Sarah POV The clinic smelled of antiseptic mixed with paper and a hint of sweet, sterile memories to assume I had been in a lot of similar waiting areas. I was sitting in the room waiting for the doctor to come back, and literally clicked my legs over and over and was moving them back and forth, anything to distract them and me. I was so anxious I literally thought the doctor would catch my nerves from me when she came back for the consultation.Her smile was kind, reassurance in a way that made me sit taller. “You’re around 2.5 months along.” She proclaimed with enthusiasm while basking in healthful glow of me being appreciably healthy.“Congratulations, Sarah,” she said with a cheerasive spirit. accepting handouts while maintaining good eye contact.2.5 months.The number echoed in my head like it had weight. Like something real had just taken shape inside me. It wasn’t just two faint pink lines anymore, it was a heartbeat.A beginning. A piece of me. A piece of Alessandro.Upon
Sarah’s POVIt had been a few weeks since Adrian's sucide, and life, in its quiet, stubborn way, was starting to find stability again. Grief still came through me from time to time, unexpected, but softer, and the days no longer seemed to belong to him.One dusky evening, after Gabriel had fallen asleep and Alessandro had stepped out for a bussiness dinner, Ester, Noah and I remained at home. The apartment buzzed with activity, pieces of fabric hung over the sofa, invitation drafts scattered on the dining table, Ester’s handwriting flowing graceful and confident as she noted final details for her wedding to NoahI was helping them to finalise the wedding preparations when Ester had gone into the kitchen to check on tea, when Noah cleared his throat, fingers tracing the rim of his glass.“I saw him changing after your marraige,” Noah went on, words halting, tangled in regret.“But after he got close to Chloe and Jessica… after he started talking like he could bend anyone to his will. A
Sarah POVThe walls of the bedroom glowed with a warm, buttery hue from the soft sun peeking in through the silk drapes. The room felt still; different from silence, still in the stretch of time that slow, sleepy mornings hold. I could hear Gabriel's cooing from down the hall, the sweet little sounds he made when he was awake enough to desire attention, but not quite awake enough to express his desire in a forceful manner, as if he was silently reminding everything of his presence on Earth.Alessandro rustled awake and, without a word, slithered his arms around my waist. The way he held me, slow and with familiarity, felt like something his body already knew how to do.As if he found it instinctive to stretch for me in sleep, to find me in the quiet.His warmth pressed into my back, steady and grounding. I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. I let myself to relax into the security of it, inhaling the warmth of his presence while dulling the sharpness of my thoughts.I breathed him in. Tha
Adrian’s POVI was unable to sleep the previous night. The hours stretched into one another, an indistinct dark haze, interrupted only by the faint clanging of metal doors and the uneasy movement of fellow inmates.Today, Gabriel turns one.My son. My blood.And I’m not there.Morning air was chilly and gray. There was no shelter from the cold provided by the thin blanket. I looked at my hands while sitting on the edge of the cot with my elbows resting on my knees. Their appearance had changed, they were smaller, their skin was tauter over their bones, and they had little tremors that never truly went away.I wondered what Gabriel’s hands look like. Small, plump hands perhaps, reaching for cake, spreading icing all over.Somewhere nearby, in a cozy apartment filled with joy and brightness, they’re rejoicing. Sarah will put him in something fresh, perhaps a small white shirt with buttons she selected thoughtfully.She’ll hold him on her hip, press kisses into his soft hair.And him,
Sarah POVBright morning sunshine filled the floor, reflecting off Gabriel's toys: small blocks, soft plush toys, and that old blue truck he would never throw away.I should have been used to this mess by now - bumping through a haze to get to the kettle. Every day still felt like a fresh start. Like this day, somehow forgot how to tire me.Something felt off today… My body felt heavy. Not just tired - heavy. It felt as if I was dragging myself through fog.I had a dull throb occurring behind my eyes, and my stomach has been unsettled ever since I woke up.Alessandro was observing this. He consistently did.“Promise me you’ll relax today,” he murmured into my hair, placing a warm mug in my hands.Always have chamomile tea.I pressed against him for a moment longer than normal, anchoring myself in his scent, fresh skin, soap, and a subtle hint of coffee. The scent of home. “I will,” I replied, although the grin I offered didn’t truly reach my eyes.“Just a long week. I’m fine.”He didn
Sarah’s POVEster’s Apartment, New YorkThe city beyond the window of Ester's apartment has started to sparkle, covered with a soft amber glow as the sun was setting down the buildings.The apartment's scent was a mixture of peonies and vanilla candles, and small pieces of ivory lace, blush-toned satin, ribbons, along with-half-drank lattes were scattered all over the floor.Noah was outside on the balcony, his body wrapped around the fairy lights, and he was jokingly swearing as he corrected them every few minutes. His humming, comically off-key, drifted in like background music.Ester was half in bridal crisis mode, half in a giddy glow of anticipation, tapping between Pinterest boards and scrawled notes in her wedding planner.I sat cross-legged on the rug, holding up a mock bouquet for her opinion. "You realize you're like, three tiers deep in florals at this point, right?""Sarah, flowers are very important," she said, taking the bouquet from me. "Besides, you should consider you