Page 78 of Secret Baby's Second Shot

For a moment, the weight of our shared fears lifted as we sat together, our hands intertwined. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to remind me that we weren’t facing this alone.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the hospital windows, the ICU nurse stepped into Ava’s room with a small, hopeful smile. “Her vitals are stable,” she said. “That’s a good sign.” The words were a spark of light in the darkness, a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, Ava was strong enough to beat the odds.

43

SUMMER

The ICU was quieter now. Ava’s vitals had remained stable throughout the night, and the slight color returning to her cheeks gave me a flicker of hope. She was still so small in that hospital bed, surrounded by wires and machines, but her strength was undeniable. Enzo and I had taken turns sitting by her side, and now we were back in the family lounge, the tension of the past few days hanging heavy in the air.

Enzo sat across from me, his elbows resting on his knees, his hands clasped tightly. He hadn’t said much since the nurse’s update earlier, his silence a mix of relief and exhaustion.

“I’ve been thinking,” I said softly, breaking the quiet.

He looked up, his dark eyes meeting mine. “About what?”

“About how we got here. About Ava. About… everything.”

He leaned back in his chair, his expression curious but patient. “Tell me.”

I took a deep breath,my hands twisting in my lap. “When I found out I was pregnant, I was terrified. I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. You and I weren’t together anymore, and I didn’t know how I was going to do it alone.”

Enzo’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t interrupt.

“I thought about calling you a hundred times,” I continued, my voice trembling. “But every time I picked up the phone, I’d think about your residency, about how hard you were working to build your career, and I’d convince myself that I couldn’t add to your burden.”

“You wouldn’t have been a burden, Summer,” he said quietly, his tone filled with regret.

“I know that now,” I said, blinking back tears. “But back then, I thought I was doing the right thing. I told myself I could handle it, that I didn’t need anyone else.”

I glanced toward the window,the early morning light casting soft shadows across the room. “When Ava was born, everything changed. The moment I saw her, I felt this overwhelming love—like my heart wasn’t big enough to hold it all. She was so tiny, so perfect, and I knew I’d do anything to protect her.”

Enzo’s gaze softened, his hands resting on his knees. “What was she like as a baby?”

“Quiet,” I said, a small smile tugging at my lips. “She hardly ever cried, except when she was hungry. And she loved being held. I used to sing to her at night, and she’d fall asleep with this little smile on her face.”

“Sounds like she was already a charmer,” he said, his lips quirking into a faint smile.

“She was,” I said, my chest tightening. “She still is. But it wasn’t always easy. There were nights when I’d sit up with her, exhausted and scared, wondering if I was doing enough. If I was enough.”

“You were,” Enzo said firmly. “You are.”

I looked downat my hands, my voice softening. “It was just the two of us for so long. She was my whole world, and I was hers. Every milestone—her first smile, her first word, her first step—I was there for all of it. But there was always this part of me that wondered if I’d made the right choice. If I’d robbed her of something by not telling you.”

Enzo leaned forward, his expression serious but gentle. “You didn’t rob her of anything, Summer. You gave her everything you had. And now that I’m here, I see how incredible she is because of you.”

Tears welled in my eyes, and I blinked them away quickly. “I just wanted her to feel loved. To feel safe.”

“She does,” he said, reaching across the table to take my hand. “And she always will. Because of you, Summer. And because of us.”

For a moment,the room was silent except for the faint hum of the vending machine in the corner. I looked at Enzo, his dark eyes filled with emotion, and felt a flicker of something I hadn’t allowed myself to feel in a long time: peace.

“Thank you,” I said softly, my voice trembling. “For being here. For being her dad. For being you.”

He squeezed my hand gently, his voice steady. “You don’t have to thank me. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

Later,as we walked back to Ava’s room, the weight of my confession lifted slightly, replaced by a quiet sense of relief. I wasn’t carrying this alone anymore. And as I looked at Enzo, his presence steady and unwavering, I knew that we were stronger together than we ever could have been apart.

When we reached Ava’s bed, her small hand twitched, her fingers curling slightly around Bunny. My breath caught, and I glanced at Enzo, who smiled faintly.

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