Page 123 of War Within
“Could you give us a few minutes please?” Carmine addressed the doctor from behind me.
Lily took my hand in hers. “I'm so sorry.”
“Get off me right now.” I muttered.
“What?”
“Get your fucking hands off me.”
She withdrew her touch. “Just please let the doctor finish speaking.” She waved him back over.
Motionless, I was frozen in a daze.
“You do have a very healthy baby boy. He's only in the NICU at the moment because he was born under emergency circumstances. You should be proud.”
It seems shitty to be proud right now. “I want to see him.”
“As soon as they finish his exam, you can.”
“When can I take him home if he's okay?”
I wanted my son in my arms immediately. It angered me that I was not here for him. My phone had been turned off. So had Carmine’s. Lily had called and texted us at least fifty time each. When we turned on our phones, we rushed to the hospital.
I was not here for my son when he came into the world! I had missed Valentina’s birth as well. What kind of father was I? The fact my son was being hugged by strangers instead of his own father, made me enraged. Yes, I knew they were taking care of his medical needs, but I was being kept from him. I should have been by his side. He was the only thing I cared about at the very moment.
“If all is well, he can leave tomorrow morning.”
I nodded.
“I do need you to come with me, though.”
That night, I refused to leave my son and go home. Carmine and Lily stayed at the hospital with me. I made sure we had a private waiting area. Once my security figured out where I was, they came rushing.
I had still not met my son yet and it was killing me. Patience was not my strong suit. They wanted to keep him in the NICU overnight. Lily called my family on my behalf, but made it clear no one was to come to the hospital. Right now, I wanted to be alone. I knew Carmine and Lily were there to support me from a distance and I was grateful in a way. However, right now I wanted nothing to do with anyone.
How would I look my son in the eyes and not feel defeated? I felt like I somehow failed him before he's even had a chance at life. Even though I did not have Jane, my son needed his mother too. I had a responsibility to him, but there was no way I would be able to juggle my job and an infant. What was I going to do?
I got no sleep that night as I could not get settled enough to try. I paced, I roamed, I prayed. Before I knew it, morning had greeted us. The doctor discharged him and the nurse brought him to me.
For once since yesterday, I felt a sense of instant hope when I gazed into his little open eyes. They were already so bright and full of life. He was my glimmer of faith in darkness. I still didn't know how I would do this alone. Lily reminded me that I am never alone, and they would always be by his side too.
It was time to go home and face reality before making funeral arrangements for Jane. We never married and I never proposed to her. Considering what I would soon find out, it was best that way.
“What is his name, Gio?”
A faint smile appeared on my lips. “Cristiano Salvatore Rovati.”
“Salvatore.” Carmine lifted his hand to his chin, stroking his jaw. “After your father.”
“Yes.” I lifted my gaze. “I want him to carry on the legacy.”
TEASER
Disturbed by recent events, I glared out the window of my top floor, Wall Street office. Exhaling deeply, I rolled my bottom lip between my fingers, deep in thought. Life changed drastically over the last six months. My brain replayed the incidents, which led up to the very moment I became a single-father once again.
Emilio and Luca were nearby handling various tasks for me. A low ranking member of a rival family was spotted prowling near my supply warehouse, and I was irate. Hearing my brothers chatting angrily on their phones caused me great angst.
Attempting to mask my stress, I tried my best to tune them out. How was I going to manage a multi-billion dollar investment firm, lead a family, and take care of the blood living under my roof? I was so buried in my own thoughts, I did not notice my brothers were no longer on the phone.
