Months later…
Elisa is healing well, and we’ve already had our first appointment with Dr. Meridith, the obstetrician. It’s now our second appointment, and Raffaele and Evangeline are currently in the room next to us, meeting with the doctor.
Today, we’re going to find out the sex of the baby. Elisa went back and forth on finding out whether we’re going to have a girl or a boy, but she finally committed, for which I am extremely grateful. I would let Elisa have her surprise, but the suspense was killing me. I even contemplated having Dante from Nostra Casa hack into the clinic’s computer system and get the results for me. I’m happy not to have to do that.
Elisa is sleeping better. For the first few weeks, she was having nightmares about Ruggero and the trauma he caused. I wish he were alive so I could kill him all over again. I would normally feel a sense of retribution as I gave the final blow and watched the light in his eyes die, but all I wanted to do was go home to be with Elisa.
Raffaele is now looking into the construction front in Italy, where Ruggero was involved. Ruggero invested heavily into the company, which is a front for arms dealing. Ruggero was making deals on the side and leaving Ultimo Morte out of the profits. Guido found out about this one night when Ruggero came over and, in a drunken stupor, exposed himself. He then had the audacity to get Guido to give him funds to continue to fund his work. Guido was smarter than that and refused, but gathered the information to keep Ruggero at a distance, with the threat of giving him up to Raffaele.
Adriana has been attached at the hip to Elisa since that night. Adriana broke down in tears because she was afraid of losing her mama like she did her mom. Elisa has been lavishing her with all the love and attention she could want. She seems to be settling down, and hopefully, things will go back to normal soon. Adriana is super thrilled at having a baby brother or sister of her own.
There’s a meeting tonight with Reno and Dante. They’re in town to talk about the current situation with the Russians, who seem to be hijacking product deliveries between the two families. Sebastian is staying behind to keep an eye on things, but coming along with Reno is one of his soldiers. I’ve heard about Zano, and I’m aware that he’s Dante’s brother-in-law.
The door opens, and in comes Dr. Meridith. “Are you ready for the big reveal?” she asks.
“Definitely,” Elisa says.
The doctor drops a gooey gel all over Elisa’s belly and gets started. “Good strong heartbeat,” the doctor says. Elisa looks up at me, squeezing my hand. I kiss her hand and press it to my chest. “All right now, let’s see if this little person wants to reveal if they’re a baby he or she,” the doctor continues with a smile.
After a few minutes, I prompt, “Well?”
“Congratulations, it looks like we’re having a healthy baby boy,” she says.
I kiss my wife passionately, and the doctor disappears from the room. “Are you happy?” Elisa asks. “I wanted you to have a boy.”
“I would be happy with a girl too. As long as we have a healthy baby, that’s all I need,” I tell her.
“Maybe just a little bit happier because it’s a boy,” she teases, putting her thumb and forefinger up and slightly apart.
I chuckle and help her dress again. We find Raffaele and Evangeline waiting for us outside. Elisa and Evangeline embrace one another, their baby bumps making them more beautiful than ever.
At the same time, the two announce, “We’re having a boy!”
Raffaele claps a hand on my back. “Oh boy! Oh boy!”
Two brothers having sons. I can only hope that our sons will be best friends and watch each other’s backs like Raffaele and I do.