Chapter 14
My eyes fluttered open, the harsh fluorescent lights making me squint. The steady beep of medical equipment filled my ears, and the sharp smell of antiseptic hit my nose. A warm hand squeezed mine.
“Hey tesoro,” Lorenzo’s voice was soft, tender. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, his usual pristine appearance slightly rumpled. He hadn’t left my side.
“What happened?” My throat felt dry, scratchy. “Where am I?”
“You’re in the hospital.” His expression darkened. “You fainted. I got you here as fast as I could.”
I tried to sit up, but my head spun. Lorenzo’s hand steadied me, helping adjust the pillows behind my back. Questions swirled through my mind, but before I could voice them, the door opened.
A doctor walked in, clipboard in hand, her face brightening as she saw me awake. “Ms. Salvatore, good to see you’re with us. How are you feeling?”
“Dizzy. Confused.” I glanced at Lorenzo, who hadn’t let go of my hand.
“That’s perfectly normal given your condition.” She smiled warmly. “Congratulations are in order”
“You’re pregnant.”
My eyes widened, breath catching in my throat. The room seemed to tilt again as her words sank in. Pregnant? I looked at Lorenzo, whose expression had shifted from concern to something I couldn’t quite read.
“I… what?” The word came out barely above a whisper.
“About six weeks along,” the doctor continued. “The fainting spell was likely due to a combination of stress and the pregnancy hormones. Your blood pressure was quite low when you were brought in.”
The steady beeping of the heart monitor picked up pace, matching my racing thoughts. Six weeks. My mind frantically counted back, trying to process this life–changing news.
My heart plummeted as memories flooded back. Dominic’s cruel words echoed in my mind, his face twisted in anger during our last fight about children.
“What kind of woman can’t even get pregnant?” He’d spat the words at me, throwing a negative pregnancy test across the room. “There must be
Chapter 14
2/3 15.6%
11:54 Sun, 2 Mar
95%
something wrong with you.”
Now here I was, carrying his child. Bile rose in my throat. The irony felt like a knife twisting in my gut. I pulled my hand from Lorenzo’s grip, wrapping my arms around myself.
“It’s his,” I whispered, unable to meet Lorenzo’s eyes. “Dominic’s.”
The silence stretched between us, broken only by the steady beep of machines. I forced myself to look at him, expecting disgust or rejection. Instead, his eyes held nothing but warmth and understanding.
Lorenzo leaned forward, taking my hand again despite my attempt to pull away. “Listen to me, tesoro. This changes nothing between us.”
“But-”
“No.” His voice was firm but gentle. “This is your choice. If you want to keep the baby, I’ll raise it as my own. If you don’t, I’ll support that decision too. Either way, I’m not going anywhere.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks. “You’d do that? Raise another man’s child?” “Any child of yours would be a blessing.” He brushed away my tears with his thumb. “The decision is yours alone. Take all the time you need to think about it. I’m right here.”
I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by his words. After years of Dominic’s emotional torture about my supposed infertility, Lorenzo’s unconditional acceptance felt like a healing balm.
I lay there, hand resting on my still–flat stomach, lost in thought. This tiny life inside me – part of me, but also part of him. The weight of the decision pressed down on my chest.
Lorenzo’s words echoed in my mind: “The decision is yours alone.” Such simple words, yet they held more respect than Dominic had shown me in our entire relationship.
My fingers traced small circles on my abdomen. This baby hadn’t asked to be created. Hadn’t chosen its father. Just like me, it was caught in circumstances beyond its control.
“I want to keep it,” I whispered, surprised by the strength in my voice. “It’s mine too.”
Lorenzo squeezed my hand. “Then that’s what we’ll do.”
Chapter 14
11:54 Sun, 2 Mar
སཱ 95%L
Few hours later, I was discharged. The ride back to Lorenzo’s mansion passed in comfortable silence, his hand never leaving mine. As we pulled up to the entrance, he helped me out despite my protests that I could walk fine.
The mansion’s grand doors swung open, and the scent of food hit me immediately. Lorenzo guided me to the dining room, where my steps faltered at the threshold.
The long table was laden with dishes – pasta, seafood, roasted vegetables, fresh bread. Everything looked and smelled incredible. My stomach growled.
“What’s all this?” I turned to Lorenzo, who wore a satisfied smile.
“Can’t have my baby mama going hungry, can I?” He pulled out a chair for me. “Doctor said you need proper nutrition. So eat up, tesoro. Whatever you want, however much you want.”
The warmth in his voice made my chest tight. He’d called me ‘baby mama‘ so casually, as if the child I carried was already his own. I sank into the chair, overwhelmed by his thoughtfulness.
“Thank you,” I managed, my voice thick with emotion.
“None of that.” He kissed the top of my head. “Just eat. You’re eating for two now, remember?”
