(NFTMB)Chapter 107
Victoria
(Amara Athena Rossi)
“Valentino! We’re running late!”. I screamed at the top of my lungs.
“Coming!”. He said before I turned and gave Susan a look.
“Is he always this late?”. Susan asked in her thick French accent.
“I’m just finding out for myself.” I said to her with a smile.
It’s been three months since I left for Paris and I must say that it’s been amazing.
I’ve had Valentino who has been nothing but a big help to me ever since I got here.
The first week here was hell and I didn’t do anything but cry and obsess over going back to New York and Alessandro.
It felt like I was losing my mind.
I wanted to be with him.
I wanted him to feel at least half the way he felt for Amara for me. But that would never happen.
Throughout the ride to the hospital that day that she died, I felt a trailer load of emotions. It was almost too much to bear.
I felt guilt, hatred, and jealousy. I felt inferior compared to her.
She was obviously the woman he loved. Not me.
Not his wife.
But still I couldn’t help the wave of respect that flooded into my veins and all over my body and soul for Amara watching her take her last breath.
She had casually said that she would take my secret to her grave and that’s exactly what she did.
She did not tell Alessandro about what she saw and for that I’ll always have a huge amount of respect for her.
She really had my undiluted and unwavering respect even though she wasn’t here anymore.
I’m sure she is in a better place now.
I felt like I didn’t belong in that place then. I felt like a third wheel, the odd one out even though there were others in the room.
I felt like a monster on the hill. I just didn’t fit in.
I didn’t fit in as the woman Alessandro loved.
I had begged Valentino to take me with him to Paris but he was skeptical initially because of Alessandro but after I told Alessandro and begged him.
He had agreed.
He didn’t say no. He didn’t try to stop me or scold me. He simply said, yes.
I know what I did was wrong but I had to do it for my peace of mind.
For my mental well-being. I couldn’t take it anymore.
He wasn’t himself anymore. He was still in mourning and the whole house was gloomy. Even Mary would cry most of the time when cooking.
Matteo was the only bubbly one. He could even walk now.
Before I left he wasn’t that steady on his feet but now he could walk without support.
I know that because Alessandro would send me pictures and Bianca would send me videos of him.
I miss him. I miss Matteo. I miss my baby.
But I knew I had to do this else I might have spent the rest of my life living in a dead girl’s shadow.
I felt like I would never be able to match up to her in Alessandro’s eyes and heart.
She was prettier. She was closer to him and knew him better than I did.
She was better than me.
Valentino told me not to say that and even told me that I am prettier than her.
But I just feel that he is trying to make me feel better.
He employed Susan to keep me company while he’s not around and to help me around the house.
Valentino complained a lot of times about the fact that we had to move to a very large house.
He loved his cozy apartment where he used to live in but Alessandro insisted that he get a bigger house for us.
The house was too big for the two of us and even with Susan here, it still gets boring sometimes.
I miss New York. I miss the Mansion. I miss Alessandro. I miss Bianca and Elena. Even Niccolo too.
Elena is back in Italy now but she promises to come visit once the baby arrives.
I look forward to that too.
Maybe Alessandro would also come too. I don’t plan on keeping him away from his child.
I’m not a heartless person. He missed out on most of Matteo’s early days due to Roberta but I don’t plan on doing that to him.
“I’m ready!”. Valentino said while rushing down the stairs.
“Finally. I thought I was going to have to wait for an entire year for you to get ready”. I said with an eye roll.
“Stop over exaggerating, Victoria. I look good and that alone takes a lot of time”. He said before grabbing my hand and heading for the door.
“Bye, Susan!”
“Good bye, Susan!”
I had been postponing the trip to see the Eiffel Tower ever since I got here.
Valentino had promised to take me there and has offered a lot of times but I always declined so today I wanted to take him up on the offer.
We were going to see the Eiffel Tower today.
Susan says it isn’t ideal for me to go when I’m nine months pregnant and in my last trimester but I really want to.
So I decided I would go but I would stay at a far distance and watch its beauty from afar.
I saw Alessandro on the news today.
The news anchor announced that he was launching his new hotel.
I’m happy for him and all that he has achieved. I just hope he’s better and happy.
I hated to see him sad and mourning. I was particularly in shock to see him shed a tear.
And it was for her.
Again, no more talks about the past.
Valentino got us to the Eiffel Tower in no time as I marveled at the beauty of one of the most popular tourist spots in the world.
It was beautiful.
“We are just in time. The lights are about to go on”. Valentino said while leading me to a spot on the field.
I watched him place a mat on the floor before gently helping me to sit.
“Thank you”. I said to him,
Sitting down, getting up, walking around. Everything was getting more difficult day by day.
“You’re welcome”
“It’s beautiful”. I said taking in the view.
“Yes, it is”.
“Wow”
“Do you want the grapes or the strawberries?”. He said while passing me a smoothie that was made by Susan.
