Love in the Nick of Time

Chapter 27

Regina stared at the young woman sitting across from her as she sipped from her cup of tea.

This is crazy, she looks just like me. We could pass for twins. She thought as the woman stared back at her.

"It's crazy right, how much we look alike." She said with a smile.

"It really is," Regina said still trying to figure out why she was here. Regina had stopped by the office to pick some things up for Verity before going to visit her at the hospital when she found her half-sister Racheal waiting for her.

"I don't want to keep you...I really don't have a reason for being here other than to see what you look like. I've only seen one picture of you and you were about 4."

"Did she put you up to this?"

"Who mother? No. She has been talking about you quite a bit lately."

"So you came to scout the competition is that it?"

"I guess so, in a way. I was just curious to what you would be like. My brother and I didn't find out about you until I was sixteen. I know Melanie won't be winning any mother of the year awards any time soon but she isn't all to blame."

"What do you mean?"

"After my parents got married mother wanted my dad to meet you but he refused. He said that he didn't want anything to do with her past life he was her future and she should focus on building a family with him."

"Exactly, she chose to be with him and his money than with me. I don't need someone like that in my life."

"I agree but I thought that you should know. It wasn't easy for my brother and I to live with our father. He was very demanding and nothing could satisfy him. So I can only imagine what it was like for her, but like you said it was her choice." She said as she stood up. "I won't keep you any longer, here is my number, call me we'll have lunch sometime."

Regina escorted Rachel out before making her way to the garage, a million questions swarmed in her mind as she drove to the hospital. When she arrived Christian met her in the parking lot and he could tell that something was bothering her.

"What's wrong baby doll?"

"I'll tell you later, how's Verity?"

"She just went into the delivery room,"

"What! No, I was supposed to be there," Regina said as she rushed past him

"Gina slow down, we don't want you going into labor." Christian said as he grabbed her hand.

"I wouldn't have gone to the office if I knew I was going to miss it."

"I tried calling you,"

"My sister came for a visit." She said as they waited for the elevator and Christian's eyes stretched with surprise.

"What did she want?"

"Nothing really, she looks just like me, we'll talk about it later." She said as they walked into the elevator. When they made it to the maternity ward everyone was sitting in the waiting room just waiting to hear the news. Sabrina jumped out of her grandmother's arm and ran to Regina. Christian picked her up and handed her to Regina her swollen belly making it impossible for her to bend down without it become a spectacle.

"Hi munchkin," she said as she nuzzled their noses together.

After waiting for twenty minutes Dimitri greeted them with the smile only a father could have.

"He's eight pounds, seven ounces."

"Did you say he?" Dimitri's mother Penelope asked. Verity and Dimitri were determined to keep the sex of the baby unknown until delivery, and no matter how may tactics Regina tried Verity would not spill.

"Yes it's a boy, Zachary Esteban Vega."

"Awww," Regina cooed. "That is adorable,"

"Esteban after my father?" Emmanuel asked as he beamed with such pride.

"Yes after pops,"

"This is just too much for me to handle." Regina said as Sabrina wiped away her tears.

"After they move Verity back to her room, I'll come back to get everyone." Dmitri said before leaving.

Regina and the rest of the family were filled with excitement as they waited for the chance to see Verity and the new baby. When they were finally allowed into Verity's room Regina rushed over to Verity and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry I missed it,"

"Teresa was a great back up coach," Verity said as she looked over at a wiped out Teresa who was sitting in the corner. "Look at what I made," she said holding up little Zachary as he slept peacefully.

"Here, hold him," Verity said placing the baby into her arms before she could decline, and Regina's body immediately tensed up. She was not comfortable holding newborns no matter how many time she practiced with Sabrina or the doll her Lamaze instructor had given her, it was no use.

"Relax," Verity said with a laugh. Regina peered down at the sleeping child and her heart swelled with love for him instantly.

"He's so cute," she cooed as she handed Zachary to Christian who looked at the baby with complete awe.

Later on that night as they sat in their living room trying to unwind from the day, Regina and Christian could not stop talking about the new baby.

"I guess this means we can finally go on our Babymoon." Christian said changing the subject and Regina just looked at him. She didn't feel like traveling to a bed and breakfast to stay in bed all day when she could do it in the comfort of her own home. She just didn't have the heart to tell him.

"I guess so," she said as she held onto his hand.

"What happened with your sister?" he asked and Regina told him about their conversation.

"Maybe you should sit down and seriously talk to your mother, there seems to be something she isn't telling you."

"I really don't care, I don't want anything to do with her. I don't have the time or energy to waste on her lies."

"Do you really think her daughter would make the trip to see you just to lie to you? You said it yourself that she said her father was hard to live with, maybe he made it impossible for her to see you."

"Even so she chose to leave me to go be with that man, she deserved whatever came her way." She huffed folding her arms across her chest.

"I still think you should talk to her," he said as he pulled her into him and began to rub her swollen stomach.

"No thanks," she said as she laid her head on his chest.

As far as Regina was concerned she didn't need to know anything about what happened in the past. Melanie made her decision and now she had to live with the consequences. Regina didn't need her growing up and she definitely did not need her now that she was a grown woman.