Marcella tilted her head curiously. “I don’t know why you don’t want to know if it’s a boy or girl. I’d die from curiosity. And you can’t even buy anything pink!”
“Not every girl likes pink,” I said.
Marcella pursed her lips. “You’re the only girl I know that prefers black.”
“Your aunt is a special snowflake,” Matteo said with a wink.
Marcella laughed.
“I hope it’s a boy,” Amo said. “Girls are trouble.”
“I wish I’d learned that lesson at your age,” Matteo sighed.
This time I only sent him a glare instead of a kick.
Of course, it didn’t have any effect. Matteo even high-fived Amo across the table much to Aria’s disapproval.
I pressed my palm against my belly, wondering when the tension would leave it.
The pressure got even worse before I could decide if I was going into labor, something warm trickled out of me. I froze, clutching the fork in my hand. This definitely wasn’t pee. My bladder was empty.
“Why are you making a face like you’re pooping, Aunt Gianna?” Amo asked.
I didn’t even have it in me to give the little monster hell for calling me “aunt” again.
“Gianna?” Aria said softly.
“Gianna, your expression worries me,” Matteo said. He touched my thigh, my wet pants, and slowly pulled his hand back, his eyes widening. “Fuck.”
“Matteo said ‘fuck’ at the table,” Amo said, looking at Aria.
“What’s wrong with you?” Marcella asked curiously.
Why couldn’t they all stop talking?
“I think my water just broke,” I got out.
“Ewww,” Marcella said, that gorgeous face scrunching up.
Amo put down his fork. “You peed your pants? Can I see?”
I clutched Matteo’s hand. I couldn’t believe we were going to get one of these small monsters ourselves.
Luca rose, his expression stern. “Marcella, Amo, up to your room.”
“But Dad,” Marcella whined.
Luca shook his head. “Now.”
Finally, the two went upstairs but not without a considerable amount of protesting. For all I cared they could watch. I doubted there was a better way of contraception than having someone watch a kid being squeezed out of a vagina.
My belly cramped and I gasped at the sharp pain that seemed to last forever. I clutched Matteo’s hand so tightly, his fingers turned white but he didn’t make a sound. Only regarded me with blatant worry.
I was torn between wanting to clutch him and push him away, because somehow this was his fault.
Aria appeared beside me, touching my arm. “Come on. Let’s get you into our car.” She turned to Luca. “Can you get it?”
Luca nodded and disappeared.
“You have to stand up, Gianna.”
I forced myself into an upright position, waiting for the next wave of pain but the contractions still seemed a few minutes apart.
Matteo hovered beside Aria and me.
“You should help her walk.” He wrapped an arm around my back and Aria walked on my other side as we made our way toward the front door. The distance seemed so much longer than ever before.
Another wave crashed through me, making me jerk to a stop and clutch my belly. “I changed my mind. This baby can stay inside forever,” I grunted.
Aria tugged at my hand. “Come on. Everything will be fine.”
Gritting my teeth, I stumbled farther along. I’d read so much about labor these last few weeks but nothing could prepare me for this. I looked up at Matteo in annoyance but that emotion vanished when I saw the helplessness and even fear in his eyes. I forced a smile that probably looked more like a scary grimace. I wasn’t the only one who was terrified of what lay ahead.
Matteo
Gianna clung to the doorway. It had taken us more than ten minutes to get there. I didn’t know much about labor but I thought Gianna’s contractions were coming very frequently.
Her eyes were wide and desperate. “I don’t think I’m ready.”
Did she think I felt ready? I’d never been so fucking scared in my life. Of a tiny baby, of all things. But fuck, I was. Nothing in my life had prepared me for the task ahead, least of all my own parents. Not that Gianna’s parents would have won parents of the year awards.
“I hate to break it to you but your baby is going to come out if you’re ready or not,” Luca muttered as he strode up the driveway, probably tired of waiting in the car.
Aria sent him a look. “Luca!” Then she turned to Gianna. “It’s going to be all right. You’re not alone. Luca and I will help you and Matteo. Together, we’ll be okay.”
I stroked Gianna’s back and gently pried her fingers off the doorway before nudging her outside. Soft rain was falling and soaking us all.
I reached for my keys, thinking we’d take two cars as usual, but Luca shook his head. “I think I better drive. You’re a madman driver on your best days, and today isn’t one of those days.”
I nodded only, not even the brain capacity to give a comeback.
Gianna kept clutching Aria’s hand and mine in the other.
“Gianna, baby, we don’t all fit on the back seat,” I said gently. She didn’t release either of us. In the end, we awkwardly crammed in the back of Luca’s car. Gianna was breathing fast, her brows drawn together.
“Luca, I’m getting your seats dirty,” she gasped out when we pulled out of the premises.
“It doesn’t matter, Gianna,” Luca said calmly. I wished for his calm. Even when Aria had been in labor, he’d been remarkably calm compared to how I felt now. Gianna tensed again, panting.
“Fuck,” she whispered, shaking her head. She turned to her sister. “Aria. I—”
She cried out.
Aria’s eyes grew wide. “Pull over!”
“What?” Luca said.
“Pull over, the baby’s coming,” Aria screamed.
Luca jerked the car over but all I could do was stare in horror at Gianna who was gasping and crying.
“Call an ambulance,” Aria ordered. Then to me. “Get out of the car. We need room.”
Within a couple of minutes, Gianna was stretched out on the back seat and I was kneeling behind her so she rested against my legs, Aria was between Gianna’s legs. “Don’t push too hard Gianna, or you’ll tear,” Aria instructed. How could she sound so fucking calm?
Luca stood close behind her, watching our surroundings and trying not to look at Gianna. Cars were driving past us, honking and letting out curses.
Gianna cried out again and her breathing came in short bursts.
“Gianna.” A slight edge entered Aria’s voice. “Push.”
“Why?” I asked immediately.
“The umbilical cord is around the baby’s throat,” she said. “But it’s okay. We’ll get it out.”
I clutched at Gianna and she clawed at my arms. Fuck, what if I lost her and the baby? Fuck. I began shaking. My vision seemed hazy as if I was caught up in a nightmare. I’d seen so many horrors but nothing compared to this, to the idea of losing everything that mattered.
Gianna tensed as she pushed once more.