79

79
Alaric’s POV
I’ve faced countless threats in my life. Guns aimed at my head. Betrayals by people I thought I could trust. Enemies clawing at the edges of my empire, waiting for a moment of weakness. But nothing-NOTHING-had ever terrified me as much as seeing Francesca lying helpless in that hospital bed.
The sterile smell of antiseptic burned my nose as I sat in the uncomfortable chair outside her room. My hands were clasped tightly, my knuckles white. The usual iron control I prided myself on felt like it was slipping. I couldn’t stop replaying the image of her small, flushed face, the way her body had burned with fever when I held her. She’d felt so fragile, and for the first time, I realized just how powerless I was when it came to her health.
What if this was something serious? What if I couldn’t protect her from this?
The thought clawed at my chest like a wild animal, threatening to rip me apart. Francesca was everything to me-my light, my reason for holding it all together. Losing her wasn’t an option. I couldn’t even entertain the thought. Yet here I was, stuck in this waiting room, useless, while doctors worked on my little girl again.
“Alaric,” Emilia’s voice broke through the haze of my thoughts.
I looked up to see her standing in front of me, her expression soft but concerned. She knelt down beside me, her hand brushing lightly against mine. Her touch was warm, calming me in a way I hadn’t expected.
“She’ll be okay,” Emilia said, her voice steady but gentle. “She’s strong, just like her father.”
I shook my head, my jaw tightening. “She’s just a kid, Emilia. She shouldn’t have to be strong. She should be…safe. Protected.” My voice cracked slightly at the last word, and I hated myself for it.
“You’ve done everything you can to protect her,” she said, her hand resting on mine. “You’re a good father, Alaric.”
Her words hit me harder than I expected. I didn’t feel like a good father right now. I felt like a failure. Francesca was sick, and I couldn’t fix it. All I could do was sit here and hope the doctors knew what they were doing.
“I should be able to do more,” I muttered, my gaze dropping to the floor. “I should be able to fix this.”
“You’re here,” Emilia said firmly. “That’s what matters. Francesca knows you’re here for her, and that means everything to her.”
I wanted to believe her. I wanted to hold on to the hope she was offering me, but the fear was too loud, drowning out everything else. I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees, and dropped my head into my hands. For the first time in years, I found myself praying.
“Please. Please let her be okay. I’ll do anything. Just let her be okay.”
I didn’t realize I’d said the words aloud until I felt Emilia’s hand on my back, her touch warm and comforting. “She’s going to be okay,” she said softly, her voice filled with conviction. “You have to believe that, Alaric.”
I lifted my head, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were steady, filled with a quiet strength that I couldn’t ignore. Emilia’s presence here kept me calm. She didn’t have to be here-she wasn’t family, wasn’t obligated to stay-but she was. And right now, all I realized that I probably would have gone crazy if she wasn’t here.
Something inside me cracked. Maybe it was the fear, the helplessness, or the fact that I hadn’t let myself feel anything for so long. But as I looked at Emilia, I felt a surge of something deep and intense, something I didn’t want to name.
Without thinking, I leaned forward and kissed her.
It wasn’t planned, wasn’t calculated. It was raw, a desperate need to feel something other than fear and pain. Her lips were warm and soft, and for a moment, the world around us faded away.
When I pulled back, Emilia’s eyes were wide with surprise, her lips slightly parted. I realized then what I’d done, and for the first time in years, I didn’t care if someone saw us. Let them. Let the whole damn world see.
“I-” she started to say, but I stopped her, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “For being here. For…everything.”
Her expression softened, and she gave me a small smile. “You don’t have to thank me, Alaric. I care about Francesca too.”
I nodded, unable to find the words to express what I was feeling. Emilia had become more than just a part of my life-she was becoming a part of me. And that terrified me almost as much as the thought of losing Francesca.
The sound of footsteps snapped me out of my thoughts, and I turned to see the doctor approaching. Emilia stood and placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder as the doctor addressed us.
“Francesca’s fever has gone down,” he said. “She’s responding well to the medication, and her tests came back clear. It looks like it was just a viral infection, as we suspected. She’ll need rest, but she should make a full recovery.”
Relief washed over me like a tidal wave, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak. I nodded, unable to trust my voice, and Emilia squeezed my shoulder gently.
“Can we see her?” I finally managed to ask.
“Yes, but keep it brief,” the doctor said. “She needs to rest.”
Emilia and I entered Francesca’s room together, and my heart clenched as I saw her sitting up in bed, her face still pale but her eyes brighter than they had been earlier.
“Daddy,” she said, her voice soft but filled with relief.
I crossed the room in three quick strides and sat beside her, taking her small hand in mine. “Hey, sweetheart,” I said, my voice rough with emotion. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, her eyes welling with tears.
“No, no,” I said quickly, brushing her hair back. “You don’t have to be sorry. You’re going to be okay, and that’s all that matters.”
Emilia stood by the door, giving us space, but I saw the way Francesca’s eyes kept darting to her.
“Mommy,” Francesca said, her voice small but insistent.
Emilia smiled and stepped closer. “I’m here, sweetheart.”
Francesca reached out for her, and without hesitation, Emilia sat on the other side of the bed, taking her hand. The sight of the two of them together stirred something deep inside me, something I didn’t want to examine too closely.
For now, all that mattered was that Francesca was okay. The rest, I could figure out later.