Page 83 of A Seed Of Peril

“Just those Braxton contractions and pressure.” I drew in a deep breath before slowly releasing it. “I just want this to be over.”

Julie took off her gloves as Dominic helped me into a sitting position. I leaned into my arms for support.

“Well, as always, if you experience any of what I asked or if you notice anything unusual, don’t hesitate to call me. No matter what. Because the way I look at it, better safe than sorry.” She smiled.

Choosing Ms. Barton as my doctor was the right decision. Her smile alone made everything easier to bear. Just like Dominic’s arms did whenever I was in them.

She entered something into the ultrasound machine. “If neither of you has any questions, then I’ll go ahead and grab your photos.”

“What happens if Vincenzo doesn’t get here on time?”

Julie angled away from the machine. “As we’ve previously discussed, we would try to induce you if you went too far past your due date. A c-section is a last resort.”

After reading about the induction process and some of the stories from mothers in my research, having that done scared me. Would labor and delivery go as normal considering Vincenzo was a hybrid? I had to figure out a way to jump start labor naturally.

Looking down at myself, I let out a defeated breath. “Okay.” I was frustrated that the control I wanted for my birth might be taken from me. I was tired of that lack of control.

“A minute?” Dominic asked of Julie, although she didn’t have a choice.

“Sure,” she said, her footsteps fading until she closed the door.

Dominic placed his hand on my shoulder. “Talk.”

He wasn’t upset or annoyed. He wanted to listen. To solve my problems. Erase my worries, fears, and anxieties.

Helping me up the rest of the way to where I sat along the side of the hospital bed, I lifted my head, finding Dominic’s eyes. Tears pricked the backs of my eyes. Opening my mouth to speak, I looked at his hands, taking one of them in both of mine. He inched closer, adjusting my tank top back over my belly.

I stared down at our joined hands, trying to figure out how to word my concerns and what I was feeling. “I’m just so sick of it all, Dominic.” My voice was hushed, emotional exhaustion thickening my words. “I’m sick of being scared. Everything hurts, and I can’t sleep anymore.” A tear fell when Dominic swept strands of hair behind my ear. “I’m scared?—”

Julie opened the door, but she ended up placing the ultrasound pictures in their usual envelope on the nearest safe enough spot and gingerly hurried back out of the room. Bless her.

Dominic slipped his fingers under my chin, our eyes meeting once more. “Go on,amore.”

I smiled weakly, but it left as fast as I found the energy.

“I’m scared of the Russians, too.”

He cupped my cheek, leaning down close enough to feel his breath. “I told you we have everything under control.” Our faces brushed against another.

“What if they want to hurt our son?”

Dominic murmured, “Then, they’ll regret the day they swam from their fathers’ sacks.”

I nuzzled my nose against him, savoring his scent and closing my eyes.

“Now,” he went on, “let’s get you into a warm bubble bath.”

“I love you.”

“And I you,regina mia.”

He slid his arms beneath me before lifting me against his chest, cradling me like I was something precious.

* * *

Regardless of myanxiety about the impending birth, Vincenzo’s bedroom brought me peace. Calm. Whenever I walked around in here, admiring the decor all over again each time, it temporarily locked away the somberness of needing my mother and Nadia. There were moments I silently shed a tear. Lying in bed at night. In the bathroom. Becoming a mother was a major plot twist in my life that I needed my mother and mother figures for. Without them, I was lost and unprepared.

Sure, I had Bianca to lean on, but her words of encouragement and advice weren’t doing it. There was a hole in my heart that she never could fill.

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