“How is our boy?” I asked as I did every night when I came home. That night I had not made it to dinner, a rare occasion. Gianna’s due date was in a few days. After Dad’s funeral and Luca’s warning to Felix, things had settled down. Now we could look forward to the future.
“Good,” she said softly, touching her belly.
“But I’m always hungry, and I have a terrible craving for something sweet.” I muzzled her ear. “Just like me.”
Gianna huffed. “Not that kind of craving. Although I wouldn’t mind that either.” She gave me a coy smile that trickled down to my cock. Fortunately for me, Gianna’s sexual appetite had not diminished one iota during her pregnancy.
If possible, it had become even more insatiable. Daniel and Simona sat next to each other on the couch, watching one of their favorite YouTube channels on TV. Loulou was curled up next to them.
“Daniele, Simona, you can watch another video after that. Your mother and I have something to discuss upstairs.”
Daniele’s face contracted, making it clear that he had discovered the lie. He was no longer a child. At least, that meant that he and Simona would not bother us. Tightening my arm around Gianna, I led her upstairs.
“You are impatient,” she said with a small laugh. “I told you, I’m craving something sweet, and we both know you’re a sweet temptation I can’t resist.” Gianna rolled her eyes as she unbuttoned her dress and let it fall to the bedroom floor.
“It was trivial.” “Kneel on the bed.”
“You do realize I have about 20 pounds attached to my forehead, right?” Despite her words, she did as I asked. It was my favorite position to eat her out and hers too. She moaned before I even touched her and not from pleasure.
“I think we need to cancel the sex.” I helped her to her feet and Gianna’s face contorted. I froze. “The baby?” I asked, in a calm voice, though I didn’t hear him. Everything inside me was twisting and turning.
“Yes.”
I wrapped an arm around Gianna, holding her still. I was so nervous, for once in my life, my hands were not steady. After helping Gianna get dressed, calling Elijah and telling Daniel to take care of Simona, I walked us to the hospital, whispering words of comfort. I wasn’t even sure exactly what I said, hardly noticing the road ahead, but I got there safely. I had never been present during a birth.
Gaia had not allowed me to witness this moment of the birth of a child. I had not insisted because I wanted her and our baby to be safe during labor. I did not want her to fight with me.
This time it was different. In every way. Gianna wanted me by her side; she needed me. I held her hand with each new wave of pain, felt her body writhe under her strength, marveled at her strength and her ability to give me her beautiful smile whenever she had a reprieve. Seeing her in agony was the worst thing I could imagine, but I was grateful to her for allowing me to witness it.
“One more push,” encouraged the doula after nearly five hours of labor. Gianna squeezed my hand, her face scrunched up.
She was tired and sweaty. The floor was covered with liquid, my clothes soaked with sweat and her blood. It was a disaster, yet the best moment of my life.
And then a cry resounded. I stiffened, holding my breath as Gianna relaxed in relief.
I stared at Gianna’s red, sweaty face, contorted with pain just moments before, now filled with a bliss I could barely comprehend. Her eyes were fixed on the bundle the doula was holding, but I could not take my eyes off my wife, the woman who had saved me and my children from a dark path.
Gianna gave me a stunned look, and eventually I looked away from her to see the little baby who had caused her so much bliss.
It was wrinkled and smeared with blood, and it snapped. That bliss on Gianna’s face … It crowded my chest, made me feel almost dizzy with its strength. The doula walked over to us and placed our son in Gianna’s arms. Gabriel was beautiful.
I wrapped my arm around Gianna’s shoulders, kissing her temple, filled with more gratitude than I had ever considered myself capable of. Her smile was pure love, unbridled joy. I would have been happy with only two children, but now that Gabriel lay in Gianna’s arms, now that I had witnessed his birth, I knew this would make our life even more perfect.
Gianna
Facing labor once was definitely enough, and that was why I was completely grateful that I already had three children, two of whom I did not have to squeeze out of me.
I loved Daniel and Simona with all my heart, and Gabriel’s entrance into our little family did not change that. However, I was glad that I experienced the pregnancy, not so much the actual birth, only once. The day after delivery, Simona and Daniel came to the hospital with Elijah. They both stared at Gabriel’s sleeping form in his crib as if he were an alien. I stifled a smile. Alessio touched their shoulders. His clothes were rumpled from spending the night in the hospital, and his unkempt beard looked much more unkempt than he preferred, but his eyes glowed with pride.
“Now you have a little brother to watch over. That means you will have to stop fighting all the time or it will upset the baby.” Daniel turned a doubtful expression to his father, looking through him. Nice try.
“You said he’d be cute, but he’s all wrinkly and losing skin from his head,” Simona said with a wrinkled nose. Alessio sighed. With a laugh, I got out of bed and slowly walked toward them, despite the pain in my lower body.
“It’s a newborn baby. That’s what they look like. I think he’s incredibly cute.”
“Was I a cute baby?” he asked.
“Yes,” Alessio and I said simultaneously. Daniel frowned. I hugged him, whispering:
“I love you.” He smiled, abandoning whatever dark thoughts had been bothering him. “I’m glad you gave me a brother and not a sister as Simona wanted.”
“You have your father to thank for that.” Alessio squinted his eyes at me as Simona and Daniel looked at him for answers. Smiling, I approached him.
“Maybe we should talk soon about the birds and the bees.” “I talked to Daniel, and Simona doesn’t need to know anything until she is sixteen or seventeen.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I was seventeen when we got engaged.”
“Don’t remind me.” He kissed my lips, making our children grimace in disgust.
“It worked out well.”
“Yes,” she agreed, peering down at our sleeping newborn son.