Page 30

ADALYN

Beep. Beep.

The distant sound of automated machinery cut through the quiet.

I turned away from the noise, desperate to fall back into the serenity of silence and I winced. In the back of my mind, I noted the glaring light threatening to perforate the peaceful darkness. I sighed and a sharp stab of pain broke through my senses.

Ricardo. The garden. The bang.

My eyes flew open, and I gasped in sudden panic.

I was in an unfamiliar room, dominated by bright white light. My heart fluttered in my chest and the whirring of machinery nearby picked up its pace.

It took me a moment to recognize it as a hospital.

I made a motion to sit up when a gentle hand on my arm prevented me from moving any further.

“Ada, calm down. You’re alright. You’re safe.”

Relief, so potent and pure, washed through me as I stilled. Tears immediately pooled in my eyes.

Marco is okay. Marco is here.

The second I saw his beautiful face, the tears spilled down my cheeks and my chest heaved in happiness. I opened my mouth to say something, anything …but he shook his head.

“I was so scared, baby,” he said gently, his words trembling with emotion.

A single tear trickled down his cheek as he raised a hand to caress my face. I turned into the warmth of his skin, truly grateful that he was alive and by some divine intervention, so was I.

“I thought I was too late. I thought you were dead.” More tears leaked from his eyes and his voice sounded more broken than I’d ever thought possible.

“I’m here,” I whispered, my voice coming out strangled and strained as if from disuse.

“Try not to talk. You need to rest.” He murmured, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear. I shook my head slightly, and he continued, seeing the questions in my eyes.

“You’ve been in a coma for two days, baby. You were shot in the chest…” His face contorted in pain. “They rushed you into surgery and managed to stop the bleeding. By the grace of God, the bullet only just missed your heart.”

I instinctually glanced down toward my chest but was grateful that it was covered by gauze and blanket. I didn’t think I could manage seeing the wound just yet or relive the memories that went along with it.

“Your face and back are badly bruised, but nothing is broken. It’ll go down in the next week or so.” He continued, dropping his hand to hold one of mine as they trembled.

“Where is h—" I began to ask, but the words were burning in my throat.

He searched my face intently. “I killed him.”

I nodded slightly, drawing comfort from the fact that Ricardo could never hurt me or anyone else again. That he was gone. And that this time it was for good.

“S-Sofia was behi?—"

“I know. Ricardo used her to get to you. I should have seen it,” Marco said, glancing away. “I let you down. I’m so sorry. I will never fail you again.”

“You didn’t fail me.” I cupped his face with my free hand, wiping away another tear as it tracked down his face. “You saved me.”

A sad smile contorted his face, and he shook his head in quiet disagreement but didn’t fight me on it any further.

I dropped my hand from his face and held his strong hand in both of mine, content to be touching his skin. Relishing in the fact that I could; after thinking I may never get the chance again.

“Ada, there is something else I need to tell you.” Marco’s voice broke through my inner thoughts, and I frowned at the sudden uncertainty in his voice.

My eyes drifted up from the dirty, blood-splattered shirt he must have been wearing since the wedding. Coming to rest on his exhausted face. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

“Are you okay?” I half whispered, half mouthed to him.

“I’m fine,” he said with a gentle half smile. “Now, stop being cute and let me get this out… baby, I’m not sure how you’re going to react to this, but I need you to stay calm. Everything is going to work out fine, I promise you.”

The intensity of his words and the concern in his gaze had the heart rate monitor picking up speed once again, as my heart fluttered.

“You’re pregnant, Ada.”

What?

I tried to think through the remnants of drug-induced fogginess clouding my mind.

“I don’t know how it happened, and I thought we were being careful, but…we’re going to have a baby,” he whispered, and excitement like I had never seen lit up his face and twinkled in his eyes.

My shock was quickly overshadowed by other, much stronger emotions, and a fresh wave of tears trailed down my face. This time for an entirely different reason.

“We’re going to have a family?” I asked, warmth spreading in my chest and soothing gaps within my soul I never knew existed.

Marco nodded. “Our baby is fine. Happy and strong, just like their Mamma.”

His smile was so radiant with unconditional love, loyalty and absolute contentment, that in that moment I knew that we could do it. That we could raise this child and be the family we had always wanted but never quite had.

That he was my soulmate, and by some crazy miracle I wound up being his.

His lips pressed a delicate kiss to my forehead, wordlessly promising me a lifetime of unconditional devotion and safety.

“I love you, Ada.”

“I love you too, Marco.”