Page 81 of Abel

Focusing my unsteady eyes on him, he finally comes into view, looking sexy as ever even though his brows are creased with confusion.

“Abel? What’s going on? Where is the baby?” My throat is all scratchy and hurts.

He shakes his head and smiles as he reaches for the water Cam has in his outstretched hand. He’s doing a good job hiding how worried he is, but I still see it. “Don’t talk. The baby is fine. You’re fine.”

My heart seems to skip a beat as I reach up and take the cup from him, feeling the moment our hands brush together.

Brining the cup to my parched lips, I take a sip. Swallowing, letting the water coat my throat, I say, “If everything is fine, why do you look so worried?”

He simply smiles again, reaching out to touch my face, scared I may disappear or somethin’. “Marrone Dolce, don’t youeverscare me like that again. I fucking mean it, or I’ll find you just to bring you back and punish you.” A bubble of laughter leaves my lips when I stare up at him.

God, I’m burning up underneath this heinous hospital gown.

“Punish me? Really? Wanna say that loud enough for my mother to hear?” My mother, it feels weird saying that after all this time. Thankfully, whoever was speaking to me set me straight.

My mother and father both needed me to forgive them for what they did.

I’ll never know the reason behind their actions, but I should thank them, too. I didn’t have a horrible childhood and being raised by my grandmother was the best thing that ever could have happened to me.

“Oh, so ya’ll are like besties?” Camden asks, sitting on the other side of me.

“I didn’t say that, Cam, I just, I don’t know. What I do know is that I need to see my baby girl. Where is she?”

“The doctor is gonna come in and check you out first, then they’ll bring the baby in. Which reminds me, you still need to pick out a name.” Abel says.

“Abel, how long was I out?”

“Well, the surgery took a few hours, but you just didn’t want to wake up. You scared us half to death. But don’t worry about that, quit stalling. What’s our baby’s name?”

“Yeah, a name.” After all this time, I never put any thought into her name.

Like the entire pregnancy, so I have no earthly idea what to name her.

“I hear my patient is awake.” The doctor comes in saying. Clearly he stole that line from Carlisle in the Twilight Saga movies. I silently nod while he does what he has to do.

Tuning them all out, I can’t help but stare at my parents, noticing their eyes glued to mine. My mother has a silly grin on her face, but behind her happiness is something else.

She’s hiding something.

My dad, too, but I already know what he’s got going on. Imagine that, my father is affiliated with the mafia.

Great, just great.

Life is like the pages of my favorite book. Sometimes they don’t start off right, but by the end of it… Everything falls into place.

My God, I know what her name will be. “Poet Oakleigh Iverson. That’s her name. She is the beginning of our new chapter, my greatest achievement.”

Even though they were staring at me, I didn’t know they had been arguing, but their voices fall silent when I mention the baby’s name. “I-I love it.” Mom says.

Just as I’m about to thank her, the doors open, and the little bassinet holding my baby is wheeled up to my side. Abel turns around and scoops her out and hands her to me. “Here is your greatest achievement. She’s fucking beautiful, baby.”

My dad walks to the side of the bed where Cam was sitting and peers down at his granddaughter with tears in his eyes. “I’m so sorry I denied you all these years. I’ve missed out on everything. All your firsts.” He whispers, forcing the words to pass his lips. “I knew you were my daughter, but I couldn’t have you mixed up in the life I lived, and I hated that. More than you know. If you will allow me to, I want to be there now. Make up for all the lost time we didn’t get to share by sharing it with the two of you.”

“Over my dead body.” My mother shouts.

I’m putting a stop to this. “For the love of God! I need you two to act like adults. Neither one of you was there for me, yet I’m giving you the opportunity to be there for her, for us now. Don’t make me fucking regret it.”

“You watch your mouth, young lady.” My mother says, making me snort with laughter, just as the baby begins to wail. “What? Did I say something funny?”

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