Page 83 of Corrupted Union

“Em, push for me,” I say, getting my hands read to catch the baby. Emilia shakes her head, tears streaming from her eyes.

“I can’t do this,” she says. “I can’t.”

“Yes, you can.” I tell her. “I’ve been afraid of so many things. You’re the brave one in this family. I’m the shy one. So, if I’m capable of delivering your baby, then you’re capable of pushing. Your baby is ready to come out. Come on, Em.”

Emilia pushes herself up on her elbows, gritting her teeth, her face red, as she nods. “Ok. Let’s do this.”

“Push.”

Emilia does. She pushes and pushes until …

… the baby leaves her body and slides into my hands. Her instant cries send a breath of relief through everybody. Glancing down, I smile. “It’s a girl,” I tell her.

Even though it’s clear she’s exhausted, Emilia laughs as she takes her baby from me, holding her to her chest.

“Do you have a name in mind?” I ask.

“I don’t want to say without Marco here.” Emilia smiles at me. “You did it, Fran. You did it.”

I wasn’t a coward. I chose to be brave.

“Let’s get you to the hospital.”

* * *

Emilia wantsto go with me to find Antonio, but Mom tells her to remain in bed. “You just need to be here with your baby,” she says. Emilia sits back in the hospital bed, clutching her daughter to her chest. Mom already called Marco to let him know to get to New York as soon as possible.

“Find Antonio,” Emilia says. “I can’t rest until I know he’s all right.”

“I’m going to stay here with you,” Mom says, stroking Emilia’s hair back before leaning down to kiss her granddaughter on the head. “You need support.”

“Mom, I’ll be fine. Go find Antonio.”

“I want more than anything to do that,” she says. “But not until Marco gets here. I was thinking … Francesca could continue to look for Antonio.”

I jerk. “What?” Mom would really entrust Antonio’s safety to me? Antonio, one of her favorites and me, her least favorite.

“Somone needs to be here with Emilia,” she explains. “But it doesn’t have to be both of us. You go after Antonio. Find him and bring him back to me. Besides, I can’t drive, so it has to be you.”

“You really trust me to do this?” I ask in a quiet voice so only she can hear.

As Mom smiles at me, I instantly feel warmer. “I just saw you deliver your sister’s baby. You stood up to Franco for me. You’re a lot stronger than I ever gave you credit for, Francesca. You can do this. I trust you.”

Without even thinking, I throw my arms around my mom, hugging her tightly. When she hugs me back, it takes everything in me to not cry.

“I’ll make you proud,” I tell her, pulling back.

“You already do. I just don’t tell you enough. And I should.”

There’s still a lot more for my mom and I to talk about, but right now, Antonio needs help, so I smile once more at her, Emilia, and my niece before leaving the hospital.

It takes me another hour to get to the docks. I really have no clue where Antonio is, but if he escaped Franco’s men, he’s likely on foot and didn’t get very far. Getting out of my car, I shiver and rub my hands up and down my arms, trying to warm myself. It’s so dark, and combined with the snow falling, I can barely see. All I can make out are shipping containers.

“Antonio?” I call out, my soft voice carrying on the wind. Men’s voices make me go quiet, and I duck around a shipping container as two men walk by. They must not have heard me over the wind. I vaguely recognize them from the day of my dad’s funeral. They work for Franco now.

“Come out,” one of them says, making me jerk up. “Antonio, I know you’re hiding from us. We can end this, quick and painless. You’re hurt. You can’t get far.” Antonio’s hurt? Then he must be in one of these shipping containers because where else would he seek shelter in this weather?

I wait for the two men to walk by, then sneak out and search for my brother. I try opening one shipping container, but the doors don’t budge. I try another, and the same thing happens. This is hopeless. There are too many containers and not enough time, and I have no clue where he could be. I also don’t have a weapon, and these men are armed. Hopefully, they won’t shoot an unarmed woman. If they have any respect for my father, they won’t hurt me.

---