Page 212 of Falling for the Wife

From now on, I would work Heaven and Hell to get my son and my woman back. For as long as I was alive, I wouldn’t stop until I had the family I was destined to have.

Tre

I aimlessly drove about the city for an hour, contemplating if I should go back to the hospital or go home until I was less intense. Kimberly was going through a lot as it was. The last thing she most likely needed was to have me around like a major cross to bear.

As much as I would have loved to be around her and Gian Luca, I knew I had to get myself sorted out. I couldn’t allow myself to bring such negativity around them, most especially after all she had gone through with my mother, not to mention dealing with me and going through labor and now dealing with being a new mother. I was sure she was beyond overwhelmed by it all. Therefore, it was best I stayed away until I had come to terms with what had just happened.

My mother wouldn’t dare try anything to hurt her and the baby. She knew me well enough to know that I had reached my limit, and it would be unwise to challenge me.

The adrenaline that pounded throughout my body slowly ebbed away, and by the time I reached my residence, I could feel the after effects of what the blood transfusion had done to my body. Not to mention, the mental and emotional storm from the last couple of hours. There was nothing like a long shower, a glass or two of cognac, and some much needed rest to put everything into perspective.

I knew what I wanted. There was no doubt about that. However, going about achieving it might be complex. And the mere fact that I wasn’t sure if I had enough patience to wait in accomplishing such goal could be problematic. I believed we had wasted enough time, and I wasn’t simply going to bide my time until Kimberly was ready to broach the complicated subject.

My son would grow up in no time, and I surely wasn’t going to be on the sidelines, hearing about his newly acquired skills or improvement. No, I planned to be there for the first step, the first laugh, the first word. I wasn’t going to miss any of those precious moments. I daresay I hadn’t thought about being a father, but since I had already been thrust into this reality, I couldn’t help being enamored at the thought. Gian Luca would grow up with me as his father. I wouldn’t allow anything else. God help me if Kimberlystillhad other designs on the matter.

It took me about a day and a half until I finally decided to see them again. As saddened as I was to find out that Gian Luca had been taken back to the nursery so they could give Kimberly some time to rest, I was glad I got the chance to just be alone with her.

Her family had been with her this morning, as had her husband on paper, so she was understandably exhausted.

I came in just before she ate dinner.

“My, what have you got for me?” Her beautiful eyes widened at the sight of the takeaway paper bag I held in my hand.

“A bunch of treats that I think might cheer you up,” I told her as I began pulling out one item at a time before carefully placing them each on the adjustable medical table.

My heart skipped a beat or two at the look of her face. Closing her eyes, she breathed in the food’s heavenly aroma before she let out a seductive moan.

Dio mio. If she reacted like that with food, I would bring her whatever she wanted on a daily basis without complaint.

Naughty thoughts aside, I had brought her a wide variety of dishes—from zuppa Toscana to pasta to grilled steak with a side of french fries. I hadn’t been sure what she would be up for, so I had decided to order whatever I thought she might fancy. Last but not least, I had also gotten us both some hazelnut gelato to finish off the meal.

While I sat around her feet, we had the table set up between us as she sat with a couple of pillows at her back. We both picked at the meal while enjoying our conversation about the baby and whatever else, anything light. I didn’t want to press upon the issue of my mother just yet, not until I knew she had rested.

Just before we finished, a nurse came to check on her, getting her vitals and such. It was a random idea, but I asked if it were possible to stay and sleep on the sofa if I decided to. The nurse barely paid attention to me. So, with Kimberly’s blessing, I sat on the sofa while I watched her slowly fall asleep.

She said the baby would eventually come for a feeding when he woke up, so she best get as much rest as possible. I hadn’t minded a bit. As a tiny smile crept to my face, I thought,This is how life is supposed to be.And it would be all mine … soon enough.

While she rested, I busied myself by calling my assistant, Gino, to make sure the tabloids wouldn’t get a whiff of this bit, or if they had already, I told him to buy all of them off. I would eventually make a press release, but not anytime soon. Until I had the conversation with Kimberly, the media had to settle with speculation.

Once the phone call was handled, I decided against pondering about my mother and eventually took a nap, as well. I was awakened by a soft knock four hours later.

Blinking a few times, I made a grunting noise before I finally peeled my eyes open and saw the same kind nurse who was here earlier wheel in Gian Luca. He had a small IV pole installed next to him, yet he seemed more robust than ever.

He was so little, and I was rather afraid to touch him, afraid I might hurt him and make him upset. I hadn’t thought about this part of fatherhood. I supposed, as soon as he was well, I could practice holding him. Then I would learn how to feed him, change his nappy, and put him to sleep. For the time being, I would settle on watching him latch on to his mother while she softly cooed at him.

Kimberly was a natural, and for a moment, I was mesmerized. Mother and son. The love between them was a beautiful thing to watch, and I was awestruck at the thought of almost losing them both.

“Do you want to hold him?” Kimberly asked, barely glancing at me while she fed Gian Luca.

“Some other time, perhaps.”

She sent me a dazzling, toe-curling smile. “He won’t bite. You have to start learning the ropes sooner or later.”

She was right. Of course, she was. “In due time, mi amore. For now, I’m satisfied with watching you both.”

“If you say so,” she immediately quipped back before turning all of her attention back to the baby.

There was something about her beauty sans all the artifice of makeup. Not only was she beautiful, but she was brave beyond a doubt. She had confided not so long ago that she didn’t have a mother to show her how to become one, yet she believed in herself enough to know that she would eventually get the swing of things, as she had kindly put it.