[GIOSEFFO]
“Hi,” I greeted Millie. “I want to stay here until you wake up, but due to your sensitive condition, our visiting hours are limited while you’re in the ICU. Wake up, Millie. I’m here. I kept my promise. I’m alive… because of you.”
I bit my lip hard. I thought about what would have happened if Millie hadn’t arrived and I had been shot. I would have failed her, even though I couldn’t keep my promise to her. But I didn’t want this to be her reality.
I glanced at her belly, remembering what she was carrying now. “I have some good news for you. I won’t tell you until you wake up, sweetheart. I know for sure that you’ll be delighted by my news.” My lips trembled, but I suppressed my emotions. I knew Millie might hear me, and I didn’t want her to think I was too distraught. “So come back to me, Millie. I’ll be waiting for you.”
I stayed there for a moment, gazing at Millie, as if I were relearning her features and etching them into my memory so I wouldn’t forget her beautiful face. Because as long as Millie was in the hospital, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to sleep.
I didn’t stay there for long because I knew that others also wanted to visit and see Millie. For now, I didn’t want to burden her family with my presence. After visiting Millie, I sat in a chair. Dad came over.
“Your cousins have gone home for now, and I sent Gianna home as well. You should do the same, Gio. Let us stay here for the time being. I’m sure Elsie and her daughter won’t leave Millie. Come back tomorrow.”
I looked at Dad and shook my head. “I’m staying, Dad. I promised her that I won’t leave her again. I’ll be here until Millie wakes up.”
My father’s expression darkened. It was clear he didn’t like what I said, but I knew he understood me. He never left my mother’s side when she was in the hospital before.
“Don’t push yourself too hard, Gio. Instead of waking up with Millie by your side, you might end up in the hospital yourself. Don’t take your health for granted. Rest a bit.” He fell silent for a moment, as if contemplating what to say next. “And please, don’t be too hard on your sister.” Dad patted my shoulder before approaching Mom.
I looked at the two of them as they conversed. Mom gazed at me; she looked sad, but she smiled when she saw me watching them.
Dad and Mom said their goodbyes and left to go home and rest. I let them go because I knew we were all exhausted. However, I didn’t want to give in to my fatigue.
Aside from me, Aunt Elsie, Millie’s stepmother, and Sienna were still there. We were taking turns watching over Millie from outside the ICU.
Dario arrived. I had them fetch blankets, food, and some other items I thought we might need while watching over Millie. I motioned for Dario to give these to Aunt Elsie and Sienna, as I didn’t require those things myself.
Dario sat down beside me after providing the blankets and food to the two. I didn’t look at him because my thoughts were elsewhere, but I eventually decided to strike up a conversation.
Sometimes, Millie would pester me to help her sister with Dario. It may not be obvious, but Millie wanted to assist Sienna in winning Dario over.
“Are you interested in her?” I asked out of nowhere, trying to distract myself from the fact that we were in the hospital and my wife and baby had just gone through a life-and-death situation.
I knew Dario was looking at me. I signaled in Sienna’s direction.
“My wife’s sister,” I said.
He glanced at Sienna but not uttering a word. “I don’t have time for that, Sir,” he replied.
A small smile played on the side of my lips. I shook my head at Dario. “You’re such a terrible liar.”
I looked in Dario’s direction. He was looking at me too, and I could see how he concealed all of his emotions. He learned that from the best – me.
“I’m not forbidding any of you from having girlfriends. Take Elliott as an example. He once had a girlfriend.”
“And what happened to the girlfriend? She died. She was raped and killed just because she was Elliott’s weakness. I don’t want to take the same path. What I feel is nothing, Sir. It’s better if I focus on my job, your safety, and the Locatelli family.”
I remembered that. Elliott might have a playful facade, but he’d already sold his soul to the devil for justice and revenge. I am that devil.
“Still, you all deserve to be happy.”
Dario looked at me as though I’d just made the joke of the year. My emotionless face remained unchanged.
“It’s like you’re cursing us when you say we should be happy, Gio.” Dario said.
I shook my head. They always treated my words as if they were curses.
We heard someone groaning. Dario and I looked at Sienna, who was in an uncomfortable sleeping position. While her mother seemed comfortable in her position, Sienna must not be used to sleeping like that.
Dario stood up from beside me and adjusted Sienna’s position. He also rearranged her blanket to keep her warm. I grinned as I watched the two of them.
Dario glanced at me, seemingly embarrassed because he probably felt like he’d eaten his words from earlier. I raised an eyebrow and, just to taunt him, blurted something out.
“Tough shit, Darin Ortega.”
He bit his lip and looked up when I called him by his full name. Dario is just a nickname we gave him when we were kids because ‘Darin’ sounds too nice for someone like him. And he seems to like his nickname more than his real name.
~*~
I didn’t sleep that day. I just observed as Millie’s friends arrived.
“Gio…” Nina called to me. I nodded to both her and Rae as a greeting.
“How is she? We couldn’t come yesterday as I was out of town,” Nina asked.
“She’s fine now. The baby is safe, too.”
Both of them stared at me, their faces as if they’d received a bombshell.
“Baby?” they both asked in unison.
My ears were starting to ring from the loudness of their voices.
“My wife is pregnant.”
Their eyes widened, as if they might pop out of their sockets.
They asked if they could enter the ICU. I told them to wait for the nurse to arrive to assist them. It didn’t take long for Millie’s nurse to return, and they went inside. I wanted to enter again, but I let Millie’s friends go first.
That’s what I did every day. I’d go home just to shower, eat at the hospital, and then continue my vigil. I never left the vicinity of Millie’s room. I wanted to be there for her, ready to come to her side the moment she needed me.
My cousins visited the hospital again, and this time, Arcel came with them. He nodded when he saw me, and I returned the gesture.
The hospital seemed to come to life a bit with the noise my cousins brought. When Raffaele and Carter argued, it was usually their spouses who would intervene. I thought about complaining about the noise, but I figured it was good to see them like this.
When Dad arrived, they immediately approached me. They always pestered me to rest and let them stay at the hospital, but I refused. I insisted that I was sleeping, even though I never mentioned that I barely got an hour of rest.
“Where’s Gianna?” I asked Dad.
I haven’t spoken to Gianna since our argument. I haven’t had the chance, given that I rarely go to our home with Millie and haven’t visited my parents’ house yet.
“She left two days ago. She said she had something to do,” Dad said with a deep voice.
“You should talk to her, Gio. Even though your sister isn’t saying anything, she was hurt when you got mad at her. Maybe she’s had time to reflect on her actions. Don’t let this misunderstanding between siblings drag on,” Mommy added.
“I would do that once I had the time. Right now, I just don’t have it.” I assured Dad.
“Please, Gio, get some rest. You’re going to get sick from what you’re doing. We’ll stay here, and if there’s any news about Millie, we’ll tell you.”
Even Aunt Elsie and Sienna advised me to rest and go home for a while. They had been urging me for several days, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to indulge them.
“You take care of things here, Mommy, Dad, and Aunt.” They smiled at me when I finally defeated from their endless request of me going home for awhile
Dario accompanied me on the way home. I went straight to the bedroom and cleaned myself up. Once I was on the bed, I immediately collapsed, and that’s when I truly felt my exhaustion.
My eyes were half-closed as I gripped the other side of the bed.
“I miss you,” I whispered to myself while looking at the spot on the bed where Millie used to sleep.