremely healthy and the baby is extremely strong.” Ramiro tried to lift the mood. They were right, other than the unbearable pain everything was going as it should.

“Aren’t you going to tell us what happened between you and Emilio?” Beau bluntly asked. At times it was so obvious to see how much he had taken over from Lita. He had no problem asking the wrong questions at the wrong time. I also wondered the same, but unlike Beau, I had a conscience.

“After I had Carmen and Luke, I hated myself and did not want to experience a childbirth ever again—because I missed the two of you too much,” Lita confessed.

“I took out my anger on everyone, including the birth of my first grandson—and you might’ve not noticed it, but the two of you coming back here was the glue this family needed.” She smiled. “Emilio came to support you after everything he’s been through and he did it for you.”

I felt tears roll down my cheeks and not long after I started bawling. I did not know whether it was Lita’s sob story or the pain I couldn’t live with, but once I started I couldn’t stop.

“My poor baby, did they make you cry again?” Christian sighed and pulled me into a tight hug. “From now on we’ll only share good stories.” He spoke as he looked at everyone.

“You care so much for me.” I sniffled and leaned my head against his. “Yes, yes—I know.” He chuckled and pointed his finger to the door.

“Someone go and get Carmen.” He instructed while Beau followed his instructions and walked out the door. “Serena, you’re so kind-hearted and I’m so happy I have to have you as my daughter-in-law. I have no idea what was wrong with me.” Francesca suddenly spoke which made me cry out even more.

“Mom.” Christian rolled his eyes as he once again wiped my tears. “Serena?” I heard Carmen’s voice and looked at the door. She stood hand in hand with Beau while he led her towards me.

“Come!” I told her and stuck out my hand so she could hold it. “What’s with the tears, you’re scaring me.” She awkwardly laughed. It was the first time I had touched her and perhaps the first time we were even having a conversation.

“We are the only two girls in the family, and I want us to get along.” I pouted through my tears and moved my hand to her cheek. “Please stay with me for the delivery?”

“M-me?” Carmen asked as I nodded my head. “Yes, you.”

“Oh my god, here you all go again.” Christian sighed when he noticed the tears on Carmen’s face. “I can’t take this anymore, I’m heading out for a while.” He announced and walked out the door.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Carmen smiled and pulled me into a hug. “Seeing you all get along warms my heart.” Lita smiled.

“I guess this was the only medicine I needed after all.” I agreed after noticing how much better I felt having something else to focus on other than the pain.

In a way, I felt extremely guilty that things with my family had worked out while things with Christian’s family were extremely rocky.

Even though Lucio had not told anyone about Enzo, he was definitely not welcome around the family—and had only wished me a safe delivery through text. The others might’ve not known what had happened, but there was one thing they did know. Enzo and Lucio could not walk through the same door.

Everyone in the Lamberti family was tensed and they did not even know about Lucio’s health which would probably drop yet another bomb.

Christian saying he had to leave the room because he couldn’t take it anymore had saddened me because I knew there were more reasons behind it. No one would want to see a healed family right after yours got broken, and he also didn’t want me to go through the same which was why he called Carmen.

He was willing to relive his pain to see me smile.

“Does the baby already have a name?” Cesca asked me. “No, it’s taking Christian forever,” I told her. Even I was getting desperate for a name and would rather have one before the baby got here.

“If he doesn’t have a name by tomorrow, I’ll force him!” Beau spoke as the overprotective brother he was. Even though he respected Christian a lot, I was still his number one.

Having my family in the room had definitely helped me with the pain and before I knew it the hours had already flown by and I was nearing the end of my labor, but I would still not change my mind. If we were to get other children, it would be through adoption.

“I have good news,” Ramiro spoke as he looked at all of us with a smile on his face. “It’s time to start pushing.”

“Finally, I was slowly beginning to turn into a corpse.” Christian almost jumped out of the chair in excitement and pushed everyone away so he could get to me.

“This is the most excited I’ve seen you in months,” I spoke and looked at the smile on his face. I was extremely exhausted, but seeing him in good spirits gave me the strength I needed.

“I think in years.” Francesca laughed and wrapped her arm around his shoulder. “Who would’ve thought I would ever see this day, you as father.”

“Stop.” Christian spoke and stared down. “Wait, are you crying?” Francesca asked and pulled him into another hug.

“Of course I’m crying, it’s my daughter.” Christian admitted with a proud look on his face.

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, right Serena?” He asked as he took a deep breath and wiped the tears from his eyes.

“No.” I agreed. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

After everything I had been through for the past months, it was finally going to happen.

Everything was finally going to be over.