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“He was a cop.”
Palmero fumed silently in a chair in the corner of the hospital room. This
was all too much for him to take in one day, and the vein in his neck throbbed
faster as his blood pressure increased.
“Were you going to tell me about him?”
“No, because I was going to end it.”
“When?”
“At some point. Look,
I know it was stupid of me, but I couldn’t help it. I loved him, Dad. I
just wanted to feel happy for a little while.”
Palmero took that on the chin. There was only so much he could assume about how his
daughter’s head worked, never mind her heart. This territory was more suited to her mother, but she could never know
the truth, so Palmero left that part of it alone.
“And you’re sure he had absolutely no idea who you
were?”
“Yes. He
thought my name was Anna Calzadi, he even saw my license. He didn’t get anything about the Family from me.”
“You’re completely sure?”
“I thought that was half the reason for me being in the
Organisation? That I’d put the
cops off our trail. No, he had no
idea, okay? Anyway,” Sophia added
quietly, “what does it matter now?”
“Your mother doesn’t know?”
“No.”
“You’re keeping the baby?”
“Yes.”
“Okay then, well, we tell her that this guy has run off on
you …”
“No. Jonathon
might be dead, but I’m not going to let you make him out to be a bastard.”
“Fine. He’s
dead then. But not shot, then
she’ll think he was one of us and she’ll freak thinking you were with a
mobster.”
“The irony.”
Palmero ignored Sophia’s sarcasm. “Car accident?”
“Fine. Whatever.”
“Car accident. And
he was going to marry you.”
“Whatever makes you feel better.”
“Hey look, you hadn’t thought this far, had you? I’m trying to help out here!”
Sophia sighed and grimaced. Her arm hurt like hell, but still not as much as her heart. “I know, Dad. Thank you.”
“Okay,” Palmero stood and started walking out the door.
“Dad,” Sophia didn’t want to look him in the eyes as
she said this, so was glad when her father stopped but didn’t turn around,
“I’m sorry. Do you hate me?”
“You’re still my little girl,” he said quietly, and
Sophia knew she had broken his heart but that the pieces still loved her. “I’ll be back later,” he said and went to go again.
“Where are you going?” Sophia asked.
“To find you an engagement ring.”
Sophia’s mother arranged a pillow behind Sophia’s back,
puffed up another one and went to put it under feet.
“Mum, I’m fine, really.”
“Are you hot? I
would get so hot with you when I was near the end …”
“I’m fine,” Sophia groaned as she turned the television
volume up a couple more notches to drown out her clucking mother.
“I’m just saying!” Catherine moaned. “You have no idea how bad it can get sometimes, you’ve
been very lucky with your pregnancy.”
Sophia’s mind turned over with a hundred ways of
contradicting her mother, but didn’t say a word. She wouldn’t understand.
“And I really don’t know why you wouldn’t let me be
your birthing partner. I honestly
don’t see how Benny could be any better …”
“Because Mum, you would totally freak out to see me in that
much pain, I know that already and I’m sparing us both. If it’s any consolation, you get to have the first hold of the baby,
okay? Anyway, Benny will be fine. He’s like an uncle to me, so he’s happy to do it. And he’s been fine at the birthing classes.”
“What if he faints at the first sign of blood?”
Sophia had to laugh. “I
seriously doubt that.” Her mother
gave her an odd look, knowing what she meant, but wondering how Sophia knew that
sort of thing. “Seriously Mum,”
Sophia continued, trying to get her off track, “he’ll be fine.”
“Caro Jesus, li aiuta tutti!!!”
“For … Christ’s … sake …Benny … shut … the …
hell … up!” Sophia screamed at him between her shallow panting.
“Let go of my hand, you’re hurting me!”
“I’m hurting you? I’m
hurting YOU! GO TO HELL! Oh hell, oh hell, ohhh …”
“Okay Sophia, keep breathing through this contraction,
you’re nearly there,” the cheery midwife urged her. Sophia continued through her gritted teeth, holding back the million
swear words she wanted to hurl at the insanely happy woman perched between her
legs. After what seemed like hours
the contraction subsided at last, and Sophia collapsed back onto the hard
hospital pillow. “That’s it,
good girl. The baby is crowning
now, so you can push with the next one. Benny,
is it?”
“What, she hasn’t screamed at me enough for you not to
know my name by now?”
“Just dab the sweat off her,” the midwife replied in her
perpetually joyful tone, ignoring his sarcastic comment, “pop the towel in
some cold water first to cool her down.”
“Do I have to? She
might bite …”
“To hell with you Benny, do it!” Sophia snapped her head
up and yelled.
“Okay, okay! Dolce
Madonne …”
“Oh God, oh bloody HELL …”
“There’s another contraction coming?” The midwife looked up at Sophia.
“Yes, you bloody stupid c …” Sophia finished the rest
of her not so subtle answer under the towel that Benny dabbed at the right time
over her mouth.
“Then it’s time to push,” the midwife smiled, “you
ready?”
“No, no, NO!”
“Push Sophia!” The midwife urged.
“Yeah push!” Benny chorused, quietly rejoicing that the
end of the ordeal was in sight.
Sophia sat up as far as her shaking arms would hold her,
gritted her teeth and grunted like a wounded animal until the pain reached such
a peak that she simply screamed and fell back into Benny’s well timed arms.
“Your baby’s head is out,” the midwife chimed. “Next push and you’ll be able to hold it.”
“Hooray,” Sophia whimpered, wishing instead that someone
would just kill her right there and then so the pain would be over for good.
“Here we go, Sophia, just one more push.”
Benny cradled Sophia as she bear down one last time, feeling
as though it would take everything out of her. She was just about ready to faint when the midwife called out, “Here he
is, Sophia, grab your little boy.”
With one swift movement she didn’t even realise she
had made, Sophia scooped her baby boy out of the midwife’s arms and onto her
chest. Benny lay mother and child
down softly onto the pillow, stood back and watched as Sophia kissed the
baby’s head and cooed to her child, “Hello there little one,” then burst
into tears.
© Cynthia M. Piromalli
©2004 StoriesByEmail.com
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