“Thank you. The strawberries please”. I said to him
“Okay. Cut or uncut?”. He asked
“Uncut. I’m pregnant, Valentino but that doesn’t mean I can’t chew my food. Give me that”
“Okay mademoiselle. But I’ll point at you if Alessandro comes for my head because I let you chew an uncut strawberry”. Valentino said
“Well, he isn’t here, is he?”. I said sarcastically.
Valentino pursed his lips and squeezed his eyes before speaking.
“No he isn’t. Of course he’s not. He’s in New York.”
I gave him a look as he was acting strange before focusing my attention on my strawberries.
I groaned in annoyance suddenly at the weird sensation I was feeling before dropping my strawberry in anger.
“What is it?”. Valentino asked
“It’s the baby. It’s probably sitting on my bladder or something because I need to pee”. I said before getting out but it was too late.
I felt the pressure first before I felt the liquid trickle down my thighs.
Valentino looked at me in horror as I paused mid air.
“Victoria, did you just pee on yourself? In Paris? In front of the Eiffel Tower? Do you know we might get in trouble for this”. Valentino said in a low voice while looking around.
“No. It’s not—”
“Look, I know you’re pregnant and all but couldn’t you just hold it in a little longer? This is kind of embarrassing”. Valentino whispered while covering the side of his face.
If not that I was starting to get the pressure build up in my abdomen I would have laughed at his reaction.
“Can you shut up?! This is not pee, alright! My water just broke! I’m going into labor, Valentino!”
I shouted in pain as I felt a very painful sensation climb its way from my stomach down to my legs.
It was making standing difficult.
Valentino was beside me in a second as his hand came to hold me for support around the waist as his free hand dialed a number on his phone.
“She’s in labor now. We’re at the Eiffel Tower!”.
He hung up and placed his phone back in his pocket.
“You’re okay now. You’ll be fine, honey.
“Who was that, Victoria? Is it Susan?”
Suddenly a car pulled up at the curb where we stood before Alessandro sprinted out of the car in his black suit and ran towards us.
“That wasn’t Susan. That was your husband”. He said before shaking hands and sharing a hug with Valentino.
“Hey, man”
“Victoria? How do you feel?”. Alessandro asked while guiding me into the car and strapping me in.
“Bad. What are you doing here? How are you here?”. I asked him as I looked at his face up close.
He had grown a beard and it looked good on him. He also looked stressed and kind of tired as he took off his jacket and flung his jacket to the backseat leaving him in only his black shirt.
“I’m here for the launching of my new hotel. Its close by”
“Yeah right”. Valentino said before Alessandro stepped on the gas and raced us to the hospital.
“How is Matteo? Where is he? Is he here with you?”. I asked as I felt another wave of contraction hit me.
“I’m sorry, we’ll be at the hospital soon. Matteo is at the hotel with Bianca”.
It’s still strange hearing Alessandro apologize freely and say thank you freely.
I’ll never get used to that.
“Can you please tell her to bring him here? Please. I want to see him”. I asked
“Right away. Once we get to the hospital. Matteo will be here”
“Thank you.”
He swerved in the direction of the hospital as Valentino had directed.
I’ve been here for checkups and treatments.
He parked the car and soon I was being wheeled into the hospital on a stretcher as I screamed in pain.
One person was allowed in the room as Valentino urged Alessandro to go since he was the father.
After a long and painful waiting period coupled with Alessandro yelling at the doctor who insisted initially that I had to wait some more even though I was in pain, it was finally time to push.
I was excited and afraid.
I was excited that I was about to see my baby soon and that I would finally know what gender it is.
But I was afraid. I was afraid because the whole contraction phase was so damn painful.
So painful that you actually feel like you’re about to die.
Thankfully, I had opted for an epidural and that was such a lifesaver.
I could have sworn that Alessandro’s hand had been snapped into two with how tightly and strongly I was gripping his hand as I pushed at the doctor’s command.
After maybe a few minutes or maybe an hour. It was definitely up to an hour. I can’t even tell because of how delirious I was from the pain, I heard the baby cry.
“Congratulations, it’s a girl”. The doctor said happily.
It was a girl.
I had a daughter. Matteo had a sister.
The baby was handed to Alessandro after he cut the umbilical cord and I watched him stare at her in shock then I saw it, a tear.
He was crying.
“Thank you. She’s so beautiful”. He said to me as he gently laid the baby on my chest.
She was the most perfect and prettiest thing to ever exist.
She was beautiful.
“Have you decided on a name for the baby?”. A nurse asked.
Alessandro looked at me. We both never even had that discussion.
“I’ll pick one and you’ll pick one”. I said to him as he nodded.
“Amara”. I said
“Athena”. He said.
“Last name?”. The nurse asked.
“Rossi. Amara Athena Rossi”. I answered.
The look on his face was priceless.
“She was right”. He whispered.
“Who was right?”
“Amara. She said we would be having a girl and it was really a girl. She said she would be here. With us.
Thank you for naming her Amara.” He said as the nurse took the baby to clean her up.
“I love it.” I said to him as he hugged me close to his chest.
“I love you”. I said to him,