My New Beginning

[ALESSIA'S POV]

Jeffrey is already waiting when I arrive at Riverside Café.

He stands when he sees me, and I notice he's taller than I remembered. Broader too. College was a long time ago.

"Alessia." He pulls out a chair for me. "Thank you for coming."

I sit slowly. Everything hurts these days. My back. My feet. My heart.

"How did you get my number?"

"Your mom." He sits across from me. "We've stayed in touch over the years. She told me what happened. I hope that's okay."

"She shouldn't have."

"Maybe not. But I'm glad she did."

The waitress comes by. Jeffrey orders coffee. I get water.

When she leaves, he leans forward.

"I know this is weird. We haven't talked in years. But I couldn't just sit back and do nothing."

"Why do you care?"

The question comes out harsher than I mean it to.

He doesn't flinch. "Because I never stopped caring about you."

I look away. "Jeffrey—"

"I'm not trying to make this uncomfortable. I just want to help. That's all."

"Nobody helps for free."

"I do." He waits until I look at him again. "I heard about Edward. About Sandra. About everything. And I thought... you shouldn't have to go through this alone."

"I'm not alone. I have my mom."

"In a one-bedroom apartment in East LA while you're seven months pregnant." His voice is gentle. "Alessia, you deserve better than that."

"What I deserve doesn't matter anymore."

"It does to me."

The waitress brings our drinks. I take a sip of water and realize my hands are shaking.

Jeffrey notices. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

"Well, I am."

He's quiet for a moment. Then: "I have a house. Three bedrooms. Quiet neighborhood. You and the baby could stay there. For as long as you need."

I almost laugh. "You're offering me a place to live? We haven't seen each other in five years."

"Six. But who's counting?" He smiles, and it's the same smile I remember from college. Warm. Honest. "Look, I'm not asking for anything. No strings. You need a safe place to have your baby and figure things out. I have space. That's it."

"Why would you do that?"

"Because someone should."

I press my hand to my belly. The baby's moving again.

"I can't accept that," I say.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to owe anyone anything. Not anymore."

"You wouldn't owe me." He reaches across the table but doesn't touch me. "Alessia, I'm not Edward. I'm not trying to control you or fix you or change you. I just wanted to help."

I want to say no. Wanted to stand up and walk out and prove I can do this by myself.

But then the pain hits.

Sharp and low like someone's twisting a knife in my stomach.

I gasp and double over.

"Alessia?" Jeffrey's voice sounds far away. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Another pain. Harder this time. "Something's wrong."

He's beside me in seconds. "We need to get you to a hospital."

"No, I'm fine. It's probably just—"

Water runs down my legs onto the floor.

Oh God.

"My water just broke."

Jeffrey doesn't panic. He pulls out his phone, calls 911, then helps me stand.

"It's too early," I whisper. "I'm only seven months."

"You're going to be okay." His arm is around my waist, steady. "Both of you."

The ambulance arrives faster than I expect.

They load me onto a stretcher. Jeffrey climbs in beside me.

"Are you family?" the paramedic asks.

"Yes," Jeffrey says without hesitation.

I didn't even bother to correct him because I was pains .

The ride to the hospital is a blur of pain and fear and Jeffrey's hand holding mine.

"Breathe," he keeps saying. "Just breathe."

I tried but every breath feels like fire.

The hospital is in chaos.

Nurses rush me into a room. Machines beeping. Someone's shouting orders.

Jeffrey stays by my side the whole time.

"You should call your mom," he says.

"I can't. My phone's in my purse."

"Where's your purse?"

"I don't know. The café maybe."

"I'll get it." He squeezes my hand. "I'll be right back."

"Don't leave."

"Five minutes. I promise."

He leaves.

A doctor comes in. Young. Female. She checks the monitors and frowns.

"How far along are you?"

"Seven months."

"The baby's in distress. We need to do an emergency C-section."

"What? No. It's too early."

"If we don't, you could both die."

The words freeze me.

"I need to call my husband," I say automatically. Then I remember. "No. I don't. I don't have a husband."

The doctor touches my shoulder. "Is there anyone we can call?"

"My mom. Her number's in my phone, but I don't have it."

"We'll find it. Right now, we need to prep you for surgery."

Everything moves too fast after that.

They wheel me into an operating room. Bright lights. Cold air. Faces covered in masks.

Someone puts a needle in my arm. "Count backwards from ten."

"Ten. Nine. Eight..."

I didn't make it to seven and I was gone.

When I wake up, the room is dark.

My body feels heavy and hurts.

"Alessia?"

I turn my head. Jeffrey is sitting in a chair beside the bed.

"Hey." His voice is soft. "You're okay. The baby's okay."

"Where is he?"

"NICU. He's small, but he's breathing on his own. The doctors say he's strong."

Tears run down my face before I can stop them.

"I want to see him."

"Soon. They're running some tests, but you'll see him soon."

The door opens. A nurse walks in with a clipboard.

"Mrs. Seaman? Your husband is here. Should I send him in?"

My whole body goes stiff.

"No."

"He's very insistent. Says he has a right to see his son."

"Tell him to leave."

Jeffrey stands. "I'll handle it."

"Jeffrey—"

"Trust me."

He walks out.

I lie there, staring at the ceiling, listening to my heart pound.

Voices rise in the hallway. Jeffrey's and Edward's.

Then footsteps.

Edward appears in the doorway.

He looks terrible. Hair messy, shirt wrinkled and his eyes red.

"Alessia."

"Get out."

"I just want to see him. That's all."

"No."

He takes a step closer. "He's my son."

"You gave up that right when you slept with Sandra."

"I made a mistake. I'm trying to fix it."

"You can't fix this, Edward. You destroyed it."

Jeffrey appears behind him. "She asked you to leave."

Edward turns. "And who the hell are you?"

"A friend."

"A friend?" Edward looks back at me. "You've moved on already? Our baby isn't even a day old and you've already replaced me?"

"Get out," I say again.

"Not until I see my son."

"Security." Jeffrey pulls out his phone. "I'm calling security."

"You don't have the authority—"

"She does. And she told you to leave."

Edward's face turns red. He looks at me like I'm a stranger.

"You'll regret this," he says. "My father will make sure of it."

"Let him try."

He storms out.

The room goes quiet again.

Jeffrey comes back to my side. "You okay?"

"No." I wipe my face. "But I will be."

He sits down. "What do you want to name him?"

"Davison." The name comes out without thinking. "Davison Reed."

"Reed?"

"My maiden name. He's mine. Not theirs."

Jeffrey nods. "Davison Reed. I like it."

A few hours later, they let me see him.

He's so small. Tubes and wires everywhere. But his eyes are open.

And when I touch his hand, he grabs my finger.

"Hi, baby," I whisper. "I'm your mom. And I'm going to protect you. No matter what."

He blinks up at me.

And I know, right then, that everything will be okay.

Eventually.