I'll Always Choose You #Watty's2023

43. Nico

January 2, 2023 ( baby is one week old)

A week. That's how long I had been unconscious. When I had woke up in that strange pace and spoken to my parents and sister I thought that I would wake up and be back home with Gio and the boys feeling our baby moving inside my belly. But to wake up a week later was hard. Even harder was to know that our baby had to be cut out of me in order for her to live. But due to that the fact she as born at 21 weeks, Kenzie said that her chances of survival were slim and that a baby born at 21 weeks has less than four percent to survive. It killed me to hear that but I knew my little girl was strong.

I looked for over to the bed and smiled as Tanner and Aros cuddled together on the bed. Gio had gone to the house to grab a change of clothes for them but sh—my train of thought was interrupted by my hospital door opening and shutting softly before Gio was walking in.

"Good morning, angel," he smiled as he leaned won and pressed a kiss to my forehead making me smile, "how did you sleep?"

"Good," I replied and he nodded, "Kenzie came to see me this morning."

"Yeah? What did she say?" He asked as he sat on the edge of the bed before gently shaking the boys awake but they swatted his hand away and burrowed under the blankets the only thing peeking out was their messy hair. I smiled fondly at that while Gio shook his head before shaking them again.

"I asked her how the baby was and she explained that there was less than a four perfect chance of her surviving," I answered his questioned from a second ago and he tensed as he looked over at me, "I don't want to lose her, Gio."

I could feels tears already welling in my eyes at the thought of my baby girl not making it. He jumped to his feet—his mission in waking the boys up forgotten—and sat on the edge of my hospital bed cupping my face.

"She's strong," he said, "our girl is strong and she'll make it. She may be tiny now but I know she'll be a force to be reckoned with once she's older. We have to have faith that she'll pull though no matter how long it'll take before we bring her home."

I sniffled and nodded. He pressed a kiss to my lips before a groggy voice from the corner caught our attention.

"Daddy?" Tanner called as he sat up, Aros was still snoring beside him.

"Right here, bud," Gio said as he stood up after giving me another kiss and walked over to the bed as Tanner rubbed the sleep from his eyes, "did you sleep well?"

The little boy nodded, still not noticing me across the room as he held his arms up for Gio to pick him up and I smiled.

"I have a surprise for you," Gio said catching Tanner's attention as sleep was gone from him as he looked at his father, "who's that?" He asked as he turned so Tanner could see me and his eyes widened before he wiggled on Gio's arms and my husband chuckled as he set the five year old down who ran to the bed and num ps up, his arms wrapping Aron's ny neck as his tears soaked my hospital gown.

"Shh, baby," I cooed rubbing his back as he cried a against my neck. His little shoulders shook with each sob and it broke my heart to hear him this upset. God, I hated myself for what I put my boys through. Specially, Tanner who still had trauma from 2 years ago. "I'm right here sweetheart, so hush now love. It's okay."

"Mommy," he hiccuped as he buried his face in my neck and I closed my eyes as fresh tears filled my eyes and swallowed the knot in my throat at hearing his sorrow filled voice.

"I'm okay, I'm here, shh," I whispered as I kissed the side of his head. The loud commotion had woken his brother who sat in the bed, hair disheveled and sleep still evident in his eyes but tears were also rolling down his cheeks. I held my hand towards him and Aros jumped out of the bed and ran and jumped up beside Tanner, both wrapped in my arms as they cried